LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

         Traveling to Egypt was for me, a once in a lifetime trip. Even though it took place in 1998, I remember it like it was yesterday, because it impressed upon me that much. In addition to seeing the must see sites, such as the pyramids and the Sphinx (and a camel ride while at the pyramids as well), we also went to a rug factory. This was a reality check for me. I don’t know if anyone’s parents have rugs made in Egypt in their house, but seeing that kids as young as 7 years old were taking part in the hand-weaving was difficult. There were adults in the factory as well, but there were a lot of kids, mostly girls, working in dirty conditions, sitting on the floor for hours. Obviously these kids work instead of going to school, and they aren’t paid a lot, especially considering what some of these rugs can sell for in the U.S. As a fellow kid seeing this, it was hard not to appreciate how lucky I am.

          After staying in Cairo for a few days and visiting with family at night and touring during the day, we boarded a plane and flew to Luxor, which is south of Cairo. There we boarded a cruise boat for a 5 day/4 night Nile cruise. We shared the boat with a group from France, who were not the friendliest people, to say the least. I guess it’s true what they say about the French not liking us. The cruise was relaxing and we would stop at various locations each day. Some of the stops en route to Aswan included: Valley of the Kings, Funery Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Valley of the Queens, Karnak Temple, Temple of Philae, Edfu Temple, Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan High Dam, and Kom Ombo.

          Kom Ombo Temple was neat because it was dedicated to more than one god. The south side is dedicated to Sobek-Re, the crocodile god plus the sun god Re) and there are actual crocodile mummies on display here. The north side is dedicated to Haroeris, the “Good Doctor,” and there are also hieroglyphic depictions of medical instruments that were used during the time. Being in the medical field, my parents thought that that was pretty neat, but I preferred the mummified crocs.

              On one of the cruise days we decided to take a felucca ride while the boat was docked. The felucca can best be described as  Middle-Eastern version of the sailboat. It was warm and sunny that day, and we had bought small bottles of Coca-Cola prior to getting on board. They recycle the glass bottles here (and in many other countries), so we were supposed to give them back. However, I decided I wanted to bring the Nile home, so I dragged the botle in the water to fill it. My parents were a little upset with me, because of how dirty the Nile is rumored to be, but I didn’t care. Needless to say, they were correct – about a week after we returned hom, my bottle of water had acquired a reddish-pink growth. I was never reopened, for obvious reasons, but it still sits on my desk at my parents house.

          One night on the ship there was a galabeya party, so during the day, we went shopping at a market outside the entrance to Edfu Temple of Horus and the parents purchased galabeyas for everyone. That night, everyone dressed up, and my sister and cousin attempted the Cleopatra look with makeup. It was a fun and memorable night, even if the French were present, and snooty to boot.  

“The profoundest satisfaction in travel is a sense of discovery, the private thrill of seeing something new or seeing it in a new way. This is unquestionably egotistical, but such discoveries do not come easy. Nothing is harder than that uncertain, Martian-on-Earth feeling of being alone in the middle of nowhere. The payoff is a conceited feeling of having gone to a distant place and unlocked a secret. As far as I am concerned, everything else in travel is a vacation, the view from a chaise lounge – horizontal.”  —Paul Theroux

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

Patrimoniul cultural si cel natural – un dar al trecutului care ar trebui lasat mostenire viitorului – reprezinta doua surse de viata si de inspiratie primordiale. Locuri atat de diverse precum intinderile Parcului National Serengeti din Africa orientala, piramidele din Egipt, Marea Bariera de Corali din Australia sau catedralele baroce din America Latina alcatuiesc un patrimoniu mondial, ale carui situri, potrivit UNESCO, apartin, indiferent de teritoriul pe care sunt plasate, tuturor popoarelor. Multe dintre aceste situri traiesc suferinta unor amenintari ingrijoratoare.

Venetia, Canal Grande

“S-a stins viata falnicei Venetii,/ n-auzi cantari, nu vezi lumini de baluri”. Chiar daca, la vremea cand Eminescu scria aceste versuri, Orasul Dogilor nu mai avea, intr-adevar, opulenta de pe vremea Serenissimei Republici, astazi, cel putin sub raportul spectaculosului si al iluminarii feerice, arata grandios. Problema acestui oras fondat in anul 452, unic in miraculoasa lui alcatuire lacustra, este aceea ca se scufunda cu aproximativ 1,5 cm pe secol, oricat de masive sunt eforturile, sustinute la scara industriala, de pompare a apei din structurile subterane.

Insulele Maldive

Desi pare aproape imposibil de imaginat ca o intrega tara sa se scufunde, exact asta se intampla cu Maldivele, “o semintie” de aproximativ 1.200 de insule, scaldate de niste ape care, potrivit specialistilor, contin cea mai bogata viata marina din lume. 80% dintre aceste insule se afla cu aproape un metru peste nivelul marii si sunt pandite de un risc tragic: cresterea continua a nivelului oceanului, fenomen cauzat de incalzirea globala. In timpul tsunami-ului din 2004, care a afectat intreaga infrastructura a tarii, multi atoli din zona au disparut definitiv de pe harta lumii.

Zapezile de pe Kilimanjaro

Considerat cel mai inalt munte din Africa (6.021 m), Kilimanjaro are un varf (cel vestic) caruia localnicii ii spun, nu intamplator, Masai Ngaje Ngai, adica Salasul lui Dumnezeu. Aerul sau de templu al transcendentului e intretinut si de hlamida imaculata de zapada care ii imbraca, indiferent de anotimp, piscul. In ultimii ani, acest acoperamant alb si-a restrans treptat dimensiunile, din pricina aceleiasi incalziri globale. Specialistii spun ca ghetarii care pareau eterni vor deveni, in doar cincisprezece ani, istorie.

Marele Zid Chinezesc

Cele mai vechi segmente din acest monument, probabil cel mai autoritar simbol al Imperiului de Mijloc, dateaza din secolul al V-lea i.Hr. Frontiera semeata si edificiu de aparare, singurul artefact uman vizibil din spatiul cosmic, Zidul a fost consolidat in vremea dinastiei Ming (secolul al XIV-lea). Astazi, aproape doua treimi din cei 6.400 de kilometri care reprezinta distanta de la granita cu Coreea si pana in desertul Gobi au fost distruse de eroziune si de dezvoltarea necontrolata a regiunilor din preajma.

Luxor, Egipt

Datand, aproximativ, din veacul al XIV-lea i.Hr., complexul Luxor de pe malul apusean al Nilului – care include Valea Regilor, Valea Reginelor, precum si mai bine de 40 de temple si monumente funerare – este amenintat nu doar de ravagiile turismului si de rapacitatea “pradatorilor” de vestigii arheologice, ci si de catre insusi fluviul sacru. Constructia barajului de la Aswan, in urma cu 40 de ani, a prilejuit infiltratii masive de apa, care au erodat vechile fundatii si au acoperit numeroase morminte.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Stravechea cetate incasa este pe cale sa devina o victima a propriei sale popularitati. Ruinele, descoperite de istoricul american Hiram Bingham in 1911, au devenit cea mai populara atractie turistica peruviana din ultima vreme. Traficul urias (circa un milion de vizitatori anual) a provocat destabilizarea si chiar prabusirea unora dintre fundatiile de piatra. In plus, dezvoltarea zonala – consecinta a valului de vilegiaturisti – ameninta mediul alpin in care a fost edificata cetatea.

Triunghiul de coral, Indonezia

In acest spatiu au fost descoperite mai bine de 3.000 de specii de pesti si circa 600 de varietati de corali, adica aproximativ 75% din totalul cunoscut pana asazi. Acest ecosistem paradisiac se confrunta cu doua probleme severe: pescuitul excesiv si pescuitul distructiv (care foloseste, pentru uciderea pestilor, explozibili sau otravuri). Consecinta acestor actiuni criminale este nu doar disparitia vietatilor acvatice, ci si distrugerea habitatului lor.

Vegas, baby…Vegas.

We landed in Vegas and the first thing I noticed, besides an endless sea of slot machines and video poker consoles, was a severe lack of clocks.

Time, it would seem, is frowned upon in Vegas.

It’s an interesting city, but from the street, it’s not too different than going to a Disney theme park in Orlando—only with more nudity.

At night the strip is awash in blinking neon. Seizure inducing, but incredible to see.

I don’t know how Hunter S. managed this town on hallucinogens.

Once the sun rises, however, the city looks different; used and abused, primarily by guests from afar. Litter fills every empty lot and lines the shoulder of most roads. Empty bottles, cigarette butts, fliers boasting the newest breast implants of some young girl with daddy issues—it covers the street like a ticker tape parade of filth.

Vegas by day is best spent nursing your hangover, quietly, in a hotel room.

But at night, it’s truly something to behold.

Like every movie ever made on the subject, the opulence is real. Each casino is larger than the last. Lions and tigers, dancing fountains, roller coasters and misplaced international landmarks—the new strip is an exercise in visual excess.

Our first night was spent in search of the old Vegas. Our good friend Dave and his brother Nick drove over from LA to act as our personal tour guides. They drove us down Vegas Blvd, past the Pyramids of the Luxor and the fountains of the Bellagio, beyond Ceasars Palace and towards Fremont—the original Vegas strip.

Sort of.

The old players are still there; the Golden Nugget, the Pioneer—The giant neon cowboy still stands tall, smoking his giant neon cigarette, overseeing his once great kingdom while the cowgirl reclines across the street in an eternal tease…but the thoroughfare has been closed to traffic, the night sky covered with a roof of animated lights.

It almost felt like a theme park version of the original Vegas.

But this is the part of Vegas where the shadows of the past stretch long—where Sinatra and the like drank until the wee hours of the morn.

And this is where I was going to raise a cocktail in their honor.

Now, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I prefer to gamble with my life, rather than my money.

Before last night, I had never set foot in a casino—anywhere. Neither Vegas, nor Reno—not even in my own hometown.

It’s just not my thing.

Walking through the casinos, you’d think my attitude towards gambling was shared by all—there was an air of desperation surrounding the tables. Nobody smiled. Nobody laughed.

This was serious business.

I imagine for some, it’s a matter of life or death with every hand dealt.

Watching them, it became clear why the windows don’t open in Vegas hotel rooms.

But dammit, man…this is Vegas.

So I found my way to the bar at the Nugget, slipped a fiver into the video blackjack machine and ordered a whiskey sour.

I lost it all before my drink was even mixed.

Another fiver at another bar, another whiskey sour.

This time, I hung on for a while. I never really went up or down too much.

Win one, lose two…have a drink..

Lose three win five…have another drink.

The longer I played, the more I learned something about myself:

I just don’t enjoy gambling—even when the stakes are low.

Even when I win.

I wasn’t even gambling with my own money.

Aside from the potential of a missed opportunity to take a sip from the cup of life—to fully experience Vegas, there were no risks.

And without risk, there’s no big payoff.

Without risk, all you can hope for is breaking even.

Up next: Hunka hunka burning love.

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

The highlight of any Las Vegas trip, the huge number of them makes it impossible to visit every single one of them on two nights. Or maybe it is possible if you stay up for 48 hours straight. There were so many beautiful ones out on the strip that we weren’t able to walk into, but the favorites of mine that we did have the chance to visit were Paris, the Luxor and the Bellagio (no surprise there). The stinker about casinos is that you can’t take any pictures on the playing room floor because they have such a beautiful setting, especially the Bellagio.

Luxor
It’s been around for quite a long time, and the last time I was there they had a little boat ride inside the hotel for people to ride. The tour boat ride is now gone, but that’s good though, you get to focus on the casino and the hotel itself, and the hotel is quite the setup.

Inside the pyramid you can see that all the doors to all the hotel rooms, which I can imagine is pretty sweet to have a view of the lobby floor and the casino as soon as you walk out of your room. The view from the outside is awesome with the pyramid and the ancient Egyptian statue.

Paris

Now i’ve never been to Paris, but from just how the casino tries to model the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, I think I may definitely want to take a trip and slam a few bottles of wine.

The Eiffel Tower has an elevator ride to get to the top, where you can take some great pictures of the Las Vegas skyline. I wish I had more time to check the view, because I can only imagine it being very beautiful.

The casino inside is pretty interesting as soon as you walk in. You see a part of the foundation of the Eiffel Tower come through the casino floor, where people have access to the elevators. As you walk through the casino floor, the ceilings sport clouds and a blue sky that brightens up the playing area, which is a welcome change from some of the dark and drab casino room floors at other hotels.

The hallway of shops and restaurants inside Paris I can only assume models some of the city streets you can find overseas. As you walk through it leads you to the casino room floor of Bally’s, which is right next door. Now right across from Paris is the Bellagio, and the awesome Bellagio Fountain.

The Bellagio

The cream of the crop is what I gotta say of the Bellagio. The fountain was the main draw to me, because once again playing and gambling isn’t my thing. But the hotel and casino is just gorgeous from inside out. Walking through to the casino floor I passed the shops inside, and with the shops they have you know only the people with good money stay here. The Bellagio was the main hotel target in the film Ocean’s 11, which made it just as cool walking through it. It’s kinda like walking through Chicago knowing that it was the site of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

Upon walking up to the registration desk, on the ceiling is a beautiful arrangement of artificial flowers. The colors are eye catching and vibrant, and a photo doesn’t do it justice.

Right across from the registration desk is the site of the Bellagio Conservatory, home of a crapload of fresh flowers and one cool light display that changes every so often, complimenting the flowers, ‘lawn decorations’ and water fountains that is inside the conservatory. Currently it’s in it’s Fall theme, with a very scarecrow greeting you as you walk in.

The lawn decorations I speak of are the things that stick out of my head when thinking about the conservatory. It’s not a bad term I’m giving it, it’s just pretty interesting to see a couple of talking trees inside. it’s something I haven’t experienced since watching The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

It was definitely a fun trip out there and to get away from Chicago for a few days. If you’ve been reading my last few entries, just remember that if you head out to the Vegas desert, check out these spots on top of the other places you see, and don’t take Spirit airlines!

Estacao de trem em Luxor

Loja de artesanato em Luxor

Homem que dirige a Caleche

Sai da estação ferroviária de Alexandria as 10 horas da manhã.

A viagem até Luxor era prevista para chegar as 10 da noite, mas  quando chegamos em Giza, Cairo, o trem  foi muito devagar, quase parando, o que atrasou  a nossa chegada, e ao invés de 10 da noite, chegamos a 1 da madrugada.

O atraso ocorreu devido a um acidente há um  mes atrás, mais ou menos, onde muitas pessoas  faleceram  neste  local.

Nós vimos o trem  onde  ocorreu  este  acidente, mas não pude registrar, pois ate  posicionarmos a camera, não daria mais tempo.

A viagem foi tranquila, quem quizer ir de trem ate Luxor ou Aswan, eu aconselho, pois é uma forma de se conhecer  todas as cidades, ter uma noção melhor do país.

O único  problema no trem é o banheiro.

Além de não ser muito limpo  no começo da viagem, a medida que as pessoas  vão utilizando, mais vai ficando nojento.

Mas tivemos a sorte de ter um vagão inteiro a nossa disposicão, e  com isto,  pouca gente entrando na toilete, el Hamdo lilah!!!.

Ao chegarmos em Luxor a 1 coisa que notei foi como é linda a estação de trem, com o chão todo de granito com desenhos de estrelas,  iguais aos encontrados  no teto de algumas tumbas  de faraos .

 Fomos direto para o hotel  para começarmos a passear no  dia seguinte .

A cidade de Luxor é muito bonita, limpa e organizada, ao contrario de Cairo e Alexandria.

Tem sinaleiros, muitas carruagens, que eles  chamam de Caleches, com os cavalos uzando um  protetor embaixo  do corpo, para não sujarem a cidade.

O  Templo de Luxor à noite, com  iluminacão apropriada, é de se perder o folego, algo fantástico.

Vejam as fotos e amanhã contarei o resto .

Boa semana  para voces .

Estacao de trem em Luxor a noite

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

Dentro do trem espanhol

Eu no Templo de Luxor

Avenida no Templo de Luxor que ira ate o Templo de Karnak

O mercado turistico de Luxor, uma maravilha para os olhos !!!

Uma das diversas fantasticas lojas de especiarias, onde o Karkade , cha de hibiscos, eh o produto principal

Voltei ontem de uma viagem  maravilhosa ao sul do Egito, onde dia a dia irei   contar  tudo  sobre Luxor, Aswan, os templos e museus, os passeios de Feluca, etc…

Para quem ja  fez esta maravilhosa viagem, sera  bom  ler e relembrar, para quem ira fazer, será util as dicas, e para quem nunca terá a oportunidade, poderá sonhar um pouco e conhecer a vida do Egito  no sul, com a cultura  Núbia.

Muitas fotos  e muitas surpresas  a partir de amanhã, não deixem de ler.

Deixo algumas fotos  que  aos poucos  contarei  a história

Tenham um bom domingo

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

This week, Steam takes 75% off Frontlines: Fuel of War, although Aussies get it for half the US price at just $3.74. Oddly enough, this isn’t the cheapest offer out there, with Direct2Drive pushing Alpha Prime for just $1.25. That’s not a lot of dollars. On the bundle front, Steam offer big discounts on the Luxor games, while Direct2Drive has 50% off Star Wars games.

Play-Asia:
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (X360) – $9.90 ($33 off). Works internationally.

Steam Weekend Deals:
Frontlines: Fuel of War – $7.49 ($3.74 in AU store) (75% off)

Other Steam Deals:
Rogue Warrior Pre-order – $44.99 (10% off)
Blood Bowl: Dark Elves Edition Pre-order – $44.99 (10% off)
King’s Bounty: Armored Princess - $35.99 (10% off)
Ninja Blade - $26.99 (10% off)
Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Online Adventures - $9.99 (50% off)
Football Manager 2009 - $29.99 (25% off)
Luxor Complete Pack – $14.99 (50% off)
Includes:
Luxor - $2.99 (70% off)
Luxor 2 - $2.99 (70% off)
Luxor 3 - $2.99 (70% off)
Luxor Amun Rising - $2.99 (70% off)
LUXOR: Mah Jong - $2.99 (70% off)
Luxor: Quest for the Afterlife - $2.99 (70% off)

Impulse:
Children of the Nile – Alexandria - $2.99 (50% off)
Hacker Evolution – Untold - $12.50 (50% off)
Iron Grip Warlord - $9.95 (50% off)
Kingdom Elemental: Tactics - $14.95 (25% off)
Prince of Persia (2008) – $22.49 (25% off)
Supreme Commander Gold - $31.48 (25% off)

GOG Promo:
The Settlers games up to 50% off:
(30% off if you buy one, 50% off for both)
Heritage of Kings: The Settlers - $6.99 (30% off)
The Settlers 2: Gold Edition - $6.99 (30% off)
The Settlers AND The Settlers 2 – $9.98 (50% off)

Direct2Drive:
Alpha Prime - $1.25 (75% off)
Cities XL Limited Edition - $29.95 (40% off)
Crayon Physics Deluxe - $9.95 (50% off)
Star Wars Classics Pack - $24.95 (50% off)
Includes:
Star Wars: Dark Forces - $2.50 (50% off)
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy - $4.95 (50% off)
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast - $4.95 (50% off)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - $4.95 (50% off)
Star Wars Republic Commando - $4.95 (50% off)
Star Wars Starfighter - $2.50 (50% off)

GamersGate:
Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim - $15.98 (60% off)
Tropico Reloaded - $7.49 (50% off)
Rush for Berlin Gold - $7.49 (50% off)
Evochron Legends - $19.96 (20% off)
Sango 2 & Takeda 3 - $29.95 (50% off)

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

LUXOR Adventures (145 MB download)
Travel to the edge of time and back! In this hidden-object adventure, follow John Swift and Jane Graham as they travel through the past to keep history intact. When they uncover the Osiris Orb just outside of LUXOR, they learn that the mythical Stairway to Heaven is more real than they had first believed. Recover a list of items misplaced in time to restore balance to the universe!

So, nun ist mein kleines Intermezzo in Köln auch schon wieder vorüber, denn seit heute Mittag bin ich wieder in Rom. Wie angekündigt nun noch ein kleiner Rückblick auf die sieben Tage in Deutschland.

Donnerstag, 12.11.09

Am Donnerstagabend haben wir uns von Studenten der Universität Köln kulinarisch verwöhnen lassen. Einmal im Jahr kochen dort nämlich Studierende für Studierende – und zwar Gerichte und Spezialitäten aus aller Herren Länder. Bulgarischer Salat, sehr besonders schmeckende Bananen aus Ghana, Suppen aus China und Bratkartoffeln mit Rührei und Sauergurke aus Schweden. Und das sind nur Einige der angebotenen Spezialitäten. Für schlappe fünf Euro bekommt man die Fahrkarte ins Schlaraffenland (All-you-can-eat) . Leider ist mein Magenvolumen nicht ausreichend gewesen, um alle Gerichte probieren zu können. Aber daraus ergibt sich nur ein logischer Schluss: Nächstes Jahr muss ich dort wohl wieder hin…

Freitag, 13.11.09

Plastinierte Menschen, Tiere und Organe. Hört sich zunächst ein wenig ekelig an, ist aber in Wirklichkeit total spannend. Und zu sehen gibt es das alles in der Ausstellung „Körperwelten“, die von Prof. Gunther von Hagens initiiert wurde und momentan in Köln zu sehen ist. Obwohl Janina und ich beide bereits vor etlichen Jahren in Berlin bzw. Oberhausen als Ausstellungsbesucher die Körperwelten erkundet haben, sind wir am Freitagnachmittag erneut in das Innenleben von Mensch und Tier abgetaucht. Angewidert von Raucherlungen und Leberschäden, fasziniert von der Farbe und Komplexität des Blutgefäßsystems. Zu unserer Enttäuschung mussten wir jedoch feststellen, dass sehr viele Plastinate nicht den Weg nach Köln gefunden haben. So fehlten z.B. der Gorilla (der eigentlich seit 2009 „neu im Programm“ ist) oder die aus drei Personen bestehende Pokerrunde (bekannt aus dem James Bond-Film „Casino Royale“). Gewissermaßen als Entschädigung sollte dann wohl die Darstellung des Liebesaktes dienen, die seit Neuestem in einem abgetrennten Raum zu sehen ist. Mich hat jedoch weniger das eigentliche Plastinat beeindruckt, als vielmehr der Begleittext: Bereits zu Beginn der 1990er Jahre haben sich Paare für wissenschaftliche Zwecke zum Geschlechtsverkehr in einen Computertomographen sperren lassen. Da kann ich nur sagen: Respekt! Ich habe einmal (wohlgemerkt alleine) in einer solchen Röhre gelegen und muss sagen, dass ich mich alleine schon ziemlich eingeengt gefühlt habe. Mein persönliches Ausstellungshighlight war eine Giraffe, deren Halswirbel wirklich verdammt groß sind und deren Herz rund 10 Kilo wiegt und so groß ist, wie ein großer Sack Kartoffeln.

Samstag, 14.11.09

Am Samstag haben wir mit Janinas Mitbewohnerin und ihrem Freund Sushi gemacht und Doppelkopf gespielt. Der Ein oder andere mag sich fragen, wie zwei Aktivitäten einen ganzen Tag ausfüllen können, aber das ist rasch erklärt: Die Zubereitung von Sushi dauert einfach verdammt lange. Zunächst wird der Reis Ewigkeiten gewaschen, gekocht, gewürzt, gefächert und abgekühlt. Dann müssen alle Zutaten für die Füllung (Avocado, Möhre, Gurke, Surimi, Lachs, Thunfisch,…) fein säuberlich geschnitten werden. Und als krönender Abschluss folgt das Einrollen von Reis und Füllung in den Seetang (zumindest im Falle von Maki-Sushi). Alles in Allem ein zeitaufwendiges Unterfangen, aber der Genuss hinterher entschädigt für Einiges. Nachdem wir uns also kugelrund gegessen hatten wurden die Karten gezückt, um  bis in die Morgenstunden DoKo zu kloppen.

Sonntag, 15.11.09

Ausschlafen, ausspannen und Kaffee trinken. Ich gebe zu, dass klingt nicht nach einem Knochenjob, aber ich habe von höchster Stelle erfahren, dass man am siebten Tag der Woche auch mal ruhen kann.

Montag, 16.11.09

Für mich ging die Woche im Grunde genauso los, wie die Letzte aufgehört hatte: Ganz entspannt. Janina musste allerdings für die Uni arbeiten, sodass ich eine Menge Zeit hatte, mal wieder die Vorzüge einer DSL-Flatrate kennenzulernen (an dieser Stelle verweise ich darauf, dass nahezu jeder dieser Beiträge in mühsamer Handarbeit und via UMTS-Stick mit unterirdischer Geschwindigkeit entsteht).

Dienstag, 17.11.09

Nach nahezu viereinhalb Monaten ohne deutsche Vorlesung wurde es mal wieder Zeit für eine Uni-Veranstaltung, bei der man (zumindest sprachlich) alles versteht. Daher bin ich mit Janina zusammen zu einer Linguistik-Vorlesung gegangen. Thema: „Didaktik des Satzlesens“. Es ist schon abgefahren, wie man die Sprache zerpflücken kann. So habe ich beispielsweise gelernt, dass die Unterscheidung von groß- und kleingeschriebenen Wörtern in Deutschland ein echter Segen ist, da nur diese orthographische Feinheit ein schnelles und zielgerichtetes Lesen ermöglicht, weil „nominale Gruppen“ so schneller erkannt werden. Und dieser Vorteil ist wesentlich größer als eine mögliche Vereinfachung des Schreibens im Falle einer „gemäßigten Kleinschreibung“ (bei der mit Ausnahme von Satzanfängen und Eigennamen alles kleingeschrieben werden soll, so wie beispielsweise im Englischen).

Zum Abschluss meines Deutschland-Aufenthaltes haben wir uns abends noch ein Konzert von Newton Faulkner im „Luxor“ angesehen. Nun ist mein musikalischer Horizont leider ein bisschen beschränkt, sodass ich mein Urteil leider nicht wirklich begründen kann. Aber ich glaube, dass ich mich nicht zu weit aus dem Fenster lehne, wenn ich sage, dass Newton Faulkner ein wirklich sympathischer Gitarrenvirtuose und begnadeter Sänger ist. Der Typ ist 24 Jahre alt, kommt aus Großbritannien und stellt unglaubliche Dinge mit seinen Gitarren an. So verzichtet er beispielsweise auf eine Band und ersetzt das Schlagzeug durch entsprechendes Klopfen, Hämmern, Kratzen und Schaben auf seinem Instrument. Und wenn das nicht reicht spielt er auf einem selbst konstruierten Gerät mit den Füßen eine Art Orgel (netterweise werden seine Fußbewegungen im Hintergrund auf eine Leinwand projiziert). Darüber hinaus ist er auch ein humorvoller Entertainer, der sofort den Draht zum Publikum findet. Ein Konzertbesuch lohnt sich auf jeden Fall!

Hier geht es zum Youtube-Channel von Newton Faulkner (Hörproben), und hier geht es zu seiner offiziellen Internetseite.

Mittwoch, 18.11.09

Um sieben Uhr aufstehen, um Viertel nach acht in die S-Bahn, dann in den Regionalexpress, Check-In und um 10.15h mit dem Flieger Richtung Süden. So kurz und knapp können meine letzten Stunden in Good Old Germany beschrieben werden. Und um ehrlich zu sein habe ich im Zustand hoffnungsloser Übermüdung auch nicht vielmehr mitbekommen.

Tja, das war es dann auch schon. Damit ist das Kapitel Heimatbesuch bis Weihnachten auch erst einmal abgeschlossen. Auch irgendwie ein bisschen schade.

Easy: first, you buy the Luxor Complete Pack on sale on Steam. That’s five games (Luxor 1, Amun Rising, 2, 3, Quest for Afterlife) in one shot. Cool. After that, you go out to buy that used copy of PGR4 you saw the other day. But wait! You also see a Silent Hill 2 for a meager price! Why not buy that too? And finally, returning home, you see that package contaning 18 Wheeler for GC has finally arrived.

Now if only my voice collection increased that quickly. Well, at least I’ve finally found a Cat Torturer.

Alibaba y los 40 ladrones

Todos los capitulos de este viaje realizado en Septiembre del 2009 (Por terminar el relato)

- Egipto 2009: Introducción y preparación

- Egipto 2009 1ª parte: Llegada al Cairo

- Egipto 2009 2ª parte: Entre pirámides, mezquitas y cultura

Continuara…  

NARS’ Holiday 2009 collection is full of rich colors, sumptuous textures, and high drama. Smoldering eyes in autumnal and wintry hues dominate this collection, which is infused with a hint of shimmer and shine.

The Soft Touch Shadow Pencil ($24) is new to NARS, and I have a feeling it’ll be sticking around for awhile. The soft pencil has a creamy consistency, and glides across lids to deliver pigmented sheen. I really like Aigel Noir, a smoky, foresty moss. Those who prefer to go au natural will like Goddess, a fleshy, shimmery light pink. Skorpios, a glittering copper-tinged gold, will light up eyes during the holidays.

My favorite pieces of the collection are the new Duo Eyeshadows ($32) – the colors are just stunning.  Eurydice, Brousse, and Taiga are all amazing — I can’t pick which I like best. Mousson Cream Shadow ($21) is also pretty.

The Multiple in Luxor ($37) is a shimmery pale pink cream stick that works great as a highlighter on darker skintones. I know a lot of women use The Multiple as cream blush. Although this shade perfect for fair-skinned and cool-toned girls, it can get lost on these skin types because it’s very lightly pigmented; there’s barely any color to it. So fair-skinned girls, I’d skip this as a blush. But as a highlighter, it’s still a keeper. For darker-skinned ladies, this is a must; its sheer, shimmery pink is so subtle, yet will really make a difference in illuminating your face. Dab lightly on cheekbones, under brows, and down the bridge of your nose, and you will be glowing. Also looks beautiful swiped across the decolette.

I’m going to pass on the Velvet Matte Lip Pencils ($24 each), but girls who die for red lipstick, this is your bag. The lipcolor glides on lips smooth, is portable, and application has never been easier. Simply fill in lips with this pencil, and you’re good to go. For extra punch, top with gloss. I’d also recommend using a reverse lipliner, which is always a good idea when going red.

Finishing out the collection is Rouge Andalou nailpolish ($16), a gorgeous red flecked with subtle shimmer. This is the most classic red I’ve ever seen; the glossy candy apple finish looks timeless on nails. What better time of year to go for a spin with red? It’s sexy, fun, and alluring.