Being still very determined, I took again some time to sit down with my sketchbook on Sunday to draw a little bit. I'm really enjoying it, even though again my version is not really an exact copy of the model in the magazine. But I'm learning to lower my own expectations, and give myself time. And, even though it might not resemble the original exactly, it does at least look like a male face. And for the moment, that's quite good enough for me.
This guy actually makes me smile, each time I look at the sketch. It's how I would imagine a modern version of Heathcliff to look like. But maybe that's just an excuse to post that wonderful video of The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain's version of 'Wuthering Heights'. If you ever get the chance to see them live in concert, do! They're absolutely fabulous! And their version of 'Wuthering Heights' is just so much better than the original :).
Saturday, 6/08/2011. Saturday morning, time for the weekly shopping. I buy a bunch of purple dahlias. I love flowers in my home, and I love dahlias. They always remind me of one of my favourite National Trust places, Angelsey Abbey. They have a wonderful dahlia garden there.
Texture by Kim Klassen
I'm going to meet up with a friend in town in the afternoon, but I go to Zürich a bit earlier, in order to take some pictures for today. It's strange weather today, hot and very humid and oppressive. It's sunny but the sky's full of clouds hanging low over the lake. It's going to be rainy later on.
Grossmünster
Limmat
Limmat
Limmat, Grossmünster, Fraumünster, St. Peter
Walking along the Limmat to the lake in the welcoming shadow of the trees. Love the bright greens!
There are many bathing places around the lake and the Limmat. This one is the Frauenbad. In 1837, a bathhouse for women only was opened here, which in 1888 was replaced with this building here. It is still a bath exclusively for women.
On clear days, with the Föhn, a warm wind from the south, the alps look like they begin right behind the lake. Not so clear today, but you can still see them in the distance.
Lake Zürich. We love our lake.
All ships and boats on the lake and on the Limmat, as most other ships and boats in Switzerland, are part of the public transport system, which means you don't need to buy an extra ticket. Go on a cruise, or take the ship instead of the train to get to one of the towns and villages long the shore.
Or just hop into the lake for a refreshing swim in this oppressively hot and humid summer weather.
I walk all the way to Bellevue for an ice cream - one of the very few places in Zürich where you can get mint ice cream. I simply love mint ice cream. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to very popular...
I walk back on the other side of the river, along the Limmatquai. This is my favourite bridge, the Münsterbrücke (minster bridge), connecting the two big churches, Fraumünster (which you can see here) and Grossmünster (see above).
Along the Limmatquai, there are numerous guildhalls. They still have their flags out because of last Monday, the 1st of August, our National Day.
I have to go to the Zentralbibliothek, the Central Library, to pick up a book before I meet my friend. This is the canton, city, and university library, and I've been here many times during my studies.
I don't get to take any more pictures this afternoon. Some shoe shops get in my way, and I have my hands full. And over all the chatting, and catching up, and drinking coffee with my friend, I forget all about my camera.
Back home again, and time for a nice cup of tea. It's going to be a quiet evening at home. I'm not one for going out on a Saturday night, really. With all the commuting and long days during the week, I'm just glad to be able to relax and do nothing. There's no Terry & June on on the weekend, but there'll be an episode of Wallander later on BBC4 - the original Swedish version, with English subtitles.
And of course, we mustn't forget about the music. Here's one of my favourite bands, Patent Ochsner. Together with Züri West from yesterday's post, they're among the most successful rock bands here. Both of them having been around for over 20 years. Here's a version of one of my most favourite songs by them, W. Nuss vo Bümpliz from 1997, a live version with orchestra.
Friday, 5/08/2011. Accordin to the weather forecast, it's going to be a very wet day, with heavy rains and thunder and lightning. I'm glad that when I get off the train in the morning, it's not raining. But the grass is all wet, and sparkling in the early morning sun like a thousand diamonds.
My bicycle is at the library, so I have to walk. I decide to take a different route today. First I pass some beautiful gardens with a lot of colourful flowers in full bloom. Well, no surprise, after all it's been raining almost every day since the beginning of July.
The path leads me to down and along the river...
... which looks wonderfully peaceful in the morning light.
After some rain during the morning, it's dry again at lunch time, so I decide to go for a walk. I see some wild blackberries near the path and when I get closer to take a picture, I notice this wonderful insect, all bright blue and red. I've never seen one like these, and I have no idea what it is. But it's beautiful.
There's a big cabbage field along the way. I simply adore the wonderful colours of the red cabbage!
I spend quite some time there, at the cabbage field. I find the different colours and textures of the red and green cabbages really fascinating.
In the strip of grass next to the cabbage field, I can hear loads of grasshoppers or cicadas, or whatever they are, but I can't see any at first.
At last, I see them, but they're too fast, quickly jumping away and hiding behind the leaves. But a bit of patience pays off, and I finally spot a beautiful bright green one. He eventually stays on a blade of grass, deciding that I'm not too dangerous, but keeping an eye on me and scratching his head, wondering what this big black thing might possibly be that I keep pointing into his face.
I'ts Friday, so I need a fence shot as well. Here's one with a bokeh lama or alpaca which will do. Those animals always make me smile :)
I'm doing some research for a small exhibition at the library. The book on top is a copy of Olaus Magnus' Historia delle genti et della natura delle cose settentrionali, an Italian translation of his description of the Scandinavian countries, printed in 1565. The book's bound in vellum, and you can see the title "Gotho. Historia. S." written at the bottom of the pages, which tells you how the book was once stored - lying flat in the shelf. The storing of books standing up, spine outwards on the shelves, as we know it today, isn't how books were originally stored. Always nice to see such clues. It's a lovely book, but I can't read any Italian, let alone some 16th century Tuscan Italian, unfortunately. I have a modern German translation, but the book has some lovely woodcuts I want to use. These old books just look so much better for display in an exhibition than modern reprints.
As this week's project seems to have somehow developed into a kind of musical survey of Swiss music, here's another sample. One of the most popular bands in Switzerland, Züri West. The song, I schänke Dir mis Härz (I give you my heart), is from 1994. I was in school back then, in Gymnasium, and I have very fond memories of this song and that time. But I just can't believe that it was such a long time ago! Where have all those years gone??? Still a wonderful and popular song. Love it.
Time to leave work, taking the bicycle to the station. It's the weekend, yay!
I've decided that I need to look after myself a bit better, after my health and shape. I've already started cutting back on sugar, but I need to do something for my fitness as well. I've decided to go swimming after work, and have taken my stuff with me. I'm so tired that I fall asleep on the train and it's very tempting to just go home and lie on the sofa instead, but I actually manage to drag myself to the swimming pool.
I swim for a whole hour (and three minutes), and I'm sooo proud of myself! It has done me really good, and I'm feeling fabulous. It's a 15 minutes walk from the pool to my home, and when I step out of the building, it starts raining and I can hear some thunder nearby. But I don't care. I'm feeling too good to be bothered by a bit of rain. There's a saying in German, "rain makes you beautiful". So I'm not only getting fitter, but pretty as well on top of it. What a day! ;). And it's Friday, weekend! And I'm back home just in time for Terry & June :)
Thursday, 4/08/2011. Thursday is market day in my little town. Well, by the time I get there, they're still only just starting to put up the stalls, but the bakery's always already up and selling fresh bread, buns and croissants. I always try to leave home a couple of minutes earlier than usual, to have time to buy an "Igeli" (a "little hedge hog") for my breakfast on the train.
My local train should be here by now, but it isn't. It's late, and I hate trains being late. Admittedly, it's only late 3-4 minutes, but I'm so spoilt by our famous-for-it's-punctuality public transport system (at least it used to punctual...), that I consider everything that isn't spot on time annoyingly late, even if it's just half a minute. But I have enough time at the central station to get to my train in the mornings, so there'll be no risk of missing it.
At last I'm in the other train, and it's time for my breakfast, the little "Igeli". They're sooo delicious. And aren't they looking sweet? I have to poke out it's eyes first thing though, I'm afraid. I just really don't like raisins. Poor little thing. I've taken my book out as well but I don't get to read it, as I meet a colleague from work. We start chatting and discover that we've both spent a year studying in Stockholm as exchange students some years ago, and almost at the same time. Now isn't life funny sometimes?
I'm trying to cut back my sugar intake and use honey instead to sweeten my tea. I still often forget and just reach for the sugar automatically, but today I always remember in time to take honey instead.
When I woke up this morning, I heard on the radio that it's Mani Matter's birthday. He would have been 75 today. Mani Matter is a name everyone knows here, and every child in Switzerland, at least in the German speaking part, has grown up with his song, learning them in school (and I really hope they're still doing this today!). Mani Matter was a Swiss chansonier, his songs have quite simple melodies but the lyrics are always witty, clever, ironic, funny.
Mani Matter was killed in a car accident outside Zürich in 1972, when he was only 36. But he lives on in our hearts with his songs, and he keeps on inspiring musicians in Switzerland. There have been numerous cover version of his songs as well, the most famous is from one of my favourite Swiss singers, Stephan Eicher, covering Mani Matters well known song "Hemmige" (inhibitions). Stephan Eicher is one of the few Swiss artists who's successful outside of the country as well, in France. He lives in France now, and many of his songs are in French, although he also sings in Swiss German and even occasionally English. "Hemmige" is a permanent feature at his concerts, even in France, where no one understands the lyrics, but where everyone knows it. A concert hall/stadion with thousands of French people happily singing along to "Hemmige" at the top of their voices - now that's quite an achievement! But I really think his version of the song is abolutely excellent.
I must say I find the video a bit strange, but at least for the presence of the chimpanzee, there's a simple explanation. In the song, there's a verse about the differences between man and chimp, "it's not just the smooth skin or the missing tail". Someone then pointed out to Mani Matter that chimps actually don't have tails. He apologised for his mistake and wrote an alternative line. But it never caught on, and people happily stick to the version with the chimps with tails up to this day - even in school :).
Oh and if you like to hear the original version of the song, here's the link.
I've been busy cataloguing books at the library, which are now waiting to have their shelf marks stuck on and to be shelved.
Before taking the train back to Zürich, I pop into the town of Schaffhausen to do some shopping. I don't find what I want, but at least I've got time to take a few shots. the stall in the middle of the market place is an ice cream stall. Very lovely ice cream. Very tempting. But I remember my resolution to cut back on sugar, so I resist the temptation. *sigh*
Schaffhausen is famous for it's oriels/oriel windows (is that the right word??). It has I don't know many of them, and many are beautifully decorated and painted.
Time to catch my train back. It's crowded with day trippers who spent the day in Schaffhausen visiting the Rhinefall, and I'm glad when we arrive in Zürich and I'm able to get off the noisy train. I'm tired, too tired to meet up with anyone or go anywhere, so I just head back home. Maybe there's something on the telly? Hmmmm, maybe some Terry & June, perhaps?? ;)
The first two assignments of the Creativity Boot Camp Spring Training were more or less easy and comfortable enough (I'll write a post about it tomorrow). I love getting messy with my acrylic paints and especially using palette knives to create layer upon layer of texture. Drawing is more of a challenge. It's something I've been putting off for ages, but I'm desperately wanting to finally learn it. The third assignment now definitely is rather out of my comfort zone. To move. To dance. To free the mind by freeing the body through movement.
I've never been much of a dancer, even though I would just love, love, love to learn ballroom dancing. I love the dance band music of the 1920s and 30s, and I would so love to learn all those dances and moves. But it involves persuading someone to go to a class with me, and that already makes it too complicated.
Over 15 years ago, I walked into a jazz dance class in the gym/dance studio I was going to at that time by mistake. I had wanted to go to some aerobics class or other, and mixed up the rooms or buildings. When I discovered that I was in the wrong class, I wanted to make my excuses and leave. But before I could open my mouth, the instructor, sounding as he was just about to burst into tears, welcomed us (there were about 5 others apart from me) and thanked us for coming and showing him our support. I really had no idea what was going on. I think he felt that the studio wanted to get rid of him, or there had been some quarrels, or something like that. I don't know. But I just didn't have the heart to say "oh, I'm sorry, actually, I didn't really want to come here in the first place, I just got confused with the rooms" and leave. So I went through with the class, and I hated every minute second of it. It was just not my thing. And I thought that really, dancing just wasn't my thing. Although come to think of it, the reason why I was actually going to that studio was because I was going to Afro Dance classes with a classmate, and I actually really loved that!
So when I read the assignment, I thought "oh dear. dance". But I was determined to give it a chance. There was a video for inspiration, and it really absolutely inspired me, and actually just made me want to get moving and dancing. I had it on all evening, and again and again, started to move, to dance, enjoying it immenesly.
I tried yoga twice, but it's really not my thing. But this yoga trance dance - love it! I will download that song (Nataraja by Dum Dum Project) and put it on my MP3 player (which unfortunately seems to be half broken, though).
The only downsides to this assingment was that a) my fitness level is at a such an appallingly low leven, that I was completely out of breath halfway throug the song, and b) I couldn't let go completely because I had to keep one eye open to make sure I wouldn't crash into my bookshelves. There isn't really enough space to dance in the flat. When sitting down at my desk, desperately trying to catch my breath again and watching the video for the 100th time, instead of dancing myself, I tried to dance on the paper instead (a good drawing excercise as well). I liked the invitation, order, command, challenge "when you're ready, leap". It's a good mantra for a lot of things in life, not just dancing.
I really enjoyed it and I've seriously considered getting up very early one morning at the weekend and find a quiet place outside to dance. Of course I've been thinking about what, if someone happened to see me, they would think of me. "She's must be mad, crazy, very strange". But then, what would I think if I saw someone doing this? I wouldn't think they're mad. I'd think how wonderful it is to have the courage to do it, and not thinking about what others might think, how liberating it must be. I'd admire them, and regret that I've so many barriers inside me that prevent me to do it myself. But maybe it's high time to break down those barriers, and stop worrying and thinking too much, especially about what others might think.
But I've already taken the first steps on that path. I know that a few months ago, I'd have found this assignment much more difficult. Funnily enough, I've actually just last week thought about taking up dancing. I know that I should excercise more and do something for my fitness. Yoga's out, so are gym and crowded aerobic (or whatever it is one's doing now) classes. So I came up with dancing. I even looked up classes for tap dance in my area, and found a studio that looks nice. I think I'd like tap dance. It's 1920s/30s, it's Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, it's Dance Bands, it's movement, energy, rhythm, fun, joy, and noise. I like the noise bit especially :)
Let yourself go. Yes!
I haven't singed up for any classes yet, but I'm considering it. Seriously considering it. :)
