Бабушка!!

"Babushka! It's spring! It is so good to be alive on this earth, for all good people and even for such as I. Nature, the air, everything is drenched in hope, future, a wonderful future. ... When I think about it more soberly, I know perfectly well I am nothing but an old frozen potato, rotten, cooked and served up with a tasteless sauce full of lumps, but the springtime has such a powerful effect on me that I sometimes catch myself imagining I am a plant that has just opened and spread its leaves among all the other plants and is going to grow up simply, peacefully and joyfully on the good Lord's earth. ... Make way for this wonderful plant that is filling out its buds and growing in the spring." L.Tolstoy

I knew when I said

I knew when I said
I love you
that I was inventing a new alphabet
for a city where no one could read
that I was saying my poems
in an empty theater
and pouring my wine
for those who could not
taste it.

-Nizar Qabbani

Found

Rainy Weekend, its Saturday, I'm at work

I'm completely back and forth on the necessity of identifying with one's past or alternatively completely eschewing it. Though a few posts ago I advocated the dissociation with a past, in favor of the savory salience of the present moment, I am now interested in the many things that make us who we are. This must then imply a connection with ones past, as we are more complex than just what is in front of us. Take my new fascination with closets and dressers, with bookshelves even. Those things, in a person's rooms, in their homes, are so so intimate and unique. And what is most interesting about clothing and books, most importantly, is the layered individualism within those shelves and coat hangers: each book is distinct, each sweater and t-shirt cannot be identical. Each has been acquired in a new way, each with a story, boring or complex. And I really do believe that these objects reflect little facets of our whole self. As with emotions, moods, behavior, habits, dislikes and romances, between which we really switch constantly, we can similarly put on a new sweater, pick up a book from the shelf. Each a story from our past and each a part of our self, our identity. We really go through so many emotions during the day, and yet we are still ourselves, we still have our personality and our identity, our I AM, our Я. These fluctuations are rooted in our psychology, ultimately. As with the material objects in our lives, our behaviors were influenced by things in our past, many of which we do not know and may never understand. There is a history in the self that would be a shame to forget or ignore. The bookshelf retains its character, the closet its unique combination of so many different parts and the self is entirely the most unique and beautiful thing in the universe.

Hope this makes you smile, too!

I can't move from this place

"The few moments of communion with the world are worth the pain, for it is a world for others, an inheritance for others, a gift to others, in the end. When you make a world tolerable for yourself, you make a world tolerable for others."  Anaïs Nin


I've been really thinking a lot about moments in time recently.  Mostly, I believe, because I want to escape my past.  Sometimes, I do.  Maybe the ability to, with photography, pathetically retain a little moment that I was really savoring still reflects a tendency to save and hold and remember.  Perhaps I precisely construct that past, however.  You only do see what I choose for you to see.  The postcard-self, flawless.  What to say about the real self, the complete individual Gestalt?  Perhaps we are still all quite perfect.  People are more likely to focus on the negative aspects of life.  One criticism is only made up for by 10 compliments.  I worry that ignoring criticism will make me really seem weird and unordinary.  But, I think I have some control over this yet.  I do get a good amount of positive feedback, it feels good.


Strange people have been commenting more and more on this site which is exciting.  Only 2 or 3 so far, it somehow makes me feel connected to the world network here on this internet.  So they demonstrate moments of communion, perhaps.  Take my gifts, this website does make the world a better place for me and I want people to feel that way as well.


This weekend will be the first one in 3 weeks that I am not traveling.  So it will be good to do some growing at home.  I'm really interested in the color blue right now, I think.  Most of my wardrobe (funny word) is dark and/or blue.  I want to go out and get a really bright wool cardigan this weekend.  Red or orange.  It would really liven things up around here!  But until then, here is some blue.  At least its atmospheric.  Do you get the sense that you are on planet Earth from these photos?  I hope so.



































  

Hope Triptych

How to revive some inspiration in yourself by Michael C. Place.

The solution to a problem–
Slice and chop 2 medium onions into small pieces.
Put a medium sized pan on a medium heat with a few glugs of Olive oil.
Add the onions to the pan, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Chop finely three varieties of fresh chilli (Birds Eye, Scotch Bonnet & Green/Red).
Add the chilli’s to the pan, stir together and cook for eight minutes.
Add about 500g of extra lean Beef mince to the pan.
Stir in so that the Beef is coated and lightly browned (should take approx. 2 minutes).
Add salt and pepper.
Add Red Kidney Beans and tinned chopped Tomatoes.
Stir well.
Add a pinch of Cinnamon.
Cook on a low heat for approximately 20 mins.
-
Measure a cup and a half of Basmati Rice into a medium pan.
Add two and a quarter cups (the same cup you measured the Rice in) of cold water to the pan with the Rice.
Boil on a high heat until the lid rattles.
Turn down the heat to about half way and cook for eight minutes.
After eight minutes turn the heat off the rice, leave for four minutes (with the lid on).
-
Plate up the Rice (on the side), add the chilli.
-
Large glass of Red wine (preferably Australian or New Zealand).
-

Now the important problem solving part–
Take the plates & pans to the sink.
Run a mixture of hot and cold (not too hot) water.
Add a smidgeon of washing up liquid (preferably for sensitive skin).
Start washing up, the mundane kicks in.
The mind clears and new thoughts and ideas appear.
-
Enjoy a second glass of wine to savour the moment.

---------------------------
Yes yes yes!  Go see A Single Man if you want to really love your moments.  When was your last moment?  Mine was this morning listening to Carl Sagan, drinking coffee and playing with Illustrator.  Now, time to ride to work on this beautiful morning.  Luckily, its mostly a motor action, riding the bike.  SO my consciousness is free to spin its own legs.  Next post: trip to Portland, Maine.

Ionel Sandovici

Dear Kostya and Andrew,

Thank you so much for sending across the Atlantic the envelope that lost its way to the other Cambridge! You were extremely kind to spend your own money to do so. After a bit of Internet search I found your blog and this e-mail address.
So, it’s great to know that the twin town has a twin street and that at number 26 lives another Libra. Fantastic! I also work in science as you do.
As you very well said it at the end of your card, this is indeed a wonderful Universe!

Very best wishes,
Ionel


Keep blogging. 26 Willow Way, Cambridge UK and 26 Willow St. Cambridge MA are now real friends and encourage YOUR continuing efforts in self-expression and personal growth.

In development

I wanted to put some new photographs on here because I think they are some of my best I've taken in a while. Or to put it another way, I feel that my photographs are getting better and are more frequently so. I also recently received a really nice new tri-pod and I am learning to use it. The initial conclusion from some indoor studies I've done is that I need a better lens. Someday. So many of my hobbies require new gear and I can't really afford it right now, so I will get by with what I have until I can do better. I think it'll be that much more sweet.

Recently, one of life's many passers-by asked me a good good question: Why do I like science so much? I kind of initially thought about it being in my blood, and that was my answer, but it really has been plaguing me off and on for over a week now. What is it about science that I really love? There are so many answers and I want to document them on here as the ideas come and as I am able to get them down in my journal. I finished my old squared-paper marble-journal that I bought on March 28th, 2009 and went out on Saturday to buy myself a new one. I almost bought a Moleskin with graph lines but instead found this cool company:

http://www.whitelines.se/

Its a nice white notebook and I am proud of finding it.  To be honest, I haven't finished my old one quite yet because I still need to write one more page.  I hope it is devoted to this exploration about my interest in science.  I actually want to go work on that right now.

Pictures and a hello from me!  I am realizing that I do not have too many pictures of me smiling.  Thats a good thing to work on.