I was going through new avatars to use on the HikiCulture forums on a near-daily basis without finding feeling full contentment with any of the ones I had used; today though, I found the perfect one:

I had thought about Final Fantasy whilst daydreaming today; I think it's because I long to play another game from the series. While thinking about Final Fantasy (which I am extremely fond of), I thought of Moogles (the name of the creature from Final Fantasy that is in my avatar.)

I decided to add my HikiCulture user-name "Chair" to the bottom-right corner of the avatar to make it somewhat more unique. The typeface I used for "Chair" is the same font and shade of blue (partially) that I had used for the HikiCulture logo.

My new avatar finally makes me feel contentment.

Posted via email from HikiCulture – A Forum for Reclusive People (and Hikikomori) {hikiculture.com site blog}

The guys from Red vs. Blue explain the surprising origins of the Thanksgiving holiday and provide some culinary advice. … Thanksgiving red vs blue rooster teeth rvb halo machinima video gaming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6b2MwDO0CY&hl=en

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“I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment’s gone 

All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity 

Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind…”

(“Dust In The Wind”, Kansas – Lyrics by Kerry Livgren)

This picture belongs to the series shot in my street in Varanasi (Benaras) while four men were emptying plaster bags from a truck.

It was very dusty, although they reminded me “butoh” dancers performing with white-body makeup.

This japonese contemporary dance came after the second world war and among several things the choreography is a remembrance of the suffering of Hiroshima’s atomic bomb.

It rises the question of how is it still possible to dance after such a thing and in some ways it is easy to compare this concept of art to those workers living in dust.

Kuala Lumpur is the capital as well as the largest city in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur, or KL as it is fondly known, is located in a valley enclosed by jagged hills, on the west coast of the Peninsular Malaysia. Occupying an area of about 250 square kilometers, Kuala Lumpur is an enclave in Selangor – a state of Malaysia, and is one among the three Malaysian Federal Territories, others being Putrajaya and Labuan.

A mining settlement during the late 1800s, Kuala Lumpur has now become a bustling metropolis, and serves not only as the capital but also the cultural as well as legislative center, since it is the seat of the parliament of the country. In addition, the city leads the country’s fast-paced growth in sectors such as finance and banking, trade and commerce, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and information technology.

When comes to attractions, Kuala Lumpur has aplenty to offer. Among which, not to miss ten attractions in the city are:

Merdeka Square – Also known as Dataran Merdeka or Independence Square, Merdeka Square stands as the old colonial core of the city. The focal point of Merdeka Square is the flagpole of 328ft, which is the tallest of its kind in the world. It is also the place where the Malayan flag was hoisted for the first time during the midnight on August 31, 1957 when Malaysia attained independence. Highlights in Merdeka Square also include the National History Museum, Royal Selangor Club, and Sultan Abdul Samad Building, reflecting Moorish architectural style.

Petronas Towers – Probably, the greatest among the attractions of the city is the Petronas Twin Tower, which is truly a modern architectural splendor. They are one of the tallest in the world, and consist of 88 floors. Both the towers are joined at its 41st and 42nd floor by a sky bridge. Entry to the tower is free. Found within the buildings are concert and conference halls, prayer room for Muslims, and a museum of the Petronas Oil Company. Further, at the foot of this 452 meters tall building is Suria KLCC, a trendy shopping mall selling branded items, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Petrosains Discovery Center.

Batu Caves – Situated about 12 km north of the city, Batu Caves are a must-see attraction. A sacred spot for Hindus – Batu Caves include three main caves, apart from several small caves. Of the caves here, the biggest as well as the most popular is the Cathedral Cave or Temple Cave, which as the name suggests, has a myriad of shrines, Sri Subramania Swamy Temple being the significant. Further, the area is thronged by a large number of devotees during the annual event, Thaipusam, which falls in every January.

Kuala Lumpur Railway Station – Erected in 1910, Kuala Lumpur is a magnificent Moorish-style building built during the period of British rule. Its minarets, arches, and spires are truly incredible.

Masjid Jamek – Otherwise known as Friday Mosque, Masjid Jamek is a historic structure located at the confluence of the Sungei Klang and the Sungei Gombak rivers. Designed by Arthur Benison Hubback and opened in 1909 – it is a tranquil area set among shady palm trees.

Masjid Negara – Masjid Negara or National Mosque is the largest mosque in South-east Asia. Completed in 1965, the main prayer hall within the mosque can accommodate up to 10000 people. The centerpiece of the mosque is the splendid 18-point dome resembling a star. Each of the points represents 13 states of the country as well as the five pillars of the Islam.

Chinatown – A stroll along the vibrant area of Chinatown would be a great experience, and allows you to come through a variety of temples, vendors selling traditional medicines, and several pet shops.

Taman Negara – A visit to the city would not be complete without taking a tour to Taman Negara or National Park, boasting of some of the world’s oldest rainforest. The area is especially noted for its diverse flora and fauna. A great way to explore the area via a trekking along the trails found here. Apart from this, the park also has excellent options for activities like climbing, river rafting, fishing, and bird watching. Also, a unique thing is that some of the areas within the Taman Negara are inhabited by nomadic Orang Asli people.

Lake Gardens – Sprawling over an area of about 200 acres, Lake Gardens is a beautiful tourist spot developed more than 100 years ago. Attractions found here, among many others, are the Orchid and Hibiscus Gardens, the Butterfly Park, and the Bird Park.

National Science Center – This is an exceptional spot with a number of galleries exhibiting important as well as interesting items.

A blend of old and new worlds, Kuala Lumpur’s attractions also covers a number of interesting museums such as the National Museum, the Tunku Abdul Rahman Memorial, the Police Museum, the KL Natural History Museum, and the Islamic Art Museum. Above all, KL is a shoppers’ paradise, with an array of shopping malls selling everything from electronic and apparels to antique and handicraft items.

The growing number of tourists to the city has led to tremendous increase in the number of high-end hotels and resorts. Since many of them have their own websites, this allows for easy bookings of hotels online.

Trinity Church is located at the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street in downtown Manhattan. The burial grounds have been the final resting place for many historic figures since the Churchyard cemetery opened in 1697. A non-denominational cemetery, it is listed in the United States National Register of Historic Places and is the only remaining active cemetery in Manhattan.

“Dancers are the messengers of the gods. ” 
(Martha Graham – American dancer and choreographer, 1894-1991)

This series of pictures was shot last afternoon in my street in Varanasi (Benaras).
Men were emptying plaster bags from a truck.
I was in rush but I sopped and took several pictures, my enchanted mind decided that the truck would become a theatre stage while those workers happened to be “butoh” dancers performing.

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”
(Martin Luther King, Jr. – American Baptist Minister and Civil-Rights Leader. 1929-1968)

This is one more picture from the serie shot last afternoon in my street in Varanasi (Benaras).
Men were emptying plaster bags from a truck and they were reminding me “butoh” dancers.

“For me, it is as though at every moment the actual world had completely lost its actuality. 
As though there was nothing there; as though there were no foundations for anything or as though it escaped us. 
Only one thing, however, is vividly present: the constant tearing of the veil of appearances; the constant destruction of everything in construction. 
Nothing holds together, everything falls apart.”
(Eugene Ionesco – French dramatist, 1909-1994)

This afternoon nearby the house in Varanasi (Benaras), those men were emptying a truck.
They seemed to be out of this world and they reminded me Butoh dancers “performing” in white-body makeup with slow hyper-controlled motion.

“When your intellect will completely pierce the veil of delusion, then you will become indifferent to what has been heard and what is to be heard [from the scriptures].”
(Bhagavad Gita)

This man was taking a break as he kept on emptying plaster bags from a truck which stopped in my street in Varanasi (Benaras).
The amazing light and the dust gave a theatrical touch to what became my subject for a short while.
He was tired and I could se sweat melting with plaster on his skin, his expression could be taken for the state of piercing the veil of delusion…

Two rival newspaper vendors who are likely great friends. They sell their papers right outside the doors of Grand Central Station.

We have filmed a video to help with sizing of table cloths.

This boy was standing a tthe entrance of the little akhara which is near Aurangzeb’s mosque in Kashi, the oldest part of Varanasi (Benaras). 
That afternoon the temperature reached 48° and he was trying to get some freshness under this piece of cloth.
He was waiting for his father who was training nearby.
We talked with eyes only, I was trying to understand all that he was thinking under this veil.

 This portrait was shot with a contre-jour, French translation for “against daylight”.
That young man was sitting under a big umbrella near Lal ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras), I took this photograph while my camera was pointing directly toward the sun. 
The Contre-jour produced a backlighting of his face, hiding details and providing a stronger contrast between light and dark.
He wasn’t used to pictures and he was shy, then I made a few jokes until he felt easy inorder to take several pictures.
I came back last Sunday to give him the prints.

Fountain on the Square, originally uploaded by W.K..

A view of the fountain located on the square in downtown.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a national holiday tradition, and has been so for the past 83 years, and this year the tradition continued.

This year, the parade route returns to its roots with it ending at 34th street right in front of the Macy’s store. This is different than it has been in recent years.

 There is a list of performers that include Katharine McPhee, Jane Krakowski, and we have Spiderman, Kermit and Spongebob floating down the parade route. Ziggy Marley, the son of the legendary Reggae singer Bob Marley, performed a song with his daughter on a float decorated as a pirate ship.

Ziggy Marley and Daughter awaiting performance at Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade today

 Ziggy performed his new song ”It’s Family Time” while holding his daughter in his arms so she could reach the mike…very cute.

Katharine McPhee, sporting her new sassy blonde ‘do, performed her new single “Had It All.” Jane Krakowski performed a Christmas tune. She may play a ditzy spoiled celeb on “30 Rock,” but in real-life Krakowski is quite the songbird.

Teen superstar Miley Cyrus made an exuberant appearance waving to her throngs of excited fans that lined the parade route waiting patiently for the international superstar. She looked great, in light of the bush crash tragedy that killed her long time tour bus driver this past friday. Today was much happier times for her.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade aired on CBS and NBC at noon ET/9 am PT.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING…NOW GO EAT….

Chrono Trigger (bueno, uno de tantos) es cuando Frog decide dejar su mariconería y acompaña a Crono a abrir la entrada a la cueva que nos guía al castillo de Magus. El video es de la versión de DS, yo fui fan del juego en el Snes y la verdad que fue el RPG que me enseñó a jugar este tipo de juegos, el que me hizo amarlo fue el Final Fantasy VI que a la postre sigue siendo mi juego favorito.

If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the island of Sicily, a region of southern Italy. Depending on your interests, this beautiful area can be an ideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. And parts of Sicily haven’t yet been discovered by tourists. This article presents Sicily’s capital, Palermo. Companion articles present western Sicily and eastern Sicily.

Palermo is Sicily’s capital and largest city with a population of about 700,000. It was founded in the Eighth Century B. C. by the Phoenicians who wanted to take advantage of its natural harbor. This strategically situated city was conquered again and again. For example, in the past this was a Muslim city with two or three hundred Mosques. The period of the Norman occupation starting in 1072 and lasting for well over one hundred years was considered Palermo’s golden age. The conquests continued almost unabated. Palermo was heavily destroyed during the Second World War. To some extent Palermo is still in the hands of a conqueror, the Mafia.

Start at the Cathedral, built in 1185 on the site of a Byzantine basilica transformed into a mosque by the Saracens in the Ninth Century. Other historic churches that you should see include San Giovanni dei Lebbrosi, San Giovanni degli Eremiti, and the Greek Orthodox church La Martorana. Many churches and other buildings are situated in or near beautiful parks.

The Teatro Massimo (Great Theater) is Italy’s largest opera house. The movie Godfather Part III included a famous scene, violent of course, that occurred on the Teatro’s steps.

The Palazzo Reale was the seat of government for centuries. It is now the home of the Sicilian Parliament. The Palatine Chapel was the royal chapel of the Norman kings of Sicily. Its mosaics are definitely worth seeing. The building and its furnishings are a great combination of Arabic, Byzantine, and Norman styles.

Make sure to see the Salinas Regional Museum of Archeology with its prehistoric cave drawings. Then for a change of pace visit the Museo delle Marionette many of whose marionettes are hundreds of years old.

Finish your tour at the Piazza Pretoria (Pretoria Square). The fountain that dominates the square is decorated with hundreds of sculptures whose lack of clothing led to the name, “Fountain of Shame”. We really suggest that you see this square at night.

Sicily has always adapted foreign foods to come up with Sicilian versions. Put all the foreign influences together and you have the unique Sicilian cuisine. See our companion article I Love Touring Italy – Palermo, Sicily for a sample menu and more information on local wines as well as an in-depth examination of its tourist attractions. Marsala DOC, which was first exported to England well over two hundred years ago, is Sicily’s best-known wine. Most Marsalas are sweet; some are great, others are not.

After being poorly (I feel a lot better more of the time now) I have had the urge to clean the house meticulously and start creating decorations and presents for Christmas. I am rather excited about Christmas this year; I am never really over-the-top excited about it, but this Christmas will be the first in our new house! I put the tree up last night… a lot of people have said that it is far too early, but my family is coming to celebrate Christmas a week early, so why cant I put the tree up a week early!? It is just inspiration standing in the corner now, I cant wait to start putting presents under it.

Yesterday Ryan came home with a new frying pan, which was on sale in Debenhams:

So this led me on to looking at all the kitchenware that Debenhams sell… There are quite a few things that I love, which I am sure you can get elsewhere too, just they are all bundled together in one shop! Here are my selections:

1. Dark grey Roast ‘n Rack by Maxim – I love making roast dinners so much, but I still dont really have the roasting trays for all the ingredients.

2. Cream plate with glass dome lid – I just love the aesthetic of having this in the kitchen with cakes under it!

3. Teal rectangular stoneware dish by Le Creuset – maybe for pasta bakes

4. Cream stove kettle by Prestige – I adore the lines and the shapes that make up these retro-style kettles. I even love the fact you have to put it on the stove, so amazing! There are some of the same/similar style that are electric, but its not really the same thing is it. We also need an upgrade from the £6 kettle I bought a few years ago from Woolworths haha!

5. Azure cast iron casserole dish By Le Creuset – for casseroles of course. Winter is drawing in and I am always a sucker for homemade comfort food. For some reason all the Le Creuset items I have picked here bar one are in blue; I actually like all and any of the colours in the range that they make.

6. Ken Hom 5 piece Wok set by Tao – because I dont have a wok, and I really feel like trying to make stir fry and chinese style chicken.

7. Teal cast iron 26cm square grillit by Le Creuset – because it would make amazing steaks, and you can pour out the juices from the pan afterwards… mmmmm!

8. Spring form cake pan by Kitchen Craft – because I have none!

9. Volcanic regular cast iron grill by Le Creuset – I believe you can either put this in the oven, or as a hot plate on the stove… I love that idea.

10. 5 piece stainless steel set by Prestige – because all of my pans are leaving black flakes in my pasta yuk! Not necessarily this set, but something similar that wont ruin my food.

11. Blue Icona 4 slice toaster by De Longhi – so yummy looking! And blue again… why!?? We need an upgrade from the £5 toaster from Woolworths I bought 3 years ago…

12. 14cm microwave saucepan – when I saw this I thought of Ryan. He always eats beans, and always cooks them in Tupperware pots without handles or spouts, and it looks like a very awkward process to try not to burn your fingers, so this could be ideal!

13. Assam teapot by Bodum – I am never any good at judging how long to leave teabags to steep in the water before pouring, and it either comes out too weak or too strong. So… if I can see what is going on inside the pot I will be ok! It also has a plunger to stop the process when it is right for you, and you can use teabags or leaves and it works!

14. Cream food mixer by KitchenAid – how gorgeous is this machine! We have one in the kitchen at the bar that I work at, I might see if they will sell it to me as it is not really in use.

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I am also in the process of designing some quilted Christmas stockings for myself and Ryan, to hang on the wall (where the mantel should be if the house still had one), some knitted presents for my grandparents, maybe some other presents too, and some decorations for the house! I am thinking garlands, and wreaths, and paper chains of course.

Ryan is dying my hair for me tonight, so if I think I look semi-unpoorly afterwards I shall take a photo and paste it to the end of this blog.

[Edit - photo!!!]

Jenn xx

P.S I am now down to 4 hamsters… It seems to be a sad time in Hamsterville. I have not changed anything about their living conditions… maybe it is just that time of year Rest in peace crazy dude who bit me really hard…

Nantwich Band will be bringing some festive cheer to shoppers and visitors to the town.

The band are scheduled to perform on the Square in the town centre on three Sundays in the run-up to Christmas.

They will be playing on December 6, 13 and 20.

On the third Sunday, Nantwich councillors will be on hand to offer refreshments, which will be prepared at the nearby Conservative Club.

Okay, so Sandra Bullock isn’t hip. And she’s definitely middle-aged. But does everyone have to act surprised EVERY SINGLE TIME she’s in a box office hit?

Last weekend, “The Blind Side” did much better than expected, confounding those that expected all women to go to the “Twilight” sequel and/or be turned off by the football and men to steer clear of a tearjerker starring of all things, a middle-aged woman. Guess what? Some women had no interest in seeing “The New Moon” and some men didn’t fear the femme mixed with sports. “The Blind Side” earned $35 million its opening weekend, topping Sandra Bullock’s best, for “The Proposal” earlier this year.

Moviegoers gave it extremely high marks — it received an A+ Cinemascore rating, only the second this year after “Up,” the LA Times noted.

Yet there were those — yes, you, Steve Zeitchik — that strained for some other explanation, as in a possible halo effect of “New Moon” that even he couches as a reach. Variety barely mentioned the film’s perf,  devoting much more space to “New Moon” and per screen averages of speciality pics such as “Precious,” “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “Broken Embraces.” It was up to The Wrap to point out the accomplishment of Bullock’s football weepie. Dan Frankel suggests that the movie ended up in the media’s blind spot in the “New Moon” frenzy.

Maybe. But this isn’t the first time this has happened with Bullock. The media tends to have a blind spot to ALL her movies lately. Patrick Goldstein wrote that helmer John Lee Hancock has finally made it out of movie jail with the success of “The Blind Side,” a fate that apparently befell the director after the abject failure of “The Alamo.”  (Gawker’s Richard Rushfield amusingly riffs on the notion of director jail here.)

Isn’t it time we forgive Bullock for the crime of commercial taste? She’s never been edgy. Sure, some of her movies are duds (“All About Steve,” anyone?) but people generally like her and her movies. Deal with it.

Big idea.  Itty bitty living space.  Literally!

This article about a bunch of seniors from Cape Hatteras Secondary School of Coastal Studies was sent to me by my friend Amy Mac.

These students decided to test their design of a small home by building it bit by bit, from found scrap!  It’s called The Scrap House or the Tiny House, depending on which website you’re on and it’s only 144 square feet of living space.  The main floor is 96 and the sleeping loft is about 48.

Here’s a delightful slide show.

Here’s their blog about the house which is ongoing.