Sonia Vivaz and Abjeez....

Was lucky to hear them last Friday while helping out on a local festival, so wanted to share the beautiful tunes with you. They are a Swedish band with lots of influences around the globe...

Sonia Vivaz - Un deseo

I was captivated by the passion....found out a bit more about the female vocal that had some roots in Iran and used to make (still is?) music with her sister and some others under the name of Abjeez. Here is their song Immigrant.

Boost the floor....

...just because the stars....

Moderratto- Zodiaco

.....I wish you all have a vibrant time....

Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull - On the floor

...with rhythms of Puerto Rico and Latin moves....

Daddy Yankee - El ritmo no perdona

....whatever you do, wherever you are, I wish you all a beautiful 'nite!

Sweden

So I am back in Sweden now. It is early summer here and some days are rather sunny and warm. But for me who had accommodated myself to the humid and hot days of the Amazons, it felt a bit cold. It took me a week to get adjusted to the climate, food as well as time. It was much easier to get used of an earlier day than a later day...

Here are smoked salmon and stewed potato with dill, some multi grained bread, radish, beans and apple cider (and a piece of my camera brace...:) ).

 

The second photo is on a shrimp sandwich, lots of lettuce, cucumber,
tomatoes, orange, lemon, dill, mayonnese, beans and a raspberry drink. 

One of the first days back I went out with a little steam-boat on a lake close by. It was an early morning and the sun was shining on the light green leaves. I loved this little island....

...or the temple here....perfect for yoga exercises
when mornings have become warmer. 

 

A great way to begin the day.

Lima 4/4: Visiting Isla Palomino

I had the opportunity to find someone (gracias chica!!!) who wanted to take part of cruising around the islands close to Lima, and we were lucky to be joined by a group of Americans, enough with peoples to go out. But none wanted to swim with sea lions...I just had to.... But it was a bit scary with the cold water and hundreds of them around me. I felt really under the power of nature. They were so close, swimming beneath me and watching silently with those big black eyes. The water was around 14 degrees and perhaps 30 metres deep. Waves of half metres were softly swinging our bodies. I was in the water together with a guy who had been going out with people on this cruise for half a year. He was steady and calm. Told me that since the sea lions knew him, it would had been like bringing a friend to a party. He told me to lay still so they might come forth to my feet. He told me to be quiet otherwise I would threaten their space.... but I think I had to do it a couple of times to get used of it and really finding a pleasure in it...still, what a memory...

Gracias Miraflores House en Lima y A. para recorda y upload.

Lima 3/4: Museo de Larco

After many more hours than I was first thinking I would stay at the parque de leyendas, I continued to walk in the direction (with my newly friends) of the archaeological, anthropological and historical museum. After awhile and many new directions, I took a (yellow) cab. Unfortunately nor did he know where it was, so I started to become at unease and told him to ask any policeman or security I could find. No one seemed to know.....But after many more direcctions, we finally arrived at a peaceful and beautiful square. Unfortunately the museum was closed.... But there was a woman working in this districts municipality office, who told me that she knew another great museum, very well-visited. She told me it was the way she was going and I could accompany her (she had this municipality sign on her and was in her 40s). We passed a lot of very calm neighbourhoods. All of a sudden we came to a big park with a very big tree. It was one of the oldest in Lima, 200 years old, grown by a very important person...

We continued some streets more and there it was; museum de Larco. An entrance stunning with flowers of all the imaginable colours. I joined with a group of middle-ages ladies from Canada. The entrance was more than average (30 soles) and I had no idea about this place. But it seemed to have a lot of nice things, collected by this man called Rafael Larco who lived in the beginning of last century. Apparently they had a lot of collections preserved - textiles, ceramics, jewellry...and also a part where they stored ceramics showing different fertility positions. I was told that some visited the museum just to see this. 

But I was happy to see everything; it was a beautiful collection! They also had a reference library and a great short introduction movie. A place well-worth to visit when in Lima.

Lima 2/4; Parque de Leyendas

The following day I used to visit the "parque de leyendas" and some museums. After being shutting my eyes for any dangerous animals in the jungle, safely by the coastal area I wanted to actual get to know all the animals that lived there. I think animals of the wild belongs in nature and not kept captivated to be observed. I felt with the panther who was walking restlessly while the worker were hammering on constructions just besides... schoolkids and olders where knocking on the window to get a better lock and attentions. (When writing this, can't help myself to think of the scene in Harry Potter with the snake on the zoo.:) Animals were trying to hide the best they could.... I was sending love and forgiveness to the poor creatures....and while I was observing (still a bit fascinated) I felt someone observing me, and there were two tigers laying cool up in a tree observing me. 

I got friends with a woman from Lima and her mum from Cusco and we hanged out during the rest of our stay on the zoo.

Lima 1/4; Miraflores

Since I never took any vacation (partly because I never had time for it, partly because I did not had finance for it) and my time in Peru had been very intense, I strongly wished of ending my stay in Peru with some calm days by the coast.

Thanks for my lovely family in the jungle, I was connected with uncle M. who worked as a taxi driver in Lima. He picked me up and drove me to a hotel not far from the coast in Miraflores. It was a great place to stay - calm and very nice.

Since I arrived in the middle of the night, I used my first day to just take care of myself. Accommodating to the new habitat and making a hair cut with colouring as well as making new friends in the area (thanks for all great food).

I went out dancing with a friend in the night. We danced to live salsa and I enjoyed it really much. I returned back at half past 4 in the morning, shining like a star of a bright night out.

My second day I went for a walk. It turned out that my hotel was just minutes away from the coastal line. I enjoyed the brisk wind in my hair and slowly breathed in beautiful and well-maintained parks in Miraflores. By the park of love, I found a great little café with two lovely girls in my age. I drank some gorgeous freshly squeezed juices with strawberries and watched one of them going up and away with parogliding (the blue one). She was so happy when she returned, what a thrill!

Gracias mi familia y amigos en la selva...

...ahora regresaba de mi país; Suecia. El avión y tren era muy cómodo, también me gustaba la comida en el avión...mmm.... 

Mi ultima semanas pasa volando. Yo era muy feliz y contenta con todos mi informaciones, gracias, gracias mi amores!

El ultima días yo visitaba Aguatia para mandar emails y también tenia tiempo para visitar la carretera de Bella Novia una vez. Eramos solamente me y mi amigos que banando en el luz de la luna nueva. Bonita era! Mi ultima semana pasa también con me familia donde yo vivía, nosotros pescadimos...Mi hermano tenia un grande pesco (cuando terminaba hablar...). También el paneria Trinigal ayudarme con consiglios y ayudo para preparar una comida típica de mi país - lasagna, ensalada con zanahoria y naranja (el mejor!!!:)), scones (pan Inglaterra con plátano) y un deserto de "smulpaj" con salsa de vanillia. Era un aventura de cocina.... :) Necesitaban preparar los platos de lasagna/fideos de mano... pero yo era muy contenta con el resultado. Y todos comían. El cooperativo tenia comida para alguna semanas siguiente... :)

Musica de la selva...

...que yo escucha aqui esta diaz....
para mi hermanas y hermanos en la sierra y la selva en Peru.

(Music from the jungle, which are played frequently these days...

for my sisters and brothers in the mountains and jungle of Peru)

Chino y Nacho - Nina Bonita (group established in Venezuela)


Bacilos - Cara y Luna

In the amazonas....

Hola todos!

Since you all seem to be thinking of me and wondering how it goes for me, I will make you an update of my whereabouts.

Since a month back I have been in the amazonas, close to the Ucuyali river. Two weeks ago I moved to a smaller village (maybe 700 inhabitants). This is my base for doing field visits to different cacao producers. My schedule is rather tight. I am having 10 different farmers to visit during a period of 6 weeks, using 2-3 days for notes, observation, interviews and some PRA methods. All my cacao producers that I am visting are connected to the cacao cooperative here, all producing the inherta (inympade) CCN51, once founded in Ecuador and now growing on the criollo trees.

Most of the cacao producers grow fruit trees like guava, agave, pine apple, mango, papaya, pijaja (special fruit here), mandarines, naranja and coco (kokos) among the cacao trees. It is mainly used for home.

The cacao production in the area where I am, have grown very rapidly during the last 10 years. Before it was dangerous here, with coca productions. But now many are growing cacao. The cultivators connected to my cacao cooperative produce cacao to sell to chocolate production in Europe. In Peru, at the farm or at the cooperatives house, they ferment (5-6 days) and dry (3-6 days) the beans.

Whitin home, sometimes marmelade and juice are produced. The matured cacao beans are surrounded by a very juicy and sweet surrounding, and it is refreshing when cultivating the cacao trees in the hot and humid area. 

To get to the different places, I mainly go by motorbike. I have had to cross rivers and walk in steep and muddy vegetation (I have seen one dead small black and blue and poisonious snake as well as one dead tarantula, I prefer to see them dead....). 

Here is much insects and I sleep with a mosquito net to protect me from bites. But during interviews and practichal methods in the fields, it is hard to keep away from insect bites. I use creams and spray, but look forward to my Swedish University friends when they arrive in the weekend and bring some Swedish insect cream. I like that one, very natural and works well for me.

I am still whitest of all here. It is a strange thing to look so different from everyone else. Some are fascinated by my pale color and some are scared. They call me gringa or blancita, but I prefered to be called Senorita C... Even with a bit of a tan, my skin color is very different. Perhaps I will get a bit more morena during my time here.

Yesterday was my birthday (thanks for all sms and emails). I worked with investigations during the day and then at night I was celebrating with my friends here. I rent a room with shower and toilett by a big family that I have become friends with. They had bought me a cake and we danced cumbia, salsa, marengue and other types of dances that are typical here.

I hope you all are well, wherever you may be. I know many of my course mates are far out in the world doing research, and just as me, it may sometimes be days when you feel rather lonely. These days will pass and when we look around, there are beautiful people watching over us. What more is, that even if we are not always able to embrace or talk to each other, side by side, we are all connected by heart and mind, one day once more, rejoining and sharing our stories and experiences. Til then, so long!

(all photos by Ms. C.)

La luz de tu corazon....

...by Jarabe de Palo. Love the intro and the lyrics...

Dine and find in Cusco...

Muchas gustas y gracias Cusco.

Chocolate museum Cusco

Normally, I just ignore all the tourist offers on plaza de armas in Cusco, but when I hear something to my like, I pay attention. This was one of those times, which became a great visit to the newly opened chocolate museum, my felicidad! A great excursion with my Spanish teacher. Clara - who runs the museum together with her partner from France - opened the museum for two weeks ago. Therefore not many cusquenans know about it yet. But it is well worth a visit. Very nicely decorated, chocolate tea and submarine/argentinan hot chocolate and lots of information on cacao production. For those who wants, they could also try making their own pralines.

The chocolate museum began as an hotel initative in Nicaragua and this is the second choco museum, now in Cusco.

Intensive Spanish lessons

Ohw, I am so delightful! My beautiful Spanish school have helped me to change my group lessons into private lessons! A great way to end my four weeks study here, closing up with an intensive week. I am thrilled with excitment, happiness and joy (might also be a bit because of the hot chocolate a drank.... ;) ).

I love this song....

Green Architecture

So here´s a book tip for today, great table one...just to browse thorugh those inspiring pages. You could find it here  (where the photo comes from) and see more pics here.

Touring the city

Today my sisters here took me around town and showed me their University. I felt very hounored to take part of their life. They are studying history and anthropology there.

After the walk, we went for some typical roaster and chips. I took a bigger plate with a little bit of everything. Like cheese, chicken, rice, mushrooms, chips...very saturating...but nice. Found some cool murials and statues....

Swearing is hard, when u dont use it....

Last year the movie The King´s Speech was released on the cinemas. I watched it yesterday. It keept me captivated. It has a bunch of really good actors. One scene I find entertaining is when Colin Firth - playing the main character King George IV - is trying to get out some anger.... and therefore is aiming at swearing.... But he is not really used of it so it comes out a little bit clumsy....but he gets better, cute ending... made me laugh....

So anyone else has any ideas of how to get of frustration or anger without hurting others or swearing?

A walk in Cusco....

So yesterday I met up with a German girl I met on the airport in Lima when I arrived in Peru. She is working as a volounteer in a orphanage 4 hours away (by bus) from Cusco. She was here during the weekend with another German girl that is doing here internship as a dentist in the same village.

Had a great walk and day in Cusco. Did not enter Sassy Woman....(never remember the right quecha word for that archeological heritage). But we were outside the ruines, constructed as a puma. Ate a choclo with cheese (non sweet maize) and avokado (totally different from the ones in Europe) on our way back down. A lovely time. Thanks!

Para mis hermanas peruanas...

Just because you are you....two songs I really enjoy that you have introduced me to. Mucias gracias!

Jarabe de Palo - Dipende



La Sarita - Carnaval

Inca, water, earth....

Music by Sol y Luna, Atahualpa.

Not far from Cusco is Moray. It’s a place where the Incas used to experiment with agriculture on different altitudes. It’s build like circles and is said to be a very energetic place (for those of us who believes in energy fields in nature).

So growing such as maize on 200 meters more on each terrace, it was possible to note that the corn on high altitude became sweet, but small. Therefore the ideal growth for maize would be somewhere in the middle of the laboratory terraces, that is why so much maize is grown in Urubamba where the altitude is ideal.

Although today, it’s very hard to make out the ideal place for crops since we have the issue of climate change. It makes it also difficult to decide what crops to grow regarding to the weather of the first twelve months the coming year. By observing the twelve first days of August, the Incas could foretell the coming years’ climate. For instance, if raining the first of August, it would be a damp January. If the sun was shining the forth of August, the coming year of April would be dry and warm. If it was a windy the 6th of August, the coming June would become windy, and so on…

My Spanish teacher tells me that “cusquenas” (people from Cusco) generally are both Catholics and pagan believers. Therefore their traditions are both bound to pachamama (mother earth) and Christ. For instance do all the mountains have a cross on top. Another one is that August used to be celebrated to honour mother earth and therefore citizen of today still decorate their houses with yellow flowers during this month. This is also seen on some altars during Sundays.

The Incas was very advanced in water technology. Their way of leading water down to town is still working. In each street there were a fresh-water channel running outside the houses. You could still see the channels, but the water is hard to keep clean today since there are much more waste in the world. But my Spanish teacher told me that in Cusco the municipality has began to work for improved water sewage.

Chocolate and Spa

Today I was so happy! I found this little chocolate shop with Peruvian goodies, from Cusco, Arequipa and San Martin. Bought an organic chocolate bar from the Amazonas, very cool!

In the shop I also found the Inca flag to sew on my bag. Then there were a lot of coffee, piscu and products of coco leaves. In Peru tea on coca leaves are used to take away altitude problems as well as it is good for digestion (and prolly a lot of other things as well). Within these pics you can see a lot of different uses for the leaves. For a cup you take 7 or 8 leaves and let it stir for some minutes. Taste like nettle/green tea.

I also learnt today that the coca leaves are used as prayers for mother earth. Three leaves for wishes of good, letting it go by the wind…

Continuing to check out the Inca spa a bit further down on Av. El Sol (one of the main streets in Cusco), I found the beautiful puma murial and which on the other side was a fountain and waterfall under the sun symbol.

Pisac

Yesterday I went to Pisac and Sacred Valley with some Swedish dudes I met on the Spanish School it was a lovely day and amazing to see. Here are some selective pics.

"La historia de Juan"

I like the way that the Spanish school teaches in. Its very varied and fun. Yesterday we had to listen to Juanes “la storia de Juan” and then try to fill in gaps with verbs in different tenses. 

It made me think of the song that my dear friend J. was playing for me, also very beautiful.

Calle Suecia

So I wake up and am ready to hit (/eager to get to) the school. Outside it has been raining and thundering the whole night (and not someone showering, as I once thought half-awake…). My shoes are still drying on the windowsill since the day before. Clouds are grey and in the horizon is fog and rain hovering over the mountains. I begin my day with slowly resting an hour before breakfast and yoga. Finally my body and mind seems to adapt to the time difference. It’s said to take as many days as hours of change (so in Sweden/Peru case it is 6 hours/days). 

My Spanish school in Cusco is situated on a very long, steep road (or so it feels when walking on this altitude). After finally getting there, even more steps are awaiting. But then, what a beautiful panoramic view to see!

The road is called “calle de suecia” and so named by either Swedish people once occupying this street, or by the (less likeable version for me) by the Spanish word “la suciedad”, which means dirt…apparently the road used to be very narrow, dark and people throwing waste all around there and so shouted "suicedad"... 

Anyways, if you think it is the first option, its pretty cool… Although I still wonder why the Swedes once came all this way… I mean North America I know, but Peru? Why and who came here? Was it because of gold? Archaeology? Would be interesting to know…

2011-02-21
So today I have heard a third version of the naming... Its said to have lived a Swedish queen on this street during the second world war. She was just 28 years old and to honour her, the people in Cusco named the street "calle suecia".

Learning is now...

I have been listening to this song all morning. Nice lyrics...

Swedish singer Lisa Ekdahl - "When" from her album

"give me that slow knowing smile" (2009).

Cusco

Hey people,

I have now arrived in Cusco. People are very nice here and I have settled in with a great "peruvian mother" and her two daughters in my age. There is also an american girl that will stay in the house for a week and is also studying Spanish here. Yesterday the school offered a guided tour in the city and here are some photos that I took. Enjoy.

Discovering Lima…

Yesterday I met with the organisation I will be working with. It was situated very nicely close to the Agricultural University. After taking part of a morning meeting, I met a woman, originally from Japan, she offered to bring me downtown to see the famous church, catacombs, plaza mayor and china town.

We took a bus and went for an hours ride. Imagine that the whole city of Lima (8 millions) is almost as many people as it is in the whole Sweden (9 millions). So I don’t think I would have seen as much as I did if it were not to be for my great new friend (who by the way is doing research of indigenous people close to Pucallpa). So I am very grateful for that, it was a lovely time together. And I actually felt pretty ok walking around in the city centre and to take the bus. People were very helpful and it was much calmer than what I imagined it to be after reading all the stories in guidebooks….

But it was a bit entertaining to try to find some stamps in the city. Many streets had a theme, like one street had a lot of religious shops, another one was filled with printing offices and then again there where the stamps street. Not for postcards, but for stamping letter in beautiful patterns and figures. But after a few “por aqui…” we ended up in the public post office. One postmark was 5 soles and 5 cents. The postcard was 1 soles. In Swedish crowns I think it is a total of more than 20sek…. And it took around two weeks to get to Europe. So I do not think I will write many postcards. I will try to keep you in the loop from internet.

My friend from Japan and I calculated that a 10 minutes phone call from a land line in Peru to home would equal one postcard. So I do enjoy the existence of Internet.

On my way….

As you might have notice, I do not like to write about too much about things to come, since I do not know that they actually will come. Instead I try to live each moment fully, so that when I write about them, it makes up a beautiful story.

For my master thesis I got the opportunity to do my research in Peru. I have talked to so many good and nice people, everyone trying to aid me in my work to succeeding. The timeframe is very short and I am at the moment learning Spanish.

Before I came to Peru, I was living close to my mum in a one room flat. It was a bit isolated, but helped me to focus in preparing everything before departure to Latin America. The housing agency was extremely helpful, as the local library, the travel agency, language coordinator and on the airport everything went really smooth. Thank you everyone.

Also spend some great nights at my paternal aunt’s place close to Malmö. Beautiful time with family, and I really enjoyed to walk by the beach! I grew up very close to the sea (one of the meanings of the name for this blog), so I feel very drawn to it.

Ethnobotanist James Wong

Yesterday I watched James Wong's telly show about growing your own drugs. He is an ethnobotanist and tells us how we could use nature and our gardens to make remedies and infusions. Here is a teaser....

Check out Mr. Wong more by reading interviews made by the Telegraph and here by Horticultureweek.

(Related to this subject, check out the Society of Ethnobiology, the International Society of Ethnobiology and the Institute for EthnoMedicine.)  

"Ohw thye mighty white hart...."

Yesterday I updated my poetry blog. I had watched a man passing outside my window. He was walking so close to the harts, standing grazing next to the sideway. I was pretty amazed how unconcerned the harts where by him, as well as it seemed that he did not notice them. And I was wondering how such a thing was possible.

Today I saw the herd again. Less than 100 metres away from my window. I went out to get a better view.

Since it was a Sunday, many more people had time to just slowly stroll ahead, so they did.

Many noticed the harts. A women with her child (perhaps 6 years old or so) was calmly watching the beautiful animals.They told me that they used to come and see them here. Before the flock was grazing around the railroad, but now they had changed their spot.

It was silence for a minute and then they throwed out some bread to the harts, which at first backed a bit away, then came forward and ate it. The closest hart was just a couple of metres away from us.

More people passed, stopped, took some pictures.

Most amazed was I by the magnificent white hart, since I have never seen anything like it before.

Apparently, people in the area are used of having a white hart in the neighbourhood, since they had seen it before. The particular thing of today was the fact that no less than 11 harts where grazing so close by, without really being disturbed by us humans.

I'll show you...

Spring and River Cottage

I was watching River Cottage on the webb telly (available on link until 8th of February) and felt so inspired.... Spring is soon arriving on our doorsteps and you better start making out some ideas of planting and growing. Here is a little clip to get a push of energy for that....

Urban Farming

Check out this little short movie about an urban farmer in the US.
I find it very well-made and interesting...



Here you can find out more about the book, the (old blog, new) blog and author.



Some Swedish tunes....

As some of you already know, I lived in the UK's during 2008. I then began my first blogging to share stories and photos with dearest and nearest. During the summer that year, the movie Mamma Mia was released and showed on theatres. So ABBA music got a revival and I wanted to show my British friends that Swedish music is so much more than that. So there you go, in the end of this blog page you got a collection of Swedish tunes that I like and has been big since the end of the 1980's.

In this post I would like to present a few Swedish artists that I just start to familiarise myself with.

Yesterday I tuned in to a radio show on the Swedish channel P3, and just when it kicked of, there was this beautiful song performed by Firefox AK called Boom Boom Boom. It seems to be from a coming album called the same as the song. It will be released the 4th of February this year.

Then I picked out two songs by Hello Saferide for you. They are really nice and you can hear them out below.

And here's a song by Maia Hirasawa, another great Swedish singer.

First sense of spring....

January pictures.

Last one is supposed to be the first pipe smoker David Drummond (1593-1638) in Sweden. He is scuplted by Sven Lunqvist (1918-2010) in 1969. Sven used to imagine that in every stone there is a hidden figure, waiting for someone to unveil it. (is that not how every sculptors generally work? atleast that is how I imagine it to be.)

Spectacular and curious hotels

Following the previous post about a different stay-away place, I found some other cool hotels that I would like to share with you.

Similair to the tree hotel in Sweden, there is a tree hotel (check availability here) in Peru close to Machu Picchu. It is called the Inkaterra Mucho Picchu Pueblo Hotel and one of their rooms the Canopy Tree House. Beautiful!

Outside Dubai you could live in the resort of Hydropolis. Its a hotel with rooms under water. Watch a nicely done trailer on youtube here.

But even in Sweden we have rooms under the water. If not cristal blue water, you could still glimpse some fishes reach a small, traditional-looking house floating in the middle of lake Mälaren. May I present Hotel Utter Inn.

Something much more icy, is the famous Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi. It is completely built in ice and therefore has to be newly built every season. Here are some photos that the hotel has choosen from the season 2009/2010.

The last hotel I would like to show you, also suitated in Sweden, is perhaps not so spectacular and curious looking as the previous presented. But it does stick out. Clean design, made from an old industrial mining on the island of Gotland. I am of course talking of Hotel Furillen (Swedish article).

(follow the links and click

on photos to get to the source)

A room in the trees please.....

A family member of mine use to say that you cannot hinder the birds to fly around your head, but you can stop them from building a nest there. Its really a metaphor about letting go of what other thinks and says of you. Perhaps if you build your own nest you may be able to have a better understanding of the situation, since you might have changed your perspective and are above the feelings on a safe spot.

This morning I was as usually checking through the news and found a very interesting article about a tree hotel in northern Sweden. Prices for a night is prolly more thought of for the ones travelling on a big budget (2000-4000sek/night) or those who wants to celebrate something. Perhaps an unusual honey moon, like lovers in a nest...

The birds did not create this. But they inspired us to think of the possibility of another place to live...or perhaps just to get away from the busy city life and live closer to nature. In 2008 a movie called "Trädälskaren" (The tree lover) was released. It is about building a little place to live high up in a pine. To live up there connects us to ancient time and dreams, where the tree is the symbol of life force, growth and grounding.

The tree lover was the inspiration for the Tree Hotel (following links and click on image to transfer to the homepage and origin of photo). I really like the beautiful a room with a view, the ufo....

....and this one is my favourite in style...the mirrorcube.

There is a great reportage done by BBC where you could get a better feeling of the rooms and stay within them. Watch it here.

Utopian green world

I found my way to National Geographics youtube channel today.
This was pretty neatly done.



It made me think of green cities....

I like Internet, since you find so many interesting and inspiring things. You start looking for something, and then stumble upon other things that appeals to you. Like this about the venus project. I have not heard about it before, but I like the idea.

Still it is very centered around one person (a male architect born in the beginning of the 20th century) and I wonder how much his work affects planners and policy makers of today. But following the venus project is an activist movement spread over the globe. (For my Swedish readers, they can find the organisation here and following a Uppsala produced blog about the movement.)

The thoughts behind the venus project makes me think about the creation of Brasilia and the architecture of Oscar Nieymeyer. To believe in a dream and the creation of something new. Even if I think that we have to work on what we got, instead of making new areas and create totally new urban landscapes. Although, around our globe new cities are still created. There is the new city in Burma, Naypyidaw, or the making of the world outside Dubai and in the middle of the desert in Saudi Arabia King Abdullah  is building his Economic City.

I continue browsing around and find theese nice green architecture....

...vertical farming...

 and exhibitions.

I find my way to the beautiful Eden project in Cornwall, south west of England and notice that there is a green world city organisation based in Sydney. There are so many interesting projects, organisations and thoughts going around in the world of today. :)

Brazil flood pic...

Today you could watch lots of photos in the news from
the flooding in Brazil...I love this picture... :)

Latest found tracks....

First one out is Lorene Scafaria and her song 28. Love her voice and music....



Second one is Labrinth with Let the sun shine. Cute guy and great club beats...

Among souls and human spirits....

hey people, I know it has been more than a week ago since I have been writing to you..... I am fine... living 3 and a half hours south of Uppsala at my mums place...it's pretty rural, even if the village is the "capital" of this municipality... The public library is great and I am here very often to use internet, scan and copy my documents, renting books from far away (they are very good at finding ones for my thesis and travel)...

I just watched the following movies. The first one is a Danish one from 2007 (note the subtitles in Spanish... :) ), in English its something about "Island of lost souls" but originally its called "De fortabte sjæles ø". I think its special effects is really neat done and the story kept me captivated. Nice going....

The second movie is the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore - Whip it (2009). I think its a cool feel-good movie. It's funny, clever, warm, un-expected and the best of all - the music. I like the way that Drew is part of the movie and her character in it... :) makes me smile....and of course the message of the movie to boost girls self asteem up and make us believe that we can become what ever we want, to  "Be our own heros".