Yulahu has issued a challenge that is based on some photographs she has taken in the Römerplatz, one of which photographs, is shown above. She said: “Copy one of my photos to your blog, and write a story...than let me know about it.” Here is my entry:
SIBERIA
Siberia is frigidly cold in winter. Come to think of it, Siberia is cold in summer too. The warmth in our hearts has to make up for the lack of heat of our pallid sun. That, and a drop of vodka now and then – more then than now. It was always hard to scratch out a living from the gelid earth, but now it had become even more difficult – perestroika, glasnost and the mafia, too…
To put bread on the family table is my responsibility and my wife’s eyes, they too had taken some of the ice from the frozen earth outside as my efforts to feed us were becoming more ineffectual. The silence of my children and their empty bellies a wordless accusation more effective than loud shouts and cries.
The decision to leave our homeland was difficult. But the colourful images on the foreign magazines were so enticing, the flickering blue light of the TV screen a mesmerising temptation, the promise of a better life so tangible, so easily attainable, it all seemed so easy! A voyage of thousands of kilometres, countless dangers, endless sacrifices. The warmth of our hearts saved us from the coldness of the wintry enmity of the people along the way.
We had to survive and all we had was each other. How else could we have managed to end up here? Here where the streets were meant to be paved with gold. Here where laughter was to be heard in every street corner. Where life was bright and warm and colourful like the images in the magazines… The life of an illegal immigrant is not an easy one. If one has a family, then it becomes even harder. Hard like Siberian earth, no matter where one is, even if one is in laughter-filled Römerplatz.
No jobs, life is not a colour magazine, even here. People may smile sunnily, but their hearts are cold. The autumn sun still so pleasantly warm, in Römerplatz, but to eke out a living here is as hard as in Siberia. To put bread on the family table is my responsibility and the only way to do it is to make the laughter louder, to make the mirth more widespread, to entertain, amuse, divert these carefree people. I apply my make-up and freeze on my dais on Römerplatz. The children dance and sing sad Russian songs, my wife plays the balalaika. The dogs do their tricks – how people laugh! I smile and bow deeply each time a coin hits the cold metal of the box in front of me. Ridi pagliaccio!
Our hearts are still warm as a cold night falls and the thousand coloured lights of the Römerplatz illuminate it like a fairy tale that my babushka used to tell me. Bread will be put on our table once again tonight. Our feet drag on the cobblestones and still, all that we have is each other. It is enough.
India has been described as the “Land of Festivals” and this is certainly true as with its rich cultural traditions, its colourful pantheon and the numerous holy days and feasts to be celebrated, it is rare that a festival is not taking place in one or more places throughout the subcontinent each and every day of the year. Hinduism is one of the world’s most ancient religions and its 800 million adherents are most devout and involved in preserving their rich heritage over the centuries.
Diwali is the Hindu “festival of lights” and is the best known of Hindu festivals and certainly the most joyous and brightest. As autumn brings dark skies and shortening days, hundreds of lights illuminate homes throughout India, with families celebrating throughout the country and in foreign lands where Hindus have migrated with visits, gifts, and feasts. Diwali lasts for five days, beginning on the 14th day of the dark half of the Hindu calendar month of Asvina. (every Hindu month is divided into a light half, when the moon waxes, and a dark half, when it wanes.) By Gregorian calendar reckoning, Diwali falls in October or November - in 2007, it began on November 9.
In Sanskrit deepavali means “row of lights” and Diwali, the name of the festival is derived from this etymology. Traditionally, Diwali celebrates the joyous homecoming of Lord Rama (hero of the epic poem the Ramayana), after 14 years in exile. When Lord Rama and his wife Sita returned to rule their country, their people lit the way with small oil lamps called “diye”. During Diwali, this type of lamp shine in rows along homes and temples, adorning windowsills, staircases, and parapets—or glow from little boats that float down rivers. Colourful candles are lit alongside diye, while fireworks light up the night sky.
Although the Rama tradition is widespread, in some parts of India, Diwali honours the marriage of the goddess Lakshmi and the god Vishnu; in others it commemorates the triumph of Lord Krishna over the demon Naraka. While for most Hindus the worship of Lakshmi is a focus of Diwali, Hindus in Bengal honour the fearsome goddess Kali. Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of wisdom, is also widely honoured, as are other gods and goddesses.
Homes are freshly cleaned and decorated with fresh flowers to welcome the days of Diwali. Many families draw a colourful “rangoli”, a decorative pattern made in rice flour, at the entrance of their home. Friends, family, and neighbours visit to share feasts and festivities as well as little treats such as “khil” (rice puffs) and “patashe” (sugar disks). “Puja”, worshipping of deities, takes place at home and at temples with prayers and other offerings.
Diwali also marks the beginning of a new financial year. Households and businesses begin new accounting in new ledgers, which are often decorated with images of Lakshmi. The goddess of fortune, she is the main deity honoured during Diwali. The celebrations probably have their roots in ancient harvest festivals.
Happy Diwali to all my Hindu friends here on 360! In honour of the festival, here is a beautiful song from the film “Devdas” starring the stunningly beautiful Aishwarya Rai. The song is “Silsila Yeh Chahat Ka” with music by Ismail Darbar and lyrics by Nusrat Badr.
When it’s my turn to cook and I’m not in the mood to faff around in the kitchen, I cheat. I use what is around in the fridge, the freezer, the pantry and throw things together as quickly as possible trying to make something that is easy, but also hopefully palatable not only edible. This quiche-of-sorts came about because I did not have the time, inclination or any flour in the cupboard to make quiche pastry. However, what I did have on hand was cream, eggs, cheese and various leftovers in the fridge!
QUICHE FOR CHEATS Ingredients • 1 cup grated cheese (emmenthal, cheddar, tasty, gouda, whatever) • 4 large eggs • 1 cup cream • 1 cup milk • Pinch of salt, freshly ground pepper, nutmeg • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard • 1 cup cooked spinach, or sautéed mushrooms, or ham, or asparagus, whatever • Sliced bread, with crusts removed (feed them to the ducks or make croutons) • Unsalted butter, melted
Method Use a pastry brush to paint the melted butter on the bread, covering well both sides. Line a 25 cm pyrex quiche dish with the bread, covering it completely and allowing no gaps. This can be fun, like an edible jig-saw puzzle. Beat the whole eggs, add the salt and seasonings, the cream, milk, cheese and finally the vegetables or ham. Pour into the case and bake in a moderate oven for 30-40 minutes or until cooked and golden on top. Serve with a freshly cut green salad and some nice dry wine.
By the by, although quiche is now a classic French dish, it originated in Germany, in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen, under German rule, and which the French later renamed Lorraine. The word ‘quiche’ is from the German ‘Kuchen’, meaning cake. The original ‘quiche Lorraine’ was an open pie with a filling consisting of an egg and cream custard with smoked bacon. It was only later that cheese was added to the quiche Lorraine. Add onions and you have quiche Alsacienne.
The bottom crust was originally made from bread dough, but that has long since evolved into a short-crust or puff pastry crust. Quiche became popular in England sometime after the Second World War, and in the U.S. during the 1950's. Because of its primarily vegetarian ingredients, it was considered a somehow ‘unmanly’ dish, - “real men don’t eat quiche.” Today, one can find many varieties of quiche, from the original quiche Lorraine, to ones with broccoli, mushrooms, ham and/or seafood (primarily shellfish). Quiche can be served as an entrée, for lunch, breakfast or an evening snack.
We have a Federal election looming over our heads in the near future and the politicians have been busy drugging us with their sickeningly hypnotic oratory once again. Even our Prime Minister, who is noted for his arrogance and conceit has watered down his usually bombastic and self-centred pronouncements. He wishes to be elected again and break some sort of record as the most re-elected or longest serving PM, I think… Well, he has quite a record to break with Robert Menzies chalking up 2 years, 4 months, 4 days in his first term (26 April 1939 - 29 August 1941) and 16 years, 1 month, 8 days in his second term (19 December 1949 - 26 January 1966). Mr Howard has been in office for 11 years so far, and I think that most Australian believe that this is quite enough…
The most recent mortgage interest rate rises (the latest of several over the past few years) have caused Mr Howard to “apologise” to the Australian people, the face exhibiting distress and the crocodilian tears flowing as he was saying “sorry” – what a surprise! This is the same man who promised in his 2004 election campaign (rather foolishly, as he does not control the Reserve Bank, which is the authority that raises or lowers interest rates) that interest rates would not rise during his government’s latest term. This is the same man who said last time the rates rose that it was something that had to happen and was not apologetic about it (it wasn’t election time then and also, Mr Howard is not a man who is known for his apologies, as our aboriginal population will confirm).
As a result, many Australian families who are struggling to keep up with their house mortgage payments will experience increasing hardship. The rates rose on March 2nd 2006 to 5.50%, then to 5.75% on May 3rd 2006, to 6.00% on August 2nd, 2006 and again on November 8th 2006 to 6.25%. Another rate rise on August 8th 2007 took the rate to 6.50% and the latest interest rate rise has now taken the mortgage rate to 6.75%. More rate rises are tipped for the near future, sometime between February and March next year.
Meanwhile, the opposition is making much noise about the interest rate rises and is getting as much political ammunition out of it as possible, but the fact is that the bulk of struggling families will have to put up with increasing house repayments and deterioration of their quality of living. I am sick of the mud-slinging and vituperative attacks on both sides. I am thoroughly disgusted by the false smiles in their public appearances and yes they still go to shopping centres and kiss the babies! I would have thought that sort of thing was banned nowadays. To think that we shall be subjected to the bickering until November 24th is worrying, to say the least.
And yet, I always go and vote, I try to select candidates that will represent me and my values rather than vote for political parties, often realising that my vote is “wasted” by not voting the “party ticket”. However, I am more comfortable with that than voting blindly for representatives that my conscience will not support. As John Lennon said: “You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.” The Greens often have reasonable and forward-looking candidates, so my support has gone to these underdogs often in the past, but I have also voted for independents, whose activities and ideas I sympathise with.
What I will not vote for is a candidate that supports wars in foreign lands so as to strengthen our and our allies’ economies. My vote will not go to candidates that attempt to scare people into voting for them by waving the red rag of “terrorism” and “homeland security” in front of us. I will not support someone who is narrow minded, parochial and aggressively nationalistic. Mr Downer’s (our foreign minister’s) outburst a couple of days ago is an amazing sample of our present government’s ideas about Australia, its multicultural population and its relationship with the world:
“Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has accused Labor leader Kevin Rudd of being a show-off who can't hold himself back from breaking into Chinese. Mr Rudd, a former diplomat who speaks fluent Mandarin, used his language skills during an interview on a Chinese TV station yesterday. Mr Downer said there was no need for the Labor leader to do the interview in Mandarin. ‘He likes to show off, and you get that a bit with certain people in life,’ the minister told ABC Radio today. ‘I'm familiar with those types of people who like to show-off but I don't think, realistically, there are a lot of votes in the People's Republic of China for Kevin Rudd to win.’ Mr Downer says Mr Rudd is not the only person in Australia who can speak another language. ‘There are thousands upon thousands of Australians, there are tens of thousands of Australians, who can speak foreign languages and most of them don't bother to show-off about it,’ he said.”
Is this an Australian minister of the 21st century speaking or is it someone of the xenophobic 50s? I find it appalling! I would rather have a multilingual, cultured, educated and urbane man representing my country as prime minister, rather than a nationalistic, blinkered, jingoist who will support outmoded and backward looking strategies and whose foreign policy is that of lap-dog to its master.
My word of the day is a dirty word, it’s a four-letter word of eight letters:
politics |ˈpäləˌtiks| plural noun [usu. treated as sing. ] The activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, esp. the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power: The Communist Party was a major force in French politics | Thereafter he dropped out of active politics. • The activities of governments concerning the political relations between countries: In the conduct of global politics, economic status must be backed by military capacity. • The academic study of government and the state: [as adj. ] A politics lecturer. • Activities within an organization that are aimed at improving someone's status or position and are typically considered to be devious or divisive: Yet another discussion of office politics and personalities. • A particular set of political beliefs or principles: People do not buy this newspaper purely for its politics. • (Often the politics of) the assumptions or principles relating to or inherent in a sphere, theory, or thing, esp. when concerned with power and status in a society: The politics of gender. ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French politique ‘political,’ via Latin from Greek politikos, from politēs ‘citizen,’ from polis ‘city.’
I’ll get off my soap box now and remember, don’t believe everything you’re told, mostly it’s untrue (especially if it comes from the mouth of a politician)!
It’s poetry Wednesday, hosted by Sans Souci! Here is a poem I wrote a few months ago, and of which I was reminded after observing a scene on the way to work this morning. Labrys*
Slice through the torpid flesh With blade sharp shining; Unwind the thread that leads deep underskin. Explore interior cellular winding passages Until you find the beast within residing.
You need to sharply think, be sly, So as to slay the monster in the labyrinth; The labrys raised and ready poised, The brutish head to cut without delay, no pity.
Once beast is killed, once body is freed, The maze’s secrets will be yours. Clarity, wisdom, perception, care, As soul lies bared and reason rules the day.
But then the bloodied double-axe will seem Not so much a heroic implement of deliverance, As an assassin’s vile weapon stained by the blood of passion - And passion’s execution is a wasted crime. Rust stains on the stainless steel of conscience will appear.
*A labrys is a double axe that was used in Minoan rituals. The labyrinth is literally "the house of the double axe".
Today is Melbourne Cup Day here in my home city. At 3.00 pm, on the first Tuesday in November, Australians everywhere stop for one of the world's most famous horse races - the Melbourne Cup. If you cannot be in Flemington Racecourse to watch the Cup live, you can listen to the race call on radio, or watch the race on TV. Even those who don't usually bet, try their luck with a small bet or entry into a “sweep” (a lottery in which each ticket-holder is matched with a randomly drawn horse).
Since 1877, Melbourne Cup Day has been a public holiday for Melbourne, and crowds have flocked to Flemington. By 11.00 am the grandstand is packed to its 7,000 capacity, and by 3.00 pm, many tens of thousands of people usually gather around the racecourse. The party atmosphere often means that champagne and canapés, huge hats and racetrack fashions overshadow the business of horse racing. American writer Mark Twain said of a visit to the Melbourne Cup in 1895: “Nowhere in the world have I encountered a festival of people that has such a magnificent appeal to the whole nation. The Cup astonishes me.”
The first Melbourne Cup was run in 1861 at Flemington Racecourse and was won by Archer, a horse from Nowra, New South Wales, beating the local favourite, Mormon. The prize was a gold watch and £170. Dismissed by the bookies, Archer took a lot of money away from Melbourne, refuelling interstate rivalry and adding to the excitement of the Cup. Australia's most famous racehorse, Phar Lap, combined great stamina and speed. He was foaled in New Zealand in 1926 by Night Raid out of Entreaty and he grew to 17 hands. Over his career he won more than £65,000 in prize money and won 37 of his 51 starts. From September 1929 he was the favourite in all but one of his races. Phar Lap became the darling of Australian race crowds during the Great Depression of the 1930s - winning all four days of the 1930 Flemington Spring Carnival including the Melbourne Cup carrying 62.5 kg. Phar Lap is the only horse to have started favourite in three successive Melbourne Cups. He came third in 1929, won the race in 1930 and ran eighth in 1931.
The Melbourne Cup is one of the world's most challenging horse races and one of the richest (total prize money for 2005 - $AU5.1 million), and is the highlight of the Spring Racing Carnival. The race is run over 3,200 metres and is a handicapped race. This means that the better the horse is, the more weight it has to carry in the race. The distance and the handicap ensure that the Melbourne Cup is a horse race in which the occasional punter has as good a chance of picking the winner as those who follow the form. It is a day when all Australians are considered to have an equal chance on the turf as well as on the lawn. This year, the place getters of the Cup were: First: Efficient Second: Purple Moon Third: Mahler
I am not a gambler and I do not bet on the Cup, although I do enter the sweep at work. I don’t recall ever having won the sweep, and seeing I don’t follow the form the only thing that I enjoy in the Cup is watching the magnificent animals in peak condition race. Horses are beautiful creatures and when they gallop they are a poem in motion. Even though we did not go to the races, nor did we gamble, we had a lovely day at home with a delicious lunch, champagne and enjoyed the wonderful weather in the garden that was full of blooming roses. I hope you had a win if you bet on the Cup!
“Society exists for the benefit of its members, not the members for the benefit of society.” Herbert Spencer.
Today is Guy Fawkes Day in the UK and this commemorates the foiled attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament by a group of dissidents. The conspiracy intended to blow up the English Parliament and King James I in 1605, the day set for the king to open Parliament. The anniversary was named after Guy Fawkes, the most famous of the conspirators.
The assassination of the king and the overthrow of his government was to be the beginning of a great uprising of English Catholics, who were distressed by the increased severity of penal laws against the practice of their religion. The conspirators, who began plotting early in 1604, expanded their number to a point where secrecy was impossible. The conspirators included Robert Catesby, John Wright, and Thomas Winter, the originators, Christopher Wright, Robert Winter, Robert Keyes,Guy Fawkes (a soldier who had been serving in Flanders), Thomas Percy, John Grant, Sir Everard Digby, Francis Tresham, Ambrose Rookwood, and Thomas Bates.
Percy hired a cellar under the House of Lords, in which 36 barrels of gunpowder, overlaid with iron bars and firewood, were secretly stored. The conspiracy was brought to light through a mysterious letter received by Lord Monteagle, a brother-in-law of Tresham, on October 26, urging him not to attend Parliament on the opening day. The 1st earl of Salisbury and others, to whom the plot was made known, took steps leading to the discovery of the materials and the arrest of Fawkes as he entered the cellar. Other conspirators, overtaken in flight or seized afterward, were killed outright, imprisoned, or executed.
Among those executed was Henry Garnett, the superior of the English Jesuits, who had known of the conspiracy. The plot provoked increased hostility against all English Catholics and led to an increase in the harshness of laws against them. Guy Fawkes Day, November 5, is still celebrated in England with fireworks and bonfires, on which effigies of the conspirator are burned.
Please to remember The Fifth of November, Gunpowder treason and plot; I see no reason Why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot.
‘Twas God’s mercy to be sent To save our King and Parliament Three score barrels laid below, For old England’s overthrow With a lighted candle, with a lighted match Boom, boom to let him in. Anonymous Hertfordshire Rhyme
Quite aptly for today, I am considering a film that was inspired in part by this historical event, but which also looks towards the future and creates one of the most convincing filmic dystopias and asks several questions that relate to our present-day society. The film is James McTeigue’s “V for Vendetta” (2005) and its screenplay is an adaptation of Alan Moore/David Lloyd's graphic novel. Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry and John Hurt have been wonderfully cast and do a sterling job in playing out this tale of the fight for freedom and justice against cruelty and corruption. There are elements of Orwell’s “1984”, Leroux’s “Phantom of the Opera” and superhero dramas such as “Batman” and “Spiderman” in this movie, but there is also an underlying serious political/social message in it.
Its plot takes place in the future, when Britain is under totalitarian rule and is rife with prejudice against minorities, unfair punishments and the cries of tortured dissidents in captivity. In the mist of this nightmarish background, one man known as “V” dares to stand up to the government and is labelled by it as a “terrorist”. One night V rescues a young woman called Evey Hammond and an unlikely bond between the two emerges which results with Evey becoming V’s friend and helper. V has a passion for justice, but he is also bitter and nurses his own personal hatred for the government as he was treated unjustly in the past. November the 5th is the day V and his followers will stand up to the government once and for all. The government is represented by Detective Finch who tries to track down V. Finch’s search leads him to discover much about V’s background, but also confronted by increasing evidence of tyranny and oppression, he begins to question whether or not he is on the right side.
Important questions arise upon viewing this film. Is V a hero or a terrorist? Are his actions justified or should the violence he espouses be condemned? “V for Vendetta” is a movie that looks scathingly at present-day politics. One cannot fail to see that President Bush is the model for Stutler. The news media and their coverage of V’s activities are inspired by on the propaganda machines at the disposal of today’s politicians, with V’s actions put on par with those of suicide bombers and underground train attacks. Does “terrorism” become “freedom-fighting”? A totalitarian oppressor in power who utilises torture, unjust rule, (a reign of terror, in fact) is not likely to arouse our sympathies, whereas V, who is presented as the “terrorist” is much more likely to appear to be the “hero”. This is a disturbing and chilling film because it presents the reality of today and yesterday as the “Status quo” that our children will inherit in the future.
If you haven’t seen this movie, I strongly recommend that you see it. It is dark, thought-provoking, and quite entertaining. I have not read the original graphic novel it is based on, and I realize that the film has created characters that are rather exaggerated, but the message is quite powerful and for me, well-conveyed in the film medium.
If you are taking part in Movie Monday, please leave a comment on my 360 blog!
Art Sunday today finds me rather tired as we stayed in all day shifting bookcases, moving books, making room for some recent purchases and generally rationalising space. When one buys books and does not bear to part with them once one has read them, the problem of space becomes ever more acute and pressing. We bought two new bookcases yesterday and then we had to find room for them. Once they were in place, we had to move books so that they were where we wanted them to be. Alphabetical by language and author for fiction, and by subject for non-fiction. A mammoth task when one considers that we have several thousands of books.
Therefore, my offering today is a single work by Albrecht Dürer. Dürer was born May 21, in 1471, in the Imperial Free City of Nürnberg, Germany and died April 6, 1528, Nürnberg. He was a painter, printmaker, draughtsman and art theorist, generally regarded as the greatest German Renaissance artist. His vast body of work includes altarpieces and religious works, numerous portraits and self-portraits, and copper engravings. His woodcuts, such as the Apocalypse series (1498), retain a more Gothic flavour than the rest of his work.
The work I give you toady is a favourite of mine, “The Large Turf” (1503, watercolour and gouache on paper. Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Vienna, Austria, 41 cm x 32 cm). In this deceptively simple watercolour, Dürer creates a microcosm that is beautiful to behold and relaxing to meditate upon. One has to immerse oneself in this work and let the green serenity wash over one’s soul. To see this masterpiece with one's own eyes in Vienna is an amazing experience...
For Song Saturday today, I am featuring a Brazilian singer. Marina Lima (born 17/9/1955) who is a prominent pioneer of Brazilian rock music. From the age of 5-12 years, she lived in the USA and learned to read first in English and then in Portuguese. She gained attention in 1977 when popular singer Gal Costa recorded her song "Meu Doce Amor". Other songs she wrote were inspired by her brother’s poetry.
Her album, Simples Como Fogo (1979), would be extremely influential in the Brazilian Rock scene of the 1980s. She gained major success with the 1984 album Fullgás, with hit singles "Fullgás", "Me Chama" and "Mesmo que Seja Eu". She sings equally comfortably in English as well as Portuguese and sultry looks coupled with her rich voice have gained her a world-wide following. Here is one of my favourite songs of hers, “Something that we Missed”.
We have had a rather civilised but slightly decadent night tonight with a lovely dinner, beautiful music, candlelight, quiet conversation, gentle laughter and to top it all off a rich, creamy dessert that hails from wonderful Sicily. I can’t share with you the intimate cosiness of the evening, the flicker of the candle flames or the ambience of the music resounding in the air, but I can share with you some of the sweetness left on the palate and the fragrance of the vanilla and the liqueurs that make of this dessert a wicked delight.
ZUCCOTTO
• 700 mL of cream • 3 tablespoonfuls sugar • Vanilla essence • About a dozen Savoiardi biscuits (“sponge fingers”) • 1/2 cup of chopped glace cherries, candied peel and sultanas • 1 block of cooking chocolate • 1/2 cup of ground, roasted almonds • 1/2 cup of ground, roasted hazelnuts • 1 measure each of Cointreau, Benedictine and Tia Maria
Soak the fruits in the Benedictine for a few hours. Moisten the biscuits in the Cointreau mixed with a generous amount of cream. Arrange the biscuits in a deep jelly mould (abour 20 cm diameter) to form a biscuit shell around the sides and bottom. Beat the cream, sugar and vanilla to form a stiff Chantilly and divide it into two portions. To one portion add the almonds and the Benedictine-fruits. Mix well and coat the biscuit shell leaving a depression in the middle. Melt the chocolate in a bain-Marie and add it to the reserved Chantilly together with the hazelnuts. Fill the depression in the mould with this mixture. Refrigerate overnight and when ready to serve, turn upside down onto a platter and dust with icing sugar.
Today is the feast of the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches that commemorates all Saints, known and unknown, and is called All Saints Day or All Hallows. Catholics are obliged to attend mass on this day, All Saints being one of the major feasts of the Roman Catholic faith. It is a holiday that principally honours martyrs of the church who died in groups and whose names are not known. In 609, the Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome, as a church in the name of Our Lady and All Martyrs. In England the festival was known as All Hallows, hence the name of the preceding day, Halloween. The Christian feast has melded with the Celtic feast of Samhain, the pagan of New Year festival when crops were blessed, stored fruits and grains were hallowed and the dead were remembered.
All the gods of this world were worshipped on this day From sunrise to sunset.
When All Saints’ comes on Wednesday, The men of all the earth will be under affliction.
Children born on All Hallowstide were sure to have the second sight and all November’s children were lucky, beloved and fortunate in their life: November’s child is born to bless He’s like a song of thankfulness.
A couplet from An Early Calendar of English Flowers remarks upon the scarcity of flowers at this time: Save mushrooms, and the fungus race, That grow till All-Hallow-tide takes place.
The weather on this day should be observed as it gives an indication of what lies ahead: If ducks do slide at Hallowentide At Christmas they will swim; If ducks do swim at Hallowentide At Christmas they will slide.
As the next day is All Souls’ Day, “soul cakes” were made on this night for distribution to the poor. The recipients of these cakes prayed for the souls of the departed, interceding on their behalf. The returning, visiting souls of the dead on this day were thought to somehow be able to partake of these “soul cakes”.
The illustration today is by Aladar Korosfoi-Kriesch and is called “All Souls' Day” (1910 Oil on canvas, 51,5 x 72,5 cm - Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest). The word for the day is:
hallow |ˈhalō| verb [ trans. ] Honour as holy : The Ganges is hallowed as a sacred, cleansing river | [as adj. ] ( hallowed) hallowed ground. • formal make holy; consecrate. • [as adj. ] ( hallowed) greatly revered or respected : In keeping with a hallowed family tradition. noun archaic a saint or holy person. ORIGIN Old English hālgian (verb), hālga (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German heiligen, also to holy.
The words in this poem kept whirling in my head last night and all through the day this morning. This afternoon they all fell into place, just in time for Halloween tonight!
Halloween
It’s a dark, scary night Halloween is tonight – All the ghoulies are out All the ghosties about…
With a crick and a crack And a tap on my back I’m trembling and shaking, Fearing, a-quaking.
It’s a night of the fey Take care not to stray, All the witches do sport All the fiends cavort.
With a quick step I tread With a bat at my head: It’s shrieking and squeaking Victims is seeking.
It’s a dark, stormy night Of the hag and the sprite – All the zombies parade, All the children afraid.
With a shudder and shake Until dawn wide awake, I’m quietly abiding In the dark, hiding.
It’s the night full of screams And of horrible dreams – All the spectres take flight All the banshees delight.
With a sob and a sigh With a throb and a cry, I’m shuddering, shivering Queasily quivering It’s Halloween!
With Halloween fast approaching, and this being our Book Tuesday, I thought today to give you a Gothic novel/story quiz, which is in keeping with both occasions. Halloween, October 31st, is the last night of the Celtic year and is the night associated with witchcraft, fairies, elves and wicked spirits. In countries where the Celtic influence is strong, customs surrounding Halloween are still current and relate to pagan rituals celebrating the beginning of the Winter cycle. Tales of witches and ghosts are told, bonfires are lit, fortune-telling and mumming are practiced. Masquerading is the order of the night, making of jack-o-lanterns and the playing of games pass the hours pleasantly. Bobbing for apples in a tub of water is an age-old custom. These pagan practices have been incorporated into the Christian tradition through association with All Saints’ Day on November the first.
Gothic literature has often been criticised for its sensationalism, melodramatic qualities, and its play on the supernatural. However, the genre dominated English literature from its conception in 1764 with the publication of “The Castle of Otranto” by Horace Walpole to its supposed demise in 1820. These novels drew many of its dark and romantic images from the graveyard poets, who intermingled a landscape of vast dark forests with vegetation that bordered on excessive, ruins with rooms concealing horrors, monasteries, windswept castles and a forlorn character who excels at the melancholy. Although the Gothic novel influenced many of the emerging genres, like romanticism, the outpouring of Gothic novels started to ease by the 1820s. The genre has had several revivals, including a very recent one sparked by the popularity of New Age themes. This most recent revival (sparked by a Supernaturalism reaction against the growing Science and Technology developments of the late 20th century) seems to mirror the circumstances that created the genre (a Romantic reaction against the rationality and logic of the Age of Reason).
Now, for our quiz: I have selected 10 important “Gothic” novels or short stories and have represented their titles as an image that may be a direct illustration of that title or a distinct allusion to it. Your task, should you wish to accept it is to identify all 10 and firstly send me a message with the title and author of the work and then comment here telling me you are participating. The winner is the first person who gets all ten correct (or the most correct!) and he or she will receive a prize!
There is a virus called Ebola and it is endemic to Africa. It is one of the most deadly viruses known and causes an almost always fatal, haemorrhagic fever (up to 95% mortality). The virus first emerged in 1976 in simultaneous outbreaks in Sudan and Zaire and is similar to another similar virus that is as deadly, the Marburg virus. The Ebola virus is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons. The animal that harbours the virus is still unknown, but the virus can infect a wide variety of species, including gorillas, chimpanzees, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines. Infected bats seem to survive the infection, so perhaps these are the natural reservoir of infection.
Ebola virus infection is characterised by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, 2-21 days after infection. This is often followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases both internal and external bleeding. The organs liquefy and the infected person is highly infectious. No specific treatment or vaccine is yet available for Ebola haemorrhagic fever.
I have prefaced Movie Monday thus, as I am dealing with a “What If…” movie, which although is billed as a science fiction/horror movie it is based on some science and raises some important philosophical questions. The film is Danny Boyle’s “28 Days Later…” (2002). This movie was marketed as a horror movie, but unfortunately, this was a wrong move. It has themes that are far more significant and the questions it poses are quite important and worthy of deep reflection.
The plot outline revolves around a new virus that causes infected animals and humans to become violent, bloodthirsty monsters overcome by rage. The first question the viewer is asked is: “How do you feel about animal experimentation?”. We are shown some graphic footage of monkeys in captivity in a scientific laboratory, which are being subjected to some horrific-looking experiments (this movie is not for the faint-hearted!). We the viewers are immediately tempted to take the side of the animal liberationists who have come to rescue these animals… However, the situation is not as simple as it looks. The monkeys are infected – the virus they are infected with is a terrible one and we do not know what the purpose of the experiments are. In their zeal, the liberationists unwisely release the virus-infected animals and become their first victims.
When the virus is unleashed, it very soon (28 days!) spreads and infects almost all of the population of England, converting the infected populace into a mass of wild, ravenous, beastly murderers intent of annihilating one another. The movie concerns a small group of uninfected people that try to survive. The second question posed by Boyle is: “At what price survival?” The uninfected can only protect themselves by becoming as efficient as possible at killing the infected people, no matter who they are – family, friends, lovers. Human relationships and basic human needs are explored by the film’s first half where the small group of uninfected people try to make their way from a deserted and desolate London (chillingly shown) to a location near Manchester where they have heard an army radio signal from another group of survivors.
The second half of the movie looks at the interaction between the two groups of survivors – Londoners and the Army unit near Manchester. This second half brought to mind “The Lord of the Flies” and the questions posed by Boyle are similar to those one is considering when reading Golding’s book. “How civilised are we really? Can we preserve our higher values and social organization when put under enormous stresses? Does our will to survive, our self-preservation instinct override all other considerations?”
There is extreme violence in the film and some horrific images. The language is often coarse and the plot quite confronting. The message of the film is timely, the situations portrayed disturbingly plausible and the tale spun is more than gory horror flick that satisfies the ghouls amongst us (there are other more gory and sickeningly horrific films that do this more efficiently). What was more disturbing for me were some images that were interspersed within the action and could be missed by the casual observer. A shot of goldfish swimming agonisingly in a tank with dwindling water; a scene where pills are handed out to a young girl “to make her not care” what will happen to her; a scene where the hero’s eyes glaze over as he is forced to commit a murder, which is so much against his nature…
The film has some flaws, but is powerful enough and sufficiently well constructed to overcome these and they are not what was left in my mind after I had watched the film. I recommend it, but be warned, this is a raw and confronting movie.
The wind today blew all day and managed to keep us in. A good opportunity to catch up with some housework, cleaning out and also to spend some quiet time reading and relaxing. We put our clocks forward one hour today and Summer has officially begun with the adoption of Summer time.
One painting from me for this Art Sunday; it is by Jan Van Eyck (≈1390-1441) a Flemish painter who perfected the technique of oil painting. He painted in a realistic, naturalistic style on wood panels, mostly portraits and religious subjects. His paintings are full of allegory and made extensive use of disguised religious symbols. Exquisite detail and painstakingly applied in thin layers and glazes make of his paintings marvellous shiny translucent, jewel-like confections. His masterpiece is the altarpiece in the cathedral at Ghent, the Adoration of the Lamb (1432). Hubert van Eyck is thought by some to have been Jan's brother.
“The Virgin of Chancellor Rolin” (1435 - Oil on wood, 66 x 62 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris) is one of my favourite paintings of his. Not so much for the foregorund, but for the microcosm that is to be seen in the background. A city built on a river with magnificent buildings, including a marvellous Gothic cathedral, a splendid bridge, milling crowds and lush countryside surrounding it. There are many stories in evolution in the background, not the least of which concern the two enigmatic figures gazing out on the landscape beyond them. The peacocks represent immortality, this stemming from the ancient legend that the flesh of the peacock did not decay, thus its association with the Resurrection of Christ. In addition the "multitude of eyes" upon its stunningly beautiful fan tail, suggested the all seeing eye of God and that of the church. The lilies growing in the patch of garden symbolize in Christian art chastity, innocence and purity, especially an attribute of the Virgin Mary.
Van Eyck's representation of the Virgin in this painting is based on a tradition of images known as the “Throne of Wisdom” or Sedes Sapientiae, in which the Christ Child sits very formally in the lap of His Mother. Nicholas Rolin, chancellor to the Duke of Burgundy, is portrayed in a realistic manner, warts and all manifesting his piety in front of the Holy Mother and Infant. Rolin's prayer posture is intended to project an earnest image in order to shape the public's perception of him. He appears static and trancelike as he sits at his prayer stool; indeed, like the divine figures in the scene, he is thoroughly impassive. By demonstrating his righteousness for all to witness, he is beyond reproach.
Jan van Eyck has been credited with the “discovery of painting in oil". Oil painting, however, was already in existence for many decades before Van Eyck, and was used to paint sculptures and to glaze over tempera paintings. The real achievement of Van Eyck was the development of a stable varnish that would dry at a consistent rate. This was created with linseed and nut oils, and mixed with resins.
The breakthrough came when Jan or Hubert mixed the oil into the actual paints they were using, instead of the egg medium that constituted tempera paint. The result was brilliance, translucence, and intensity of color as the pigment was suspended in a layer of oil that also trapped light. The flat, dull surface of tempera was transformed into a jewel-like medium, at once perfectly suited to the representation of precious metals and gems and, more significantly, to the vivid, convincing depiction of natural light. The development of this technique transformed the appearance of painting.
The weather in Melbourne today was very warm, with the temperature reaching a maximum of around 30˚C. This was quite a contrast form yesterday and the day before where we had overcast, showery days with the temperature struggling to reach 20˚C. Such is late Spring, here in the Antipodes, with quite an unpredictable course and never a dull moment. We made the most of the weather by driving up to the Plenty Gorge, in the North of Melbourne and visited a beautiful nursery and garden shop called Rivers.
The garden centre is built in the middle of paddocks and surrounds a pond on the shores of which there some gum trees. As well as the nursery and shop there is a restaurant and café where one may have a nice morning or afternoon tea, or something more substantial at lunchtime. Even though we are in the midst of a drought, undaunted gardeners were purchasing plants and the nursery has been keeping up with the times by encouraging people to buy drought-tolerant plants, natives and also water tanks for recycling of gray water.
We spent a very pleasant hour do so there, enjoyed a nice cup of coffee and then drove to the Mill Park Library. This is a newly built library that was established to service the new suburbs in the North. The building is circular, large and very well designed. One can easily spend several hours in there enjoying the books, magazines, newspapers, music and video collections. As well as the books on offer for borrowing, our libraries here have occasional book sales where used library books are sold to the public. We were very lucky today as they were selling some books from their Greek collection, some of which were in excellent condition and sold quite cheaply. Needless to say that we bought these books with great alacrity!
By the time we got home, it was hot outside and it was quite a pleasure to have a cool drink at home and eat some fruit salad for lunch. The afternoon was spent relaxing and, what else? Going through our newly-acquired treasures, reading, listening to music and enjoying the weekend.
For Music Saturday today, a beautiful extract from Pergolesi's Stabat Mater. Soprano Katia Ricciarelli and Contralto Lucia Valentini sing the first movement of this work, with the Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, in Milan, conducted by Claudio Abbado. 1979.
Seeing it is fast approaching Halloween, Food Friday today is dedicated to the pumpkin. The pumpkin, or Cucurbita pepo, to give it its proper botanical name is a trailing vine, of the gourd family, having tendrils, large lobed leaves and which is native to warm regions of America. The plant produces the familiar large rounded orange-yellow fruit with a thick rind, edible flesh, and many seeds. Many other varieties of pumpkin are now also available including the very tasty elongated, buff-coloured butternut pumpkin and the Queensland blue pumpkin, with the slate-bluegray rind and bright orange flesh.
The word pumpkin comes from the Greek pepõn for a large melon. The English termed it pumpion or pompion. This term dates back to 1547, yet it did not make an appearance in print until 1647. The pumpkin was one of the many foods used by the Native American Indians in the new world and was a welcome discovery by the Pilgrims. The Indians pounded strips of pumpkin flat, dried them, and wove them into mats for trading. They also dried pumpkin for food. Pumpkin blossoms can also be used as those of the squash family, such as batter-dipped and fried squash blossoms.
The new Americans heartily embraced the sweet, multi-purpose fruit, which became a traditional Thanksgiving food. The colonists used pumpkin not only as a side dish and dessert, but also in soups and even made beer of it. One of the most familiar uses of the pumpkin is in its popular Halloween incarnation, when it is carved into a Jack-o'-lantern. The practice was brought to the USA by Irish immigrants who originally carved turnips into Jack-o'-lanterns. In America, pumpkins were more plentiful and cheaper than turnips, and so came about the switch from turnips to pumpkins.
Two recipes for you today, both extremely popular in Australia. Pumpkin Soup Ingredients
1. Cook pumpkin, leek and onion in 90 g of butter for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. 2. Add stock and cook gently until pumpkin is very tender. 3. Push through a sieve or pureé in blender with a little of the milk. 4. Melt remaining butter in a clean pan and stir in flour until golden, then add the pumpkin pureé and the remaining milk and the cream, stirring until well blended. 5. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. 6. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve and garnish with chopped parsley and croutons.
Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen’s Pumpkin Scones Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon butter * 1/2 cup sugar * 1/4 teaspoon salt * 1 egg * 1 cup mashed pumpkin (cold) * 2 cups Self raising flour
Method
1. Beat together the butter, sugar and salt with an electric mixer. Add the egg, then the pumpkin and stir in the flour. 2. Turn on to floured board and roll into a 2 cm thick sheet. Cut with 5 cm diameter round cookie cutters. Put on greased baking tray and glaze with some beaten egg or milk. 3. Place in tray on top shelf of very hot oven 225-250 ˚C for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Enjoy, and don't forget to notify Agnes, our Food Friday hostess if you are taking part in the tour!
This is a very busy time of the year for me as it is the end of semester and the fast approaching end of the academic year. Between now and Christmas, all sorts of things happen in a University that could not be done during the normal semester times. This also gives me the opportunity to apologise to all of you as I haven’t been able to visit your pages as much as I would have wanted to. Work and life get in the way of the really important things like… blogging!
As the examination period is right about now and much of time will be taken up by examining students, correcting papers, setting additional quizzes, giving viva voce examination and marking theses, the word of the day is appropriately:
quiz |kwiz| noun ( pl. quizzes |kwɪz1z|) A test of knowledge, esp. a brief, informal test given to students. verb ( quizzes, quizzed |kwɪzd|, quizzing |kwɪzɪŋ|) [ trans. ] (often be quizzed) ask (someone) questions: Four men have been quizzed about the murder. • give (a student or class) an informal test or examination. ORIGIN mid 19th century (as a verb; originally U.S, influenced by inquisitive Possibly from an early 18th century English dialect verb quiset, meaning to question.
There is an apocryphal story regarding the origin of the word quiz, which is in all probability improbable. It concerns a Dublin theatre proprietor by the name of Richard Daly who apparently made a bet that he could, within forty-eight hours, make a nonsense word known throughout the city, and that the public would give a meaning to it. After the performance one evening, he gave his staff cards with the word “quiz” written on them, and told them to write the word on walls all around the city.
The next day the strange word was the talk of the town, and within a short time it had become part of the language, its meaning being taken from the questions that every asked about its meaning! This picturesque tale appeared as an anecdote in 1836, but the most detailed account (in F. T. Porter's Gleanings and Reminiscences, 1875) gives the date of the exploit as 1791.
The word, however, was already in use by then, meaning 'an odd or eccentric person', and had been used in this sense by Fanny Burney in her diary on 24 June 1782. 'Quiz' was also used as a name for a curious toy, something like a yo-yo and also called a bandalore, which was popular around 1790. The word is nevertheless hard to account for, and so is its later meaning of 'to question, to interrogate', which emerged in the mid-19th century and gave rise to the most common use of the term today, for an entertainment based on questions and answers.
Other etymologists prefer to relate the word to the Latin question: Qui es, meaning “Who are you?” In any case it is probably from the same root as question and inquisitive (Latin: quaerere “ask, seek”).
Enjoy your Word Thursday, which apparently Jacqui BB has taken under her wing. Thank you, Jacqui!
Yet again, I am moved to write about wild fires burning out of control and causing much pain and suffering, this time in Southern California. Here in Australia we sympathise greatly with bushfire victims anywhere around the world as we are so familiar with the distress and immense loss of life and property that these wild fires cause. Not so long ago, Southern Greece was burning, now California and this Summer we are bracing ourselves here in Southern Australia for the bushfire season.
The unrelenting winds created a deadly firestorm across Southern California, with firefighters conceding defeat on many fronts. More than 500,000 people have been forced to move away from their homes, not knowing whether they will come back to find them… It is a terrible thought – get up this moment and leave your house, taking nothing with you, and remembering that everything you own will be lost forever…
Our thoughts here, Downunder are with you, people of Southern California. One hopes that weather conditions will abate and that the fires will be controlled soon…
The Burning
The fire burnt my house The smoke stifled my breath. The flames licked my memories The tablet wiped clean.
Wind-carried sparks surround me Igniting my flammable mementos. The embers glow, the hot ash flies My place of refuge, now a hell.
All’s lost up in smoke, My eyes are blinded by my fears My tears making of the flames A watery incineration.
The earth is roasted dry, Even the air is fire-red. My house no more a haven My home no more.
My pockets empty, All that I have the clothes I wear. My mind is desiccated All dreams have sublimated.
The fire burns, the flames destroy. All my possessions charred and gone. The fire cauterising wounds It itself has opened.
The fire robbed me of my home, The smoke asphyxiated me. My souvenirs are smoke All of my pages, now ash.
And yet I live, I still have you by my side, Things that are lost no more important than fallen leaves. Stand by my side, hold my hand, and hope, For the fire in our hearts, can make of this barren, deathly place A paradise, again.
This poem was inspired by a news report we watched yesterday, where a news reporter watched his own house burning down…
Book Tuesday is hosted by The Witch and today I’d like to feature a distinguished New Zealand writer of crime and detective fiction, Ngaio Marsh. If you like Agatha Christie’s novels, you’ll also like Ngaio Marsh (http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/nmarsh.htm). She was born April 23rd , 1895? and died February 18th, 1982. There is some uncertainty over her birth date as her father neglected to register her birth until 1900. She was an author and theatre director who wrote thirty-two novels in total.
All of her novels featured her brilliant detective, Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn. Inspector Alleyn was assisted by Inspector Fox, Nigel Bathgate, and later his wife Agatha Troy, a famous artist. Ngaio Marsh used her knowledge and experience of the theatre in many of the novels, particularly in one of her best books “Opening Night” (1951). The majority of titles appeared first in the UK but there are thirteen titles, which appeared first in the US, so there are also a few alternate titles. As she also studied art, artists make frequent appearances in her novels.
As a kind of hobby and with no real hope of publication she wrote her first novel, “A Man Lay Dead” (1934), scribbling it down with a lead pencil in twopenny exercise books. She left this story with an agent, and was astonished to learn some six months later, that a publisher had been found. Most of her writing was done at her home in New Zealand (now a museum and well worth a visit if you ever go to Christchurch, a lovely city on the South Island of New Zealand!).
One of Ngaio Marsh's most popular novels is “Surfeit of Lampreys” (also known as “Death of A Peer” in the USA, published 1940/41). The novel begins when a young New Zealander’s first contact with the English gentry is the body of Lord Wutherford (dispatched into the next world with a meat skewer through his eye!). The Lamprey family had lots of charm but have unfortunately fallen short of cash. Their eccentricity and peculiar lifestyle in which they revelled required a lot of money. The rich but awful Uncle Gabriel, Lord Wutherford, often visited (but he was always such a bore) and the double and triple charades, with which they would entertain their guests left him rather bemused. The Lampreys thought if they were nice to rich Uncle Gabriel, he would provide them with some funds, yet again… Unfortunately, Uncle Gabriel met a very nasty end. Chief Inspector Alleyn of course comes into the scene and has to deduce which Lamprey killed him...
If you are into good detective fiction, full of gruesome murders, the necessary comedic relief, enjoyable characters, involving plot, amusing conversation, wonderful style and faultless detection, then Ngaio Marsh is the woman for you.
PS: A lamprey is a jawless fish armed with a vicious toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth. While lampreys are well known for those species which bore into the flesh of other fish to suck their blood, these species make up the minority. Nevertheless the name Ms Marsh chose for the murderous Lamprey clan is quite apt you must admit…
I have been blogging daily on this platform for several years now. It is surprising that I have persisted as the world is changing and "microblogging" is now the norm. I blog to amuse myself, make comment on current affairs, externalise some of my creativity, keep notes on things that interest me, learn something new and to surprise myself with things that I discover about this wonderful, and sometimes crazy, world we live in.
I sometimes get the impression that I am on a soapbox delivering a monologue, so your comments are welcome.
