Admiring Art: spanning 19th-21st centuries

21st century:
I must admit I am on the Avatar movie wagon, although I resisted it so much. I'm not generally an over-marketed-blockbuster kinda gal and what with the sky-high price of the IMAX 3D tickets, which were a challenge to get, I would've happily skipped this flick, chalking it up to another over-rated Hollywood phenomenon. Well, I'm glad Rich talked me into it. Glad, and then some! Amazing 3D film technology that's making the virtual world more and more real, stunningly beautiful world crafted by the designers and story-writers, some heart-breaking and other spirit-soaring moments with a healthy dose of honoring the sacredness of nature, all life intrinsically connected as One... I was so affected by it for the next few days, my mind wandering back to the world of Pandora and its blue Na'vi people. Although I could always do without the US-Army knucklehead characters and their big guns, there is a bit of depth to their characters and hopefully not too many will walk away from the film wishing to be cool like the people who blow up stuff first and ask questions later.

My $0.02: Go see it! And DEFINITELY make sure it's the full IMAX 3D experience.

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19th century:
Taipei Museum of History is hosting an exhibition of Vincent van Gogh's paintings and sketches. To reflect his intense emotional character, it is called "The Flaming Soul." I love his late style (eg. Starry Night) but didn't know much about the artist except his tragic descent into absinthe-fueled madness, prompting him to cut off his own ear.

It was great to find out that his passion lay in showing what he felt was the truth of life: peasants working the land, the beautiful shades and shapes of rural nature, the feeling of a scene far outweighing perfectly realistic reproduction on canvas. Finally, the amount of details of light and shadow with which he filled his drawings, commands utter respect for this largely self-trained artist who could barely afford even sketch paper for most of his life.

Here are a few of my favorite works on display, along with van Gogh's own quotes interspersed throughout the exhibit. Note: the digital pics most definitely do not do him justice.

I feel there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.

For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.

Painting is a faith, and it imposes the duty to disregard public opinion.

One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul and yet no one ever comes to sit by it. Passersby see only a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on their way.

I'm famous! (well... no...)

I just randomly found myself on my school's Chinese Language Program's website!

I happen to have a picture just like it, in the newly-created album of our class trips

Inspiration for the house-bound: Bach Family on the Kai Ohana

Well, this is something a little different!

A US family has spent 2 years aboard an old-style wooden sailboat, reviving the maritime tradition, learning about the world in the most experiential approach and contributing to the communities they come across through humanitarian projects, music and art and documenting it all on this fabulous blog.

Here's an excerpt from the mission statement:

We, as a united family of global citizens, have embarked upon Kai Ohana to travel the world and contribute to the global community as artists, thinkers and activists, consciously striving to make a difference in serving the common good of humanity.

Our hope is to one day share the planet with all its citizens who live in a free, civil and environmentally sustainable society where justice, tolerance, racial and sexual equality, abundance, literacy and peace are commonplace.

They seem like quite the talented group, originally spending 2 years to restore the boat, shooting film and video of their experience, making music and art along the way, not to mention envisioning and keeping up this whole endeavor.

They are back in the USA after 2 years but I'm not sure if that means they will stay or just keep on cruising... Very cool!

I already have a latent love of the ocean and boats, this has just served to inspire that sense of adventure and being creative in everything we do.

Triple-talkin'

I really enjoy studying languages, so even though it's a tough one, it's definitely fun slowly cracking the code of Chinese speak. Recently I've also been meeting some Russian folk and had a nice chat over lunch with two girlies yesterday, quite proud of myself for communicating well enough to joke around. When I got home, I slipped back into English with my roommate and house guest, before writing an email (mostly) in Chinese to meet my Taiwanese buddy for a Language Exchange next week.  I can't call it a seamless transition yet, but I'm definitely on my way to being a trilingual!

Мне очень нравится учить иностранные языки, по этому хотя он и трудный, очень интересно постепенно расскрывать "код" китайского языка.  В последнее время, я также знакомлюсь с русскими и вчера приятно поболтала за обедом с двумя девушками, гордясь что я даже могла шутить. Прибыв домой, вернулась к английскому с моими друзьями по квартире, перед тем как написала письмо (в основном) на китайском тайванской подруге, с которой встречаюсь на "язычный обмен".  Ещё конечно не как настоящий переводчик, но по–тихоньку приближаюсь к цели.

我非常喜歡學外語，所以雖然很難學，我覺得越來越多懂中文真好玩。最進我也認試一些俄國人。昨天跟兩個女生中餐的時候談好好兒的話、連笑話都會說了。回家的時候，跟室友說英文，然後給我臺灣朋友用中文寫一封信下個裡拜約言交換。一定還要學很九，可是覺得一天會把三種語說得厲害！

YES! Fabulous News about Algonquin

from a November 3, 2009 News Release

Today the province of Ontario announced an increase of protected area inside Algonquin Provincial Park from 22% to 35%!  The total area off limits to logging is now 371,238 hectares - equal to six times the size of Toronto.

Of the 631 protected areas in Ontario, Algonquin is the only one open to industrial logging operations.  Conservation groups like CPAWS (Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) hope to phase out the logging entirely with future legislation.

Algonquin is is the very first provincial park in Canada, established in 1893. Glaciers retreating from the last ice age left a legacy of over 2,400 lakes and 1,200 kilometres of streams and rivers within its current borders.

It straddles northern coniferous and southern deciduous forests, sheltering a huge variety of plants and animals in its green beautiful arms. Some of the more fun names of species in fish: Shortjaw Cisco, Slimy Sculpin, Ninespine Stickleback, Burbot... birds: Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, Indigo Bunting, Whip-poor-will, Chimney Swift, Eastern Wood Pewee, Veery, Hooden Merganser... reptiles and amphibians: Painted Turtle, Mudpuppy, Milk Snake, Spring Peeper... and among the majestic American Black Bear, Eastern Wolf and simply-named Moose, other mammals include Southern Bog Lemming, Gapper's Red-backed Vole, Star-Nosed Mole and Little Brown Bat. I bet you also didn't know that weighing in for trees, maples came in Striped, Silver, Red, Sugar AND Mountain varieties.

Among recognition for pioneering park management and visitor programs, Algonquin has inspired many artists, through their work reaching imaginations throughout Canada and the world. It is also an important centre for wildlife research.

Wikipedia has a selection of maps showing Algonquin through the years, from its inception to recent cartographic details.

"CPAWS is Canada's voice for wilderness. We're working to keep at least half of Canada’s public land and water wild — forever."