說了很久
總算去了JCCAC
藝術家們的工作室
一個十分舒服的地方
不過沒太多鋪位有開啦….

呀!忘了買mini版畫架及ARCYLIC畫框

大小對比啊….真的很精緻

更多的相在fb看喇:)

那裡的天台很安寧 日落很美
我找對了地方

So, I’ve gone on about going home and visiting old friends. I’m so glad to get to see people, by the way. I’ve only got THREE free days to see people, one of which has been reserved for a group of several.

There isn’t a common denominator to the group – or, there wasn’t. I guess it leaned heavily toward being comprised of a school that I went to for two years. No big deal.

Slowly though, people were added and the gathering expanded to something not so manageable. People, seemingly belonging to this “group”, that I didn’t really care for were invited and RSVPed. Eventually, there were people I had never met on the list. -wow – I need to clarify that I did ask people to bring their +1’s. I wanted to find out more about my friends and their partners are part of who they are now.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that people wanted to go out and hang together. That just wasn’t what I had in mind for reuniting with some of my old mates. A couple of hours just isn’t long enough to work a crowd of thirty or so, while absorbing all of the info on what my pals have been up to for about twenty years. ha! But, that was/is my mission…

People who understand my situation see that these people can get together any day of the year. I don’t have that opportunity or luxury. I live on the other side of the globe and this is my only face-time chance. It’s super important to me – now! No need to give a reason.

I’ve now sent out individual notes to specific people, asking them to meet me earlier. It will give us a chance to meet in a more laid-back, intimate group. The people who matter the most to me will get my full attention. Everybody seems to truly appreciate the idea and my motives behind it.

Let’s just hope this goes off without a hitch. I’m sure it will be great. It gives me a chance to see who I really need to see, and then sneak away if things start to get uncomfortable as more people arrive. I just don’t have time for false b.s. – no time to waste on it. We got this! Yay!

Wish me luck.

I got off the bus at the New London stop, in the middle of nowhere. When I told people at work where I was going to spend Thanksgiving, everyone reacted the same way: “There’s a New London in New Hampshire? Oh…” – then they nodded thoughtfully and moved on. I could tell that this town was going to be poppin’.
It was dark, and as I was waiting for the driver to hand me my backpack, I was reviewing in my head the list of things I had to do that night: make stuffing, make green bean casserole, prepare all ingredients for more cooking in the morning, try to get some sleep. Sleep had to be on the list, otherwise it might have gotten lost in the excitement. And excitement there was, once I got to the house where I was going to spend Thanksgiving, and I took in the perfect kitchen. The counter space seemed infinite, there was a large island in the middle, there were drawers with everything I could possibly think of, including a salad spinner (!) and a MANUAL EGG BEATER (OMG, when I saw that my eyes almost popped out of my head with enthusiasm – I had to place them back in with my fingers). I kept pulling out things from drawers, and yelping at their sight.

I wanted to put everything down and start cooking right away. Introductions? House tour? Changing into more comfy clothes? Who cares about that anyway?
Eventually I had to show that I was house- and people-trained. I got introduced to the owner of the house (my friend Corina’s boyfriend’s father), and to the house in general. The house was huge, I had a nice, small bedroom on one end, they had the master bedroom on the other end. The upper floor also had a fully equipped kitchen (in addition to the lower level one) and a bathroom for myself (the master bedroom had its own bathroom), so I felt like I couldn’t wish for anything more.

Except for time and space to cook.

I changed into comfy sweats and hoodie and, armed with my previously printed 5 page recipe list, I headed downstairs. Corina’s boyfriend, his son and his father stood at attention. Ok, they didn’t really, but they did tell me that I had free reign over the kitchen (actually they said that was “my kitchen,” which entertained some interesting fantasies of the time when I’ll be able to design my own perfect kitchen) and that they were there to do whatever I told them to. Now tell me it’s not every woman’s dream to hear that from not one, but three men surrounding her (feel free to overlook the fact that one of them was underage, the other one much overage, and the third one taken). So I started on the two dishes that I had planned for that evening: the stuffing and the green bean casserole. I figured that if I make the two dishes that we would need the oven for, that would give me enough time to screw up on the turkey in the morning.

I had everyone do something: clean and cut the green beans, clean and cut onion and celery, break some (a lot) of bread, and mix ingredients in bowls. I hope they felt included, and not exploited.

We ended up using a food processor to dice the onion and celery (between Corina’s giggles that they were turning into mush, and my pleading with her boyfriend to stop pressing the button), which was ok, because as it turns out, I slightly undercooked the onion before adding the bread to the mixture, so the smaller the pieces, the better, we decided post hoc.

Then I melted a stick of butter in a pot (Julia Child would be proud of me) and added everything in, leaving Corina to stir the stuffing while I dealt with the freshly cut green beans. Who knew the casserole would be so easy to make? You just open a couple of cans of mushroom soup, add the beans and some chicken broth, and there you are. I wanted to take it up a notch, so I added some cheese – Jenny told me I use cheese as a condiment, so I thought I would confirm her opinion. Then we stuck both dishes in the oven. They looked so good and endearing, it was all I could do not to run up for my camera (I left the picture-taking for the next day). Finally, by 1am we were all in bed, ready to sleep… The next day was the final challenge.

Isn’t it great when unexpectedly you hear from old friends you haven’t seen for a few years and you just find out they’re pretty close to where you are and then suddenly, without much planning or anything, you get to meet and spend some time together?

Well, this just happened to me. Thanks to our friend Facebook some old friends contacted me because they were coming over to the US and would be spending a week here in case there was any chance I could visit them or something. After further talking I found out they were pretty close to where I was staying for thanksgiving so I changed my plans for the weekend and I will go spend a couple of days with them!

Isn’t this great? Awesome? I can’t wait!

Wait, I sound like a teenage girl from a teen TV-show! Am I loosing it? Probably…

Anyway, I’ll meet them this weekend and hope they’re doing great! I have gained a few pounds since the last time they saw me so I’ll be ready for continuous comments about my belly And also, last time we spoke I was still married and not heading towards divorce so, even thought I know they know, it will still be a big part of our conversations… I need to have a few jokes ready

FRom: http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/11/gamble-on-american-idol-sex-and-the-city-slot-machines.html

If you’re over 21, you can now play slot machines based on two of your favorite shows, “American Idol” and “Sex and the City.”

Both slots were new releases at the 2009 Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. In “American Idol,” slot players can trigger a bonus round that lets them become one of three judges — Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi or Randy Jackson — and then plays video clips of past contestants, good AND bad.

According to Sphere.com, Paula Abdul was the lone holdout participant even BEFORE she announced she was leaving the show. Innnteresting.

Meanwhile, the “Sex and the City” slot machines are subtitled “Change of a Dress.” Clever, no? They feature bonus rounds that include video clips of all four women plus Mr. Big.

International Game Technology spokeswoman Julie Brown told Sphere, “There’s shoes and purses and lots of bling and big bonuses and the music track, and it’s a very interactive game.”

Speaking of Mr. Big, Chris Noth helped unveil the “Sex and the City” slot machine in Las Vegas. Video below.

KATHY GRIFFIN D-LISTED CONTEST

Facebook: Kathy Griffin DlistedNyc

GET d-listed!!

If you LOVE Kathy Griffin and love “Sex and the City” this one is for you! NealBinNYC (www.nealbinnyc.wordpress.com) and On Location Tours (www.screentours.com) are looking to see who the BIGGEST KATHY GRIFFIN FAN is out there! We are looking to see who can upload the MOST CREATIVE KATHY GRIFFIN FAN VIDEO.  Yes, it can be outrageous, -but it has to be FACEBOOK appropriate!

One grand prize WINNER will live life on the D-LIST!  The winner will receive TWO FREE TICKETS for the Official Sex and the City Hotspot Tour (http://www.screentours.com/tour.php/satc/) and have their video appear on a DVD we are sending to Kathy G. and her people!  The tour of Sex and the City Hotspots includes more than 40 locations from the hit TV show and movie!  See where Carrie and Co. live, shop, drink and dine.  Locations include Magnolia Bakery, Charlotte’s art gallery, and the bar owned by Aidan and Steve in the show.

To enter you must be in the New York City area and also have Facebook to be eligible.

Contest directions:

NealBinNYC (www.nealbinnyc.wordpress.com) and On Location Tours (www.screentours.com) are looking to see who the BIGGEST KATHY GRIFFIN FAN is out there!

We are looking to see who can create the MOST CREATIVE KATHY GRIFFIN FAN VIDEO.  Yes, it can be outrageous, -but it has to be FACEBOOK appropriate!

On your Facebook page, please upload any original videos (you can enter as many as you like) explaining why you’re the ultimate Kathy Griffin Fan and why she belongs back on the D-list in New York City!  Tag “Kathy Griffin DlistedNyc” in your videos.   The winner will be judged on who has the most creative video.   The judges will be staff members from On Location Tours as well as Neal B.

The contest will ends MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2009 at 8:00 pm EST.  The winner will be contacted that night no later than 9:00 pm via their Facebook e-mail and also the winner will be announced on the Kathy Griffin DlistedNyc  Facebook page.

D-LIST IT UP!

Today, we celebrate Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving- a holiday which we’re told was initially celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Indians to give thanks for bountiful harvests.  Today, Thanksgiving is typically a celebration with friends and family where we stuff ourselves full of turkey and other delicious food till we’re in a food coma.  Damn that tryptophan.  Those still awake watch football or plan where they’re going for the Black Friday deals.

Over the last few days, I’ve been contemplating and reflecting over the things that I am thankful for this year.  Some times sarcasm creeps– what can you be thankful for when your world is turned upside down and you’ve lived through the darkest, loneliest, saddest times you’ve ever been through.  I’ve then given myself a mental pep talk.  After several days of  thinking, I’ve found some light in the darkness.

Basically 2009 has just plain sucked since February.  Life was so good before February- I had a husband whom I loved dearly and we were such a happy family with our new son.  Everybody was healthy.  Life was good.

Then along came February and the stage IV diagnosis, followed by our fight and culminating in our lost battle.

But through it all there are things to be thankful for.

Nathaniel.  I have a wonderful easy going delightful son.  He is a pleasure to be around and his growth and development is nothing short of amazing to witness.

John got to be a father and he was a great one.  Some men never have the opportunity to become fathers.  Of the ones that do, not all of them are great.  John enjoyed fatherhood as much as he physically could through his illness.  Mentally it gave him a reason to fight and a reason to live that stretched beyond self.  John loved his boy so much.  He told me that Nathaniel’s laughter was his most favorite sound.

I had a great marriage and was married to a wonderful man.  I’ve been able to experience true love.  There are lots of people who can’t say that.  I have enough wonderful memories to hopefully last a lifetime.

John’s illness has taught me to stand up for what is right and to fight for those you love and to pick up the pieces and carry on.  The Mary of years past, wouldn’t have stood up to the well known and credentialed doctor and told him that we weren’t done fighting and if he was, then he could be forever referred to by name as “the doctor that gave up on daddy and the doctor who let daddy die.”  The doctors and nurses have other patients and rooms to visit.  The patient has one life.  Sometimes you have to stand up for those you love and insist on the best treatment for your loved one.  In the end maybe the outcome isn’t the most important thing, but rather how you life the life you have and the memories that you leave.  We’ve all been born and we’ll all die… really it’s the parts in the middle that we need to really make count!

John’s death has left me with a hole in my heart- grief, heartache, and loneliness like nothing else I’ve ever experienced.  But, I’m getting through it… not over it, but through it.  Some days are like walking through a nice grassy meadow with the sun warmly shining.  Others are like fighting my way through thick mud and slipping, sliding, falling, and getting up and pushing on.  The sun rises.  The sun sets.  Life goes on.  If I choose to live life or not, it still continues- better to enjoy it while I can.  Nathaniel, the horses, and the cats have kept me going.  They all need me and they all love me.  I’m working or re-building my life.  It won’t ever be the same or the happy home and strong fortress that it was with the three of us, but we’re making it.  It’s not always easy, it’s not always pretty, and it certainly isn’t always clean, but we’re making it…. one day at a time.  Life goes on.  We never know how short or long our life will be.  To me it only makes sense to enjoy it to it’s fullest and be happy as best you can.

For some reason, John’s death has chilled me out more and I don’t usually get upset over the little stuff.  In the end, the little things don’t matter.  It’s the big picture.  I just want to relax and enjoy simple pleasures- hug my kid, ride my horses, take a walk, pet the critters, and just enjoy life.  I’m very fortunate that I can do all of those things without even leaving Leaky Creek!  I love my farm, my house, my horses, my cats, and my son.  I truly feel like there is something else out there beyond our realm.  I do think that John has given me signs.  It’s reassuring and gives me an inner peace that I need.  Attending church has been helpful.  I used to fear dying terribly.  After I held John’s hand as he died, my fear left.  Someday, I’m sure we’ll be together again… as long as he doesn’t hook up with some hot angel in the meantime…

Annapolis Fire Department.  They were absolutely amazing during John’s illness and they (along with Community Fire Company of Rising Sun) made his funeral a fitting tribute to a wonderful man and amazing firefighter.  AFD did so many wonderful things that I know I can’t mention all of them.  They covered John’s shifts, so he received full pay.  They allowed him to retire on disability.  They came to visit him in the hospital and were there for his 2nd round of IL2 treatments at 6 AM & 10 PM.  They transformed our half bath into full bath with a shower that John could use.  Sometimes when you’re sick… the ability to get clean just means so much.  Sadly, John was only able to use his shower a few times, but it was very much appreciated!    AFD built a ramp, so we could get the wheelchair in and out easily.  They mowed our grass and did assorted maintenance jobs.  They went with us to many doctor’s visits so I didn’t have to worry about driving on little sleep or in unpredictable traffic.  They sent meals.  They held a fundraiser in Annapolis.  They participated in Team Smitty for the LiveStrong Challenge.  In, short, they took care of their brother.  John truly worked for a topnotch organization.  He loved working there and they loved him, too.  I miss them.

I’m thankful to the wonderful medical personnel that we encountered… from the friendly, familiar faces on the ambulance, to the caring hospital nurses, to our beloved home health nurses, and every smiling caring face in between.

I am thankful to the friends and family who have supported us and were there for John, Nathaniel, and myself.  During times of crisis, you find out who your true friends are.  Sometimes they are who you think they are… sometimes they’re different people.  I  have been very fortunate that no matter how alone I feel, I am not without friends to support me.  Some friendships have strengthened and I’ve even found new friends.  A simple phone call can make all the difference in the world.  Many people have also helped me out with everything from mowing grass, to checking car brakes, to babysitting, to installing ceiling fans, to watching Nathaniel while I got some equine therapy… and just being there when I needed to talk, needed a hug, or needed a shoulder to cry on.  This Thanksgiving, I’ve received so many invitations- thanks to everybody who thought about my boy and me and knew that we might not have a place to go.

I also have the world’s best babysitter.  I can’t tell you how amazing she has been with my son and how much I enjoy and value her friendship.  We’ve known each other since elementary school, but had lost touch through the years.  Facebook re-united us and I consider her to be one of my best friends, now.  We share conversations, hugs, and tears.  There is nothing like having the piece of mind that my son is being cared for as if her were part of her family.  Nathaniel helped carve his first pumpkin and made his first art project with them.  Her daughter is like a sister to him.  Nathaniel adores her husband and I think it is important for Nathaniel to  have a good male role model in his life.  I can go to work and have no concerns and no worries… to quote the credit card commercials.. “Peace of mind– priceless.”   I know John would approve.

I also hope that I can do some things in memory of John to help fight melanoma and fight cancer.  I don’t want his death to be in vain.  Skin cancer can kill.  We need more melanoma awareness and much, much more research.  I’d love to do a memorial bike ride, since he loved to cycle.

So, even in what has been the worst year in my 34 year life, there are things to be thankful for.  Happy Thanksgiving everybody.  Hug your spouse.  Hug your kid(s).  Pet the critters.  Eat up and watch some football.  And if you get a chance before the food coma sets in take at least a brief moment to remember what you’re thankful for.

Angeles Estates from balcony

 

 ‘In my heart, a home to roost’

In a writer’s mind, a place is not a mere location. Any place has the potential of seeping into whatever she creates. Moonlight on the water in a sea resort soon appears on a page as a haiku sequence, one that I wrote. Fifth Avenue on winter evenings sheds off its glitter and reveals a sinister side as in a piece I submitted for a writing exercise on “Setting for the Novel” at a class I attended in New York’s Gotham Writing  Workshop. Cherry blossoms shedding petals in the wind along Riverside in Baltimore at dusk brings on images of moths in their last flight as I wrote in a haiku that won for me an honorable mention at the 2007 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival.

But places or a place during a travel or visit to a writer can turn into a home to roost. Once it does, her spirit lives there and so do the characters of her stories. It is then when the ordinary takes on the quality of permanence as do settings in literature. One such place for me is Angeles Estates. It is not just a place to stay. In my heart, it is a home to roost.

‘Light splashes here like a flood’

During my long stay in 2001–and the coconut trees were still dwarfs then except for the almost-a-hundred-year old mango tree by the gate–I’ve written literary journals, completed a novella, and a short story with Angeles Estates as setting. It is the quality of light I so love. It comes as splashes like a flood during the day and at night especially during a full moon it swarms and stays with me.

Secured and guarded, I would stroll at night on the paved walks of the front lawn. Some nights, the sky unfurled like a diamond-studded mantle. I’ve seen a shooting star from the frangipani island hedge and a waning moon that appeared like the many faces of sadness behind streaks of clouds.

Now that the trees, the hedges, and the frangipani ‘pool’ in the middle have grown breathlessly lush, I can imagine how much more satisfying it is to stay for the night and see the dawn rise and the day come in splashes of light.

At a fiction writing class I attended at New York University’s Continuing Education workshops not long after I left Angeles Estates, I wrote this story which I spun out off the novel I finished during that extended stay .

The main character, Amanda, comes home for the first time after she was exiled to New York by a grandaunt.

“Dawn in Manggahan”: An Excerpt

Amanda woke to an engine sigh. Deep and sad like a man’s, it rose from below the window of her room at the south end of the estate buildings’ eastern wing, her grandaunt’s residence. Then, a soft hiss of gravel shifting under steps faded into the muffled din.

She listened, sifting other sounds—singsong calls in the dialect, some low-throated laughter, and like high choral notes, the warbling of ricebirds.

Barely seven and the morning had ripened like noon. In Amanda’s room, daylight had swollen like a flood. On a wall, patterns in monochrome heaved—light bouncing off the front lawn.

Estates garden: frangipani 'pool'

The corridor buzzed with cleaners, young girls with open smiles. She felt she moved among strangers. Exiled to New York after she recovered from that night she bled in a shack in the foothills, Amanda had come back to the estate for the first time—so changed from the hacienda she spent summers as a child.

She had missed the kitchen balcony where she watched the sun rise. It was also there where Senora Viana had set her up in a rattan lounger on mornings after she was brought here incognito from the hospital a week following the raid. On her first winter at that studio in the West Side in New York she craved for those purple dawns. She thought she would die of longing, wondering about the child and the lover she lost.

She slipped out of the south entrance, grazing the side mirror of an Eisenhower jeep parked fronting the wall—the engine that sighed, perhaps? Past the lawn, Amanda spotted a cluster of men in starched denims and buri hats, the farmers waiting for the dining cum seminar hall to open.

They were telling jokes, slapping knees as they guffawed, some gagging, a few spitting red juice from chewed betel nut—so unlike the grim men who crouched in bamboo groves to watch her plays years ago: those hardly laughed, wearing pain like a brand singed on their faces.

dwarf coconuts

Amanda turned away, wincing, ducking fronds of dwarfed coconut trees, and skirting a hedge of blooming frangipani bushes and of birds of paradise in clumps.

She stepped into a lull in the kitchen. Counter shelves on the wall left a yawning center, half a dance hall drenched in light. On a green speckled Formica table, Amanda saw the thermos pot’s on-button still lit and beside it tightly lidded jars of instant coffee and cream. Cups and saucers stacked on the open shelf above the sink still glistened from the last rinse. Noticing a breadbasket and a tub of margarine, she sat down for breakfast.

Amanda had stood up to leave when the screen door heaved then banged. A wiry woman huffed in, four live hens in her right hand tied together in the shins—lidless eyes blinking their anxiety. When she whirled from the door to the counter past the table where Amanda sat back, only then did she see Amanda.

“Ay naku!  Sorry,” her apologies of not noticing Amanda immediately tumbled. She prattled on as she filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove. She was told Amanda would come down later so she thought she should dress the chickens first before she made Amanda a meal of fried rice and pork sausage.

Amanda said, it’s okay, she had eaten and thanks anyway.

“Ay, teka! Taste the bibingka,” the woman spun around, sliding onto a plate a piece of rice cake grilled in banana wrapper.

Amanda demurred. “Huwag na. No, really, I’m full.”

The kettle lid jiggled from the rising steam. This made the cook jump, and yell for someone to help. A girl in Bermuda shorts and thong slippers dashed in and yanked a chicken from the bunch. The cook, blade in one hand, twisted the fowl’s neck as the girl gripped both legs.

“I have to go. Salamat,” Amanda leaped to the door, shaking.

The cook laughed. “Hindi ka pa nagbabago. You’re still afraid to see a chicken dressed!”

Amanda looked back through the screen door, straining for the cook’s face—did she know her? But a sun patch had splashed on the marble steps, blinding her.

She re-crossed the gravel path and reentered the south wing from another door. The corridor had emptied, clearing a view of the south entrance. Amanda glimpsed a man walking off, perhaps to that jeep parked there? His gait, the way he shifted his weight to his left leg and swung his left arm—though his shoulders seemed a bit hunched—froze Amanda. When he stooped to peer at something, she saw a fat curl tumble to his brow.

“Oh, my God!” she gasped, gripping her arms around herself, suddenly feeling bare.

When she looked again, he had disappeared.

Visist Angeles Estates at www.angelesestates.com

My very first Blog post….how exciting! There are still many items I need to tweek but it is great to be online. John and I spent quite a bit of time reviewing different providers and we were really pleased with the templates available from WordPress. I still feel somewhat lost as to the program but…I am sure I will figure everything out in due time:) Check back often as I will keep you updated on my Photo sessions as well as any upcoming events.
Thanks for visiting:)
Ruth

We are back in Ohio, visiting the family and enjoying the Thanksgiving week together. We have been running around like crazy, fitting in visits with all the different parts of  each of our families. Thank goodness we are from the same hometown, or we’d be going nuts! While we do tend to run ourselves ragged with all the visits and activities, I have decided this is the best kind of problem to have: that we each have so many family members who still enjoy spending time with us, and having Logan annihilate their homes! We are truly blessed.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and it is just a 2-stop kind of day, which is completely manageable from my point of view. Lunch with my whole family (minus a few important out-of-state dwellers, sniffle, sniffle), then dinner with Ryan’s whole family (minus a few more of those out-of-towners, boo). But otherwise a great day! I mean, how can you go wrong with over 20 pounds of mashed potatoes, probably over 40 pounds of turkey, and who knows how many varieties of pies!? Life is good, and we have SO much to be thankful for. God bless you all, and wishes that you, too, have a truly blessed Thanksgiving!

Escape from the noise of city and enjoy the wonderful nature of the Bernheim arboretum and research forest! Only 30 minutes from the center of Louisville in Clermont, KT a beautiful landscape with gardens, forests, a prairie area, 30 miles of hiking trails, three lakes, and more than 250 species of birds waits to be discovered. Opened the spring of 2006, the canopy tree walk has become a popular place to spend some time in the treetops overlooking a peaceful valley. Bernheim Visitor Center offers an introduction to the history and some of the natural features of the arboretum. You can also enjoy a snack or something to drink or buy a plant or something else of interest in the Gift Shop. For more information, visit the Louisville Destination Guide.

The Country Inn & Suites Kingsland, GA hotel provides comfortable accommodations in Kingsland that are ideal for travelers in South Georgia. With its charming decor and comfortable amenities, our hotel is just like home. Country Inn Hotel Kingsland is conveniently located just one block off of I-95. Whether you’re here to visit the area or just passing through on your way to Florida, the Country Inn has the perfect Kingsland, GA accommodations. From an indoor pool to complimentary Internet access, our Country Inn & Suites has just what you’re looking for! For more information, visit the Georgia Coast Destination Guide.

my brother is in town visiting and here are some of his pictures while we went about today:

My brother thinks I dress weird or way to mismatchy (??? really?) just because of the fur trimmed gloves?

My bro at Joy Yee Noodle trying to see which boba/bubble tea he wanted:and a sign we saw on a meter

]]> http://costaricaonlinemap.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/museums-of-costa-rica/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:35:46 +0000 costaricaonlinemap http://costaricaonlinemap.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/museums-of-costa-rica/

Costa Rica has many interesting museums, especially in San Jose. Tourist could visit The Golden Museum, located in the Plaza de la Cultura, along with other Museum of the Central Bank, such as the Numismatic Museum and the Art Gallery. There are other museums about the history of the country, such as the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica, the Jade Museum (Museo de Jade), and the Children Museum (Museo de los Niños). On the other hand, there are many art museums and importan galleries, such as the Costa Rican Art Museum, among others.

The Museo del Jade, which real name is Museo del Jade “Marco Fidel Tristán Castro” is an archaeological museum located in San José, Costa Rica. The Museum was founded in 1977 by Fidel Tristán Castro, who was the first president of the INS, that is why the Museum has his name. The museum has a vast collection of pre-Columbian artifacts, such as stone tables (metates), ceramics, ceremonial heads, adzes, and other decorative pieces from 500 BC to 800AD. The Jade room of the museum also displays beautiful translucent jade pendants and other incredible archeological pieces.

The Museo de los Niños (Children’s Museum), is located at the Centro Costarricense de la Ciencia y la Cultura complex in the capital of San José. It contains great interactive displays educating children in various topics from Astronomy, natural planet and ecology to science, human life and communications. Children walk through 39 rooms learning and interacting to discover new interesting information. Visitors can experience a simulated earthquake, make music by dancing on the floor, or see themselves in weird mirrors.

Costa Rica’s most important historical museum was before an army barracks, which was in use while the historical fighting, the civil war of 1948. The National Museum was created by the end of the XIX century, following a liberal project of “order and progress”, trying to save the cultural part of the city. In 1887, former president Mr. Bernardo Soto, created the Museum as a public establishment to deposit, classify, and study natural and artistic products found around the country. Even now, visitors could see hundreds of bullet holes on the turrets at its corners, as they approach the building. The now Museum is a traditional Spanish-style courtyard building, which hosts many displays on Costa Rican history and culture from pre-Columbian times to the present.

Visit Costa Rica

From www.viewonfashion.com:

11/24/09 - While filming the long-awaited film Sex and the City 2, actress Kim Cattrall and SATC designer/stylist Patricia Field found the time to collaborate on the new edition of Bailey´s Red Bow…

SEX AND THE…
Red Bow

While filming the long-awaited film Sex and the City 2, actress Kim Cattrall and SATC designer/stylist Patricia Field found the time to collaborate on the new edition of Bailey´s Red Bow…

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh land in Bermuda for an official visit despite a diplomatic spat between the island and the UK…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: flight+transportation. The blog is also related to: lax airport.

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Shishla Kudi Gudda AKA Ettinabhuja (shoulder of an ox) is a popular trekking spot in karnataka which attracts trekkers.

This peak can be accessed from shishila or from bhirapura. The 9 km trek from shishla takes about 5 to 6 hrs for an average trekker. The distance from bhirapura is much shorter and can be done in an hour or two

I had first been to ettinabhuja in june just on the onset of monsoon along with my friends shasi , prahalad and prashant. With incessent rains and mist throughout the trek , we were unable to see the peak until the very end.

First Look at ettinabhuja during monsoon

When my friend Ina told me she and a few others were going to ettinabhuja in nov I wasnt able to confirm my participation as I was scheduled to fly to malaysia in nov. However things didnt materialize n my visit got postponed.  Luckily for me 2 of the people who had to go had dropped out. When I was asked if I was interested in joining for the trek I immediately agreed as one ticket was left and another ticket was cancelled

With the place set 9 ppl met at majestic bus stand on 21st nov at 9.30 and boarded the bus to dharmastala. The team for the trek (Ina , Girish, Dhimoy, Sandeep, Amit, Chirag, Vishak ,Rutuja and yours truely )

After a peaceful overnight journey we reached dharmastala at 7 in the morning. The weather was however looking omnious as dark clouds were hovering over our heads ready to open up at any instant

Early morning in dharmastala

The bus to shishla was ready which we immediately boarded. As we proceeded to shishla we kept an eye out on the weather which began to clear which gave us some relief.

Chengappa our guide was waiting for us at shishila bus stand. After embarking from the bus we proceeded to gohkale’s house which would be our base camp. We were told that it was raining for the past 2 days and we could expect rain even on sat. We had decided if it would rain then we would be doing some other peak instead of ettinabuja. Keeping this flexibility in mind we proceeded further

After finishing our morning abulations and having a heavy breakfast we embraked on the quest to conquer ettinabhuja with the sky clearing up.

Guys getting ready for the trek

Sandeep all set and ready for trek

After checking our belongings , we started towards the peak with hope that it would rain

Ettinabhuja as seen from afar

We followed chengappa as he led the way. The initial walk was on the banks of river kapila which we had to cross. The river was in full flow when we had visited in june, however now the current was much less and we could cross it easily

River Kapila

We began our foray into the forest and soon we met our companions for the trek leeches which would accompany us till the top.  After a short walk on the flat land , the climb began.

We began climbing at a steady pace and after a while we took a small break. The climb got steeper and taking frequent breaks we moved ahead. After a couple of hours of walking we reached the first grassland from where we could see the peak more clearly. Though the peak looked quite close, there was still lot of distance to cover, luckily for us the sun was still shining and we were able to cover good ground

Peak seen from grassland

Proceeding further we reached the second grassland , with grass as tall as us , dhimoy and myself cimbed a rock and we could see dark clouds had gathered and it was looking ominous. By this time the others had also reached the grassland and we moved forward.

Lunch was taken and after a short rest we began the final ascent. We reached the final grassland from where the we could see the peak standing in front of us majestically .

This was the place where I saw the peak for the first time when we went in june

After a short photosession we proceeded further. Since we cannot climb the peak directly we have to circle the peak to reach the top. By the time we reached the peak it was 4.45 in the evening.

Gang at top of ettinabhuja

Chengappa was of the opinion that we should climb the peak tomorrow as it could rain anytime and we had to get to the bhirapura temple situated a couple of kms below. As we were resting , chengappa met a local and got the permission to stay in the temple

We left ettinabhuja at 5.30 promising to return the next day and headed to bhirapura temple. As we left the peak we saw the weather had changed dramtically with grey clouds gathering from no where.

Bhirapura temple beckoned us at 5.45, which would be our halting place for the night.

The place was already covered in mist we could hear thunder at a distance accompanied by lightning

Bhirapura Temple covered in mist

A misty evening

Campfire was up and after a hot cuppa we were relaxing when we could feel the raindrops and within no time the rain began to fall.

The rain continued for some more time and later after stopping we began the campfire again and got the RTE’s out. Dinner was soon finished and it time to hit the couch.

10 ppl sleeping along with heavy rucksacks was a tight affair we maanged to make ourseleves comfortable. However the place being too small a few of the guys went to sleep outside by the fire praying it would rain again in the night.

After spending the night in the temple we got up early morning to find the mist still present. As we were getting ready to ascend the peak the sun began to come out of the clouds. The weather cleared up and we began to ascend the peak. With clear weather the peak looked amazing and we began to walk faster to reach the peak

We reached the peak from where we could see the hump.

The Ox’s Shoulder

Clicking some snaps we proceeded for the final phase of ascending the steep stretch to reach the top. The lush green mountains on the either side was a treat for our eyes and with the our cameras clicking we proceeded

After spending some time on top we bid adeiu to ettinabhuja n began our descent to shishla via the same way. While going down the group was split into 3 with dhimoy, sandeep and rutuja leading the way , me , amit, chirag and vishak in the middle and ina, girish and chengappa bringing the rear

Decent was fast with the sun beating down. As I was in the middle we were proceeding a bit slowly, and some how we lost our way .  We managed to stumble upon a turtle which was equally lost .

Lost Turtle

We found the trail after searching for a few min and we soon reached the river. After reaching the pickup point me, chirag,amit and viskah called the jeep and rested for a while. The others joined us and we headed back to gohkale’s house.

After a belly filling lunch and seista we headed to shishileshwara temple to spend some time there. Later we boarded the jeep back to dharmastala.

Munching on ice creams and dosas we whiled away the time before heading back to bangalore

Snaps can be found here

]]> http://atthebookshelf.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/changing-the-world-november-24-the-open-directory-on-the-web/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:30:00 +0000 Particular Kev http://atthebookshelf.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/changing-the-world-november-24-the-open-directory-on-the-web/

Today’s suggestion is to get involved in the Open Directory on the World Wide Web by applying to be an editor for the directory. The idea is to assist in manually categorising web sites submitted to the directory

For more information on the Open Directory visit:

http://dmoz.org

I have enough work in maintaining and adding to the many web sites, blogs, etc, that I own. So I’ll opt out of getting involved in this project, but none-the-less think it is a very worthwhile one.

For many of us, fear is the number one offender. It fills us with dread, affects us negatively both emotionally and physically, and we sometimes make decisions that are fear-based which we regret later. Fear can arise out of our perceptions, and let’s face it: a lot of us fear going to the dentist because we feel the experience is going to be a painful and stressful one.This is especially true with children. For them and their parents, the ordeal of a visit to the dentist can keep them from getting the treatment they need. Even oral sedation, or “numbing,” a method proven effective for preventing pain, can work better on some than others, and in some cases, it may not work at all.At 7 Day Dental, we are committed to painless dentistry and we do not want your children or you to avoid needed dental treatment because you fear pain. This is why we offer general anesthesia. Our board-certified anesthesiologists use an IV, or intravenous drip, which provides a safe, deep sedation, or sleep, to children and adults alike. Employing the same level of professional experience and type of equipment found in hospitals and surgery centers, our anesthesiologists carefully administer and regulate IV sedation for each patient, individually based on each one’s medical condition and the length of the procedure. There are few side effects, and patients can go home soon after. By literally sleeping through the entire dental procedure, patients not only avoid pain and discomfort, but also the stress and anxiety of hearing drills, feeling pressures, and simply being aware of the experience is eliminated. This is especially beneficial to children, who usually will not remember their dental treatment, and consequentially will have less dread seeing the dentist as they grow up.To illustrate this point, consider Johnny, a cute and energetic four-year old patient of ours. Like most children his age, Johnny enjoys candy and sodas. In Johnny’s case, it resulted in some pretty severe cavities in three of his front teeth. He came to 7 Day Dental several times to have his teeth treated, but regardless of how hard his dentist and his parents tried to calm and reassure Johnny, he would not allow the dentist to treat his teeth. He would squirm, kick, yell, and cry. We tried oral sedation, but this did not work for Johnny. When the decision was made to use IV sedation, however, the ordeal was over. While Johnny slept comfortably, his dentist repaired all three of his teeth in under an hour. Today, Johnny has a beautiful smile, and he doesn’t remember the experience at all. His parents are grateful for that smile, and we at 7 Day Dental are too, and a little proud that we could help.As this true story demonstrates, it is possible to have a stress-free, even comfortable visit to the dentist if you decide that you or your child would rather sleep during the entire affair. Children often do not recall the experience, and are less inclined to be fearful of the dentist. Because you or your child is relaxed and asleep, the dentist can also often complete all of the planned treatment at one time, allowing you to awaken with a beautiful smile! Posted by 7DayDental.com at 10:13 AM 0 comments