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Vietnamese Sights: Turquoise Orchids and Dragon Fruits

Blue orchids, Vietnam

A friend of mine has recently been to Vietnam. In the Soviet times you could see quite a lot of Vietnamese in Moscow, and even in my district there lived several families. I don’t know how the perestroika affected them, if they had grown old here, or had left for their native country. But Russians continue to like the idea of visiting Vietnam, and same goes for India and Cuba. My uncle who worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spent around 15 years in total living and working in India and Cuba, but as far as I know he’d never been to Vietnam.

 

Prenn Waterfall, Vietnam

So, a friend of mine and her husband went to the country and had the most wonderful two weeks of relaxing, visiting historic and tourist sites, swimming in the ocean, eating and sleeping. The usual stuff people do when they go on a holiday.

Yesterday she shared with us a wonderful species of fruit called Dragon Fruit. It’s actual name is Pitaya, and it comes as a wonderful fuscia-colour creation in the shape of a rugby ball, with yellow “fish fins”. It peels off easily, revealing the fresh white “flesh” with black seeds. It is similar to a kiwi fruit in taste, although without the kiwi’s tangy aftertaste. I experienced a real childhood glee, especially as I wondered how uncanny was my choice of yarn for a pullover I made years ago. It was pink and yellow, too. A Dragon Fruit pullover, you may say.

And out of all photos I particularly liked the blue orchids that apparently only grow at the premises of a Buddhist monastery, and the Prenn Waterfall in Da Lat.

An Exhibition of Henry Moore Sculpture Comes to Moscow Until May 2012

On February 22 Moscow citizens and visitors will see the opening of the event dedicated to the 20th c. Michelangelo whose artistic legacy spans traditions and media.

Born in 1898 in Castleford, Yorkshire, Henry Moore went on to document the 20th c. in his gigantic, outworldly figures that now grace museum collections across the world. His contribution is unique not only for the caliber of his work but also for his undying support of the artistic practice through The Henry Moore Foundation.

The works for this ground-breaking exhibitions are provided by the British Council, the Tate Gallery, The Henry Moore Foundation, and various British private collections. The events coinciding with the exhibition are an evening of contemporary British literature and a contest for the best essay in Russian about the role of sculpture in the modern urban setting.

The exhibition runs from February 22 until May 10, 2012.

The photo used here is a Henry Moore sculpture displayed in front of Leeds Art Gallery.

Svetlana Konegen: Nome, Cose, Citta

The exhibition by Svetlana Konegen “Nome. Cose. Citta” (Names. Things. Cities) follows several Italian towns where the lnguist travelled

I recently went to the Multimedia Art Museum in Moscow, and one of the exhibitions currently on display is a show of photographs made with an iPhone by a renowned Russian TV broadcaster, Svetlana Konegen, Nome, Cose, Citta. Born and bred in Saint Petersburg, Svetlana eventually moved to Moscow where she landed a spot on TV with her own programme. I gather that she must now be dividing her time between Moscow and Italy, the latter being the native country of her husband.

Franco Moroni, Antonio Geusa, Svetlana Konegen (image: RDH)

The exhibition by Svetlana Konegen Nome. Cose. Citta (Names. Things. Cities) follows several Italian towns where Svetlana travelled. She wonders as to exactly what attracts Russians to Italy, concluding that this is a kind of Paradise Regained, especially as far as the artists are concerned. Nikolai Gogol spent years in Rome, Alexander Ivanov travelled throughout Italy, Joseph Brodsky is buried in Venice. It is possible, Svetlana says, that in the process of exploring this country the object and subject constantly swap places: a Russian is constructed by Italy in the same way – and probably at the same time – as Italy is constructed by a Russian. Yet, as far as art is concerned, thanks to modern day technology it has become a truly intergral part of life, so just as David Hockney paints with his iPhone, Svetlana, a classical linguist, has used the same gadget to compose an illustrated diary of fleeting memories, images, and experiences that imbue the Epicurean, Senecan, Renaissance, and 1960s themes. The exhibition is curated by Antonio Geusa and is on display until February 26, 2012.

The photo that captivated me the most was the one to which I couldn’t possibly fail to respond. Having been trained in Medieval and Early Modern History, I first noticed the Latin words. It never registered with me before that Svetlana studied Classical Philology, so at the museum I was simply “impressed”. Later when I realised it was not particularly strange I still marvelled at the fact that there was a place for a Latin dictionary in Svetlana’s life (we obviously have to assume that it was Svetlana, not her husband or somebody else, who was reading this dictionary). What is more peculiar, however, is that this must be a 19th c. Russian edition, or its 20th c. reprint, to judge by the typeface and the Russian language style that was in use before the Revolution.

Frankly, out of all photographs this is probably the most telling and prompting to be contemplated. With a state-of-the-art iPhone in her hand, a 21st century woman is touring through Italy with a 19th c. Russian edition of Latin dictionary. It is as if she is trying to revive the journey of the 19th c. Russians to pay an hommage to the birthplace of the Western imperial culture, the Western law, and much of the art and philosophy. The photo is somehow in sync with the recent years’ fascination with the Russian 19th c., Dostoyevsky, nobility, monarchy, and so on. Whereas the English Grand Tour was mostly about visiting Italy, Russians seem to have always been slightly more attracted to Germany, primarily due to the Universities, so the Russian Grand Tour had its modifications. Yet Italy fascinated the Russians, even though not all were particularly impressed, say, Alexander Blok.

And the page with the words on it is also strangely telling, once you start thinking about it. The words are “consectatio” (pursuit), “consectatrix” (a pursuing female), “consectio” (dismembering), “consector” (to continuously pursue), “consecutio” (consequence), “consenesco” (to grow old). While both Russia and Italy age, Russians are still pursuing Italy as the epitome of Paradise on Earth. Some brave the Venetian vapours, others the Milanese rains, still others bask in the Napolitan sun or chill out in the chic environment of Sardinia, all for the chance to have the glory and luxury of the former Empire to rub off on them.

Et in consectatione eius consenescent?

Qype: Multimedia Art Museum in Moskva

This section of the Multimedia Art Museum is located in the same place as the House of Photography, so naturally many exhibitions are geared towards Photography as the main art medium. The latest few shows included, in no particular order,
Allegoria Sacra, a morphed video installation by the Russian art group, AES+F, vaguely inspired by an eponymous painting by Giovanni Bernini, serving as a conclusion to their series of explorations of modern society, the nature of luxury, and the responsibilities and drawbacks it entails;
– an exhibition of Italian photos made by a well-known Russian broadcaster Svetlana Konegen with her iPhone;
– a demonstration of a photoarchive of the Kommersant publishing house, trailing the Russian politics, art, and life through the last 15 years;
– a showcase of Stanley Kubrick photographs made between 1945 and 1950;
– a “Photographs and Texts” show of Taryn Simon projects, including a 2002 project, The Innocents, that followed several Americans who were unlawfully sentenced for the crimes they didn’t commit (with a short documentary accompanying the show);
– “Life in movement” selection of photos made at the Moscow and St. Petersburg almshouses for elderly actors and rehabilitation centres for disabled children, supported by the Artist Charity Foundation, headed by the well-known Russian actors.

As you may gather, Multimedia Art Museum is dedicated to probing and exploring “difficult” social issues, be it disabled children, the elderly, the innocent prisoners, or indeed the stuff people try to “smuggle” to the U.S. The interior of the museum befits the mission: the white halls of all seven storeys provide the ambience and undistracting setting, in which to consume the food for thought and eye.

Located in the very centre of Moscow, in the historic Ostozhenka Street, the Museum is best reached from Kropotkinskaya metro station, rather than Park Kultury. Moscow is still in the early stages of adapting itself to the needs of the disabled citizens and visitors, but the MAM makes you feel at home in any health condition: cue in glass elevators, convenient staircases, a nice cafe in the lower ground floor, spacious halls, soft flooring, and an altogether cool environment. Since this section of the Multimedia Art Museum is dedicated to Photography, which is accessible regardless of language, it is a fantastic choice if you are on a flying visit to Moscow and don’t want to queue outside the Pushkin Museum ;-P

Tickets cost 250RUB (5GBP) for adults, 150RUB (3GBP) for students, 50RUB (1GBP) for pensioners and children. Admission is free for disabled visitors.

Is There a Connection Between Bilingualism and Asperger Syndrome?

Image: Thoughful India. I couldn’t resist including it… 🙂

Some time ago I took part in a research project conducted by a Russian Psychology student that seeks to explore the phenomenon of bilingualism.

And I’ve been really captivated myself by another phenomenon – autism, its “variants”, and advantages and disadvantages that go along with it. I am particularly interested in Asperger’s Syndrome as it most often remains undiagnosed and therefore a percentage of people having it may be higher than it is assumed.

Aspies often possess an above-the-average ability to focus on something. This can go both ways, in that this hyperfocus they are naturally capable of can see them being drawn to things that are not necessarily worthwhile. But if they focus on the “right” thing – say, language – they can show tremendous results. Be it mere memorising or a genuine linguistic affinity, Aspies can develop either to its full potential and hence become fully operational in two languages or more.

Autism in general is described in terms of a severe lack of social skills, but whereas “regular” autists are unlikely to learn to communicate, Aspies are different. The examples I’ve read about indicate that Aspies are capable of establishing a connection, communicating and socialising, but they don’t get the “language” of it all. Double meaning, tongue-in-cheek, various “codes” bewilder them. Whereas a “normal” person uses and “gets” all those signs with a relative ease, Aspies struggle.

Supposing that social language is just another linguistic system, it makes no sense that Aspies should not be able to comprehend it, let alone to use it. My guess would be the method of teaching the “language” in either case. While language has a set of rules, some of which can only be used in one particular instance, social language is all about double meanings. Saying truth is encouraged, and lies are despicable, yet saying truth is not always good, and telling lies is not always bad. Worse still, there is a rule for each specific case.

My guess is that high-functioning Aspies may lack empathy, taking things at face value and speaking up their mind with no concern for others. So, whereas a “normal” child would simply rely on his feelings, an Aspie may be less open to that. This affects the understanding of the “social code”, unless an Aspie develops an intuition that can serve as a bridge between the rational and emotional parts of his brain.

But suppose a person is an Aspie and is bilingual. By “bilingual” I hereby mean an above-the-average vocabulary that allows to use synonyms to describe a single physical act (i.e. using “see”, “regard”, “watch”, “look”, “view”, “observe”, to denote a single act of “eyeing”). If they lack “social language”, how can they correctly use a foreign language in a foreign setting? The answer is, apparently, that they may memorise set examples of behaviour and conversations; however, when prompted to improvise, they may feel insecure.

The last question that interests me is whether or not an Aspie could be a successful simultaneous interpreter. If yes, then we are certainly talking about the situation when the second native language has been developed to such level that the person performs an operation not dissimilar to that of a search engine, browsing his vocabulary in real time to deliver the most precise interpretation.

Your thoughts? Any literature you can recommend on the subject?

The Allure of Periodic Tables: Chemistry, SEO, and Foul Language

Newton can rest on his laurels all he likes, but it looks like the most popular – as in pop-culture terms – discovery belongs to Dmitry Mendeleev. The story has it that the great Russian chemist eventually dreamt his entire periodic table of chemical elements, which is not surprising, considering how long he’d been working on its arrangement.

Read more about Mendeleev’s Periodic Table, or even download an Apple app for your device (compatible with iPad, $0.99).

Little would he know that this scheme would inspire:

1. SEO community (SearchEngineLand)
You can download the Periodic Table of SEO Ranking Factors in PDF.

Image: Search Engine Land.

2. Students of foul language (via Modern Toss)
Back in 2007 I told you a tearful story of my trying to compile a list of negative keywords for an AdWords campaign. I have been reading Henry Miller since 2000, and throughout my 7 years in the UK and now 1.5 years in Russia I’ve been open to all sorts of words and expressions. Since I use public transport and attend social functions, I don’t really have a choice. Now I put my hands down, my friends: the majority of phrases in the Periodic Table of Swearing has to this day been unknown to me. It looks like my foul vocabulary didn’t grow beyond individual words and maybe two or three best known expressions. I no longer know what to think, although I suspect it’s best to have something to discover in life…

Image: Forever Geek

3. Internet Fans (via Wellington Grey)
Not unlike SearchEngineLand, but much earlier, Wellington Grey painstakingly assembled the Internet resources, as they were in 2007. I’d imagine the table needs a revision and a new edition, but as a piece of history it’s lovely and brings back good memories (and it doesn’t know Yandex as a search engine!)

Periodic Table of the Internet by Wellington Grey

4. Meme-orisers
Here’s another thing I need to discover, but if you know your memes, you’ll surely appreciate what you see.

Image: Geekosystem

5. Designers
Do you know your Lucinda from Arial Sans Serif? Somehow using the Periodic Table of Typefaces suddenly made me see the difference between most typefaces. Behance.net has also got Spanish and Portuguese versions of the PTT.

Image: Squidspot

Can you think of other Periodic Tables that need doing?

Horsing and Carting It in the Urals

Climbing a windmill
Driving a cart

Back in 2010, when I moved 3 times in two months, I had to pack and unpack and carry so many things that this experience still hasn’t quite sunk in yet. My sense of humour has always come to my rescue, so when last September, while visiting an open air museum in Yekaterinburg’s vicinity, I saw this cart that stood by a windmill I knew what to do. As Ringo Starr would sing, “all I had to do was act naturally”.

Riding a cart
Holy water well
A piglet in the rye

Shortly before that, after visiting several wooden houses, I was so tired that I literally dropped into another cart’s seat. As you can tell by my face, it was a moment of sheer bliss.

The windmill you see me climbing is one of the historic mills built without a single nail. The open air museum has been lovingly created by a local historian and his wife from 1960s onwards. It contains several wooden houses that showcase the attributes of everyday life in the Urals, a church, a windmill, a prison, and a fire station.

In 2010 I got to walk for a bit and to touch the wheat ears in Essex; almost exactly a year later, in 2011 I was gleefully rolling in the rye fields in the Urals. “The piglet in the rye” is a toy I brought to a friend’s daughter.

And after visiting the open air museum in Nizhnyaya Sinyachikha I was taken to a monastery in Verkhnyaya Sinyachikha, where in 1918 in a shaft died the Grand Duchess Elizaveta Fyodorovna and several Great Princes from the Romanovs family. We tried the monastic apples, very sweet, and then we went to the holy water well. I drew a full bucket, which apparently means that I shall be a good bride to my fiance, when it comes to that.

A geographer I came to know last year told me that I should like the Southern Urals because the region resembles Wales. As for me, I crave to visit the Hermitage in St. Petersburg…

The Best Love Declaration on the Web

“I’m a blue bird, I bring happiness!”
Be my Valentine!

Who said that only people deserved greetings on St. Valentine’s Day? Link-Assistant.com thought otherwise, so they hired a Latin American band with a quirky accent to perform a song for the best website out there. I treasure all the greetings I’ve ever received from my friends and readers, but Los Cuadernos haven’t had a band playing in its honour yet! And if you have a website, feel free to add some Love to it! And for more “generic” (or personal, depending on how you see it) greetings, here are lovely photos I found online. Love each other, and be happy!

 

Boris Pasternak – It Is Not Seemly to Be Famous

Boris Pasternak – It Is Not Seemly to Be Famous reads as an artist’s manifesto of the importance of inner growth over the public fame

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An autograph of Boris Pasternak’s poem

These were the thoughts running through Pasternak’s mind in 1956, two years before when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature that he had to decline due to political outrage it caused in the Soviet Union. It quite runs against the grain of “personal branding” concept and “overnight fame” culture of the recent years, widely propagated thanks to the Internet. Even today Boris Pasternak – It Is Not Seemly to Be Famous reads as a manifesto of the artist’s task to focus on his inner growth instead of making a public image.

It is also interesting to note some parallels between Pasternak’s poem and Rainer Maria Rilke’s Der Schauende that Pasternak translated into Russian. The central theme of Rilke’s poem is the futility of a man’s pursuit of worldly fame in favour of the more superiour gifts from God. Likewise, Pasternak beseeches an artist to lead such life that makes him “loved by wide expanses and hear the call of future years“.  “But you yourself must not distinguish Your victory from your defeat” is another debt to Rilke’s poem, its latter part where the German poet compares the artist’s true quest to an Old Testament’s image of Angel of God who wins over a person in order to help the person grow. We need to submit ourselves to the force that better knows out potential, otherwise we cannot grow. Pasternak, in his turn, refines the point by reminding that a man, especially an artist, should not indulge in his achievements and remember that every victory may have a defeat lurking underneath, and vice versa.

You may find interesting:

Boris Pasternak at Academy of American Poets

Boris Pasternak’s Poetry at RuVerses

Boris Pasternak – It is not seemly to be famous… (1956)

It is not seemly to be famous:
Celebrity does not exalt;
There is no need to hoard your writings
And to preserve them in a vault.

To give your all-this is creation,
And not-to deafen and eclipse.
How shameful, when you have no meaning,
To be on everybody’s lips!

Try not to live as a pretender,
But so to manage your affairs
That you are loved by wide expanses,
And hear the call of future years.

Leave blanks in life, not in your papers,
And do not ever hesitate
To pencil out whole chunks, whole chapters
Of your existence, of your fate.

Into obscurity retiring
Try your development to hide,
As autumn mist on early mornings
Conceals the dreaming countryside.

Another, step by step, will follow
The living imprint of your feet;
But you yourself must not distinguish
Your victory from your defeat.

And never for a single moment
Betray your credo or pretend,
But be alive-this only matters-
Alive and burning to the end.

Translated by Lydia Pasternak Slater

error: Sorry, no copying !!