hamburger bahnhof & "bestiarium"

A trip to the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum for Contemporary Art to see Walton Ford's 'Bestiarium' exhibition.  The building is a little similar to Musee d'Orsay in Paris, although the train station features are carried through even further, with passages between the main building and adjacent spaces designed to look like present day underground tunnels.  It is an excellent space in which to display huge installations of modern art (you know the ones that sometimes leave you scratching your head saying "what?"

Walton Ford's exhibition was also great.  I especially loved the interplay between the letters and the paintings.

"At the office in the morning and did business.  By and by we are called to Sir W. Battens to see the strange creature that Capt. Holmes hath brought with him from Guiny; it is a great baboone, but so much like a man in most things, that (though they say there is a species of them) yet I cannot believe but that it is a monster got of a man and she-baboone.  I do believe it already understands much English; and I am of the mind it might be tought to speak or make signs."  

The Diary of Samuel Pepys, 24 August 1661.

"These settlers have since they came to reside at the Bluff River killed and destroyed a great number of tigers (...) The loss of sheep during the past 18 months has, however, been great (...) and thus aid sheep farmers to eradicate the pest from amongst their flocks."  

The Tasmanian Mail Supplement, 30 April 1887.

udon noodles with miso and walnuts

In what is fast becoming a bit of an end-of-week routine around here I am heading home for a home cooked meal - this time found via Kathryn at Limes and Lycopenes

Udon noodles with miso and walnuts - unusual but delicious, right?  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Happy Weekend ox

sunrise

 

It's not the greatest piece of photography, but such lovely colours stretching out over the rooftops.  This was snapped (very) quickly as I drank my coffee before work this morning.  It's going to be 4 degrees today - four!  Positively balmy weather - hopefully this doesn't count as a red sky* or we might be in trouble for the weekend!

* Red sky at night, Shepherd's delight.  Red sky in the morning, Shepherd's warning.  Medieval rhyme predicting the weathers pattern

tea

 Image Flickr: Afri Ola

The first cup caresses my dry lips and throat, 

The second shatters the walls of my lonely sadness,
The third searches the dry rivulets of my soul to find the stories of five thousand scrolls. 

With the fourth the pain of past injustice vanishes through my pores.
The fifth purifies my flesh and bone.
With the sixth I am in touch with the immortals.
The seventh gives such pleasure I can hardly bear. The fresh wind blows through my wings
As I make my way to Penglai.*

 

Lu Tong (A.D. 618-907) Tang Dynasty.

 

(*Penglai, a mountain in China, was the traditional home of the immortals.)

 

My mum posted this beautiful poem as a comment on my post here.  I loved it so much that I had to share it properly, and given that it's still "Poem Thursday..."  

 

I am now feeling much better, but it wasn't tea that did it this time, but cooking in the kitchen.  We're having a few people over to our house this evening as a belated 'house-warming' and I cooked up a storm lastnight.  There was tomato sauce on the stove for salsa, mini red-velvet cupcakes in the oven, I was chopping salad for our dinner and soaking chickpeas for Hummos.  All the while listening to ABC Radio National's 'Hindsight' podcast.  By the end of the evening I was thoroughly exhausted but feeling much, much more chipper.  Oh, and booking myself in for a haircut didn't hurt either!

Oh! Mr Best You're Very Bad

Oh! Mr Best You're Very Bad by Jane Austen

Oh! Mr. Best, you're very bad
And all the world shall know it;
Your base behaviour shall be sung
By me, a tunefull Poet.--
You used to go to Harrowgate
Each summer as it came,
And why I pray should you refuse
To go this year the same?--

The way's as plain, the road's as smooth,
The Posting not increased;
You're scarcely stouter than you were,
Not younger Sir at least.--

If e'er the waters were of use
Why now their use forego?
You may not live another year,
All's mortal here below.--

It is your duty Mr Best
To give your health repair.
Vain else your Richard's pills will be,
And vain your Consort's care.

But yet a nobler Duty calls
You now towards the North.
Arise ennobled--as Escort
Of Martha Lloyd stand forth.

She wants your aid--she honours you
With a distinguished call.
Stand forth to be the friend of her
Who is the friend of all.--

Take her, and wonder at your luck,
In having such a Trust.
Her converse sensible and sweet
Will banish heat and dust.--

So short she'll make the journey seem
You'll bid the Chaise stand still.
T'will be like driving at full speed
From Newb'ry to Speen hill.--

Convey her safe to Morton's wife
And I'll forget the past,
And write some verses in your praise
As finely and as fast.

But if you still refuse to go
I'll never let your rest,
Buy haunt you with reproachful song
Oh! wicked Mr. Best!-- 

Jane Austen is one of my favourite authors.  I've read all her books, listen to most of them as audiobooks and debated at length whether the BBC, or Keira Knightley's 2005 Hollywood depiction of Pride and Prejudice is better - for the record the BBC version wins hands down although I do love the cinematography in director, Joe Wright's interpretation.  But I didn't know that Jane Austen also wrote poetry.  I love this cute little poem, it somehow illustrates Jane Austen's whimsical and mischeiveous side whilst still painting a very accurate picture of the norms, values and customs of the time.   

etsy love

The last two days I've had the "sorrys" - put simply, I've been feeling very sorry for myself.  Because sometimes this living-in-another-country business is hard.  I don't understand the language . Mostly I don't mind because I'm learning quite quickly.  But sometimes I just want to walk into a shop and order what I want and get what I want (the other day I thought I ordered one chicken Maryland, cut into two and instead ended up with two Marylands in two different bags - both me and the butcher were slightly perplexed).  I often get treated like I'm an idiot and the intellectual snob in me gets frustrated, arrogant and a little petulant that someone who might not have finished secondary school is treating "me" like a 2 year old.  I rely on Matthias to make my phonecalls and write my emails to the seemingly endless number of businesses and government departments that you need to talk to when moving to a new country. 

And none of this usually bothers me.  But yesterday it did. (Boo!)

There may have been tears (double boo!)

So today I'm taking myself to a virtual Tea Party, filled with lots of lovely Etsy finds.  Because right now, that's what I'd like to be doing.  Having a tea party - Alice in Wonderland style.  "A Very Happy Un-Birthday to Me!"

1940s McCoy Pinecone Teapot : Little Cabin Vintage

Heart Cup : Darrielle's Clay Art

Tea towel : The House of Bourton's

  Woodland Bunny Rabbit Tea Party : Cafe Budelaire

Teapot Necklace : A Box for my Treasures

Yarn Bowl : Darrielle's Clay Art

The last two are not really essential for a Tea Party, but they're so lovely that I couldn't resist posting them too.

eBay

I'm a little late to the party, but I bid (and bought, won, bought) my first thing on eBay on this weekend.  I am now the proud owner of 5, old, wooden wine crates.  I was so, so excited when an email arrived in my inbox on Sunday evening telling me that I had won the Auction (woo-hoo!!)  Even more excited when I realised that that meant I would be getting another package in the mail - this time delivered by DHL.


I'm hoping to turn them into some shelves, inspired by these images I found on the net. I think I might have to line them (aka the first picture), but I want an "atmosphere" more like the third.  Hmm... creative juices are hard at work. Stay tuned.

 

 

Image from Here

 

House and Fig 

  

Design*Sponge