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The synthesis of two great cultures, India and Persia, took place thousands of years ago. Their common roots—the Indo-Persian language, the oldest Persian religion,Mithraism, and their related myths, plus many features of their social and spiritual lives —have inextricably bound these two cultures together. a project of the philharmonic society

Tuesday, March 17, 2015, 8pm Irvine Barclay Theatre

A NOWRUZ CELEBRATION featuring Kayhan Kalhor & Shujaat Husain Khan Kayhan Kalhor, kamancheh Shujaat Husain Khan, sitar Sandeep Das, tabla

CONTACT: Isabel Soffer

Eclectic Orange Series Sponsors Judith and Howard Jelinek Additional support from Bette and Wylie Aitken

Exclusive Print Sponsor Photographing or recording this performance without permission is prohibited. Kindly disable pagers, cellular phones, and other audible devices. Although rare, all dates, times, artists, programs, and prices are subject to change.

At the turn of the 13th century, a number of Sufi scholars, among them the Persian poet, historian and musician Amir Khusrau, had a large impact on classical music in North India. From Amir Khusrau’s time until well into the Mughal period, foreign music, particularly from Iran, was commonly heard at the Indian courts. It is not surprising, therefore, that Indian classical music was subjected to new influences. Amir Khusrau, in spite of his dedication to traditional Indian music, was a great innovator and is popularly credited with the introduction of a number of Persian elements into Indian music, including vocal forms (qawwali and tarana), ragas and talas, and musical instruments such as the sitar and tabla. The most important advances in Indian music were made between the 14th and 18th centuries. During this period, Hindustani music came into contact with Persian music and assimilated it through the Pathan and Mongol invasions. At the same time, Persian music experienced a great transformation from the Maqam to the Dastgah system. Although there exists common features of the Hindustani Raga and Persian Dastgah, the two can be clearly delineated from one another. In this respect, the Dastgah and the Raga must be considered as two different systems which have been formed by the social and cultural aspects of their people. These two independent musical fields represent the Indic world with its Raga system, and the Near and Middle Eastern world with their Maqam and Dastgah systems. A Dastgah is a collection of melodic forms (Gushehs) which create the repertory of Iranian classical music or Radif. The Radif is organized into 12 modes, 7 primary and 5 secondary, which are named after the principal or primary melodic phrase called Daramad. The intervalic structure within a

about the program

a noWrUZ ceLeBration

about the program

PHoto: Ira Landgarten

Dastgah, and sometimes even within a Gusheh, is varied. The Dastgah and its constituent Gushehs provide a framework for creative improvisation and composition. The Radif includes more than four hundred Gushehs. The number of Gushehs in a Dastgah vary between fifteen and forty or more. Traditionally a performer may choose some six to ten gushehs in one performance. In comparison to Hindustani music, where modulation does not occur, changing modes is feasible within the boundary of a Dastgah. The Raga forms the backbone of Indian classical music. A Raga is a melodic structure with a basic scale of seven notes with 5 basic accidentals and up to 22 microtonal forms. Every Raga must have at least five notes and can have up to twelve. Ragas using the same basic scale may be differentiated by different vadi (dominant note) and samavadi (subdominant note) which are emphasized in the develpment of the Raga. Melodic ornamentation is complex and essential, and also employs microtonal fluctuations on selected pitches. Hundreds of Ragas exist today, sometimes in different forms and different traditions (gharanas).

Both Indian and Persian classical music are characterized by microtonal and monophonic structure and dependence on improvisation. In each of these traditions, a master musician is capable of using a primary melodic form as a base for improvising. There are many factors involved in a musician's understanding of and approach to his music. Each musician's schooling (the Indian gharana and Iranian maktab), personal style, technical ability and vision has great impact on his approach to developing his musical ideas. This makes every performance, even of the same Raga or Dastgah, exciting, fresh and unpredictable each time it is performed. aBoUt tHe artists Ghazal Ensemble Ghazal, formed in 1997 by Kayhan Kalhor and Shujaat Husain Khan, has been touring the world ever since. Their first recording, â€œLost Songs of the Silk Road,â€? won critical acclaim as a unique recording, bringing together two Eastern classical traditions that had not performed together before. The artistsâ€™ first

SHujaat HuSSaIn kHan

meeting took place in a small studio in Los Angeles after being introduced to each other through a mutual friend. They played together for twenty minutes, which was all they needed to decide that their musical ideas were similar. Their meeting sparked the idea to make a recording, and a date and time was set in New York. Shanachie Records produced their first three CDs, “Lost Songs of the Silk Road,” “As the Night Falls on the Silk Road,” and “Moon Rise on the Silk Road.” Their fourth album was released by ECM records. They have performed in major concert halls and festivals throughout the world. This marks their first tour in North America in ten years. Shujaat Hussain Khan, sitar Shujaat Hussain Khan, son and disciple of the late master sitarist Ustad Vilayat Khan, is one of the leading artists of his generation in North Indian classical music. Shujaat started playing sitar at the age of three and by the time he was six he began making public performances. He performs regularly at all major musical festivals in India and throughout the United States, the Far East and Europe. He belongs to the Imdad Khan gharana (school) of the sitar and is the seventh in an unbroken family line that has produced many musical masters. In 2001, he was awarded the Rashtriya Kumar Gandharva Sammaan, India's highest honor for a classical musician under the age of 45. He taught Indian classical music at UCLA for many years. He has made dozens of recordings and tours extensively around the world.

Kayhan Kalhor, kamancheh Three-time Grammy nominee Kayhan Kalhor is an internationally acclaimed virtuoso on the kamancheh (spiked fiddle), who, through his many musical collaborations, has been instrumental in popularizing Persian music in the West and is a creative force in today’s music scene. His performances of traditional Persian music and multiple collaborations have attracted audiences around the globe. He has studied the music of Iran’s many regions, in particular those of Khorason and Kordestan, and has toured the world as a soloist with various ensembles and orchestras including the New York Philharmonic and the Orchestre National de Lyon. He is co-founder of the renowned ensembles Dastan and Masters of Persian Music. Kayhan Kalhor has composed works for Iran’s most renowned vocalists Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Shahram Nazeri and has also performed and recorded with Iran’s greatest instrumentalists. He has composed music for television and film and was featured on the soundtrack of Francis Ford Copolla’s Youth Without Youth in a score that he collaborated on with Osvaldo Golijov. John Adams invited him to give a solo recital at Carnegie Hall as part of his Perspectives Series and he has appeared on a double bill at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, sharing the program with the Festival Orchestra performing the Mozart Requiem. Kayhan is an original member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project, for which he continues to compose and tour. His compositions appear on all of the ensemble’s albums.

kayHan kaLHor

SandeeP daS

Sandeep Das, tabla Sandeep Das is one of today’s leading tabla players. A favorite disciple of the legendary tabla maestro Pandit Kishan Maharaj ji, Das has built a diverse international career, collaborating with a variety of genre-crossing artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Paquito D'Rivera and Kayhan Kalhor. He has appeared as a soloist with some of the world’s leading classical orchestras and string quartets. He made his stage debut with Pandit Ravi Shankar at the age of sixteen and since then he has performed regularly with many leading Indian maestros. Das is also founder of HUM (Harmony and Universality through Music), an ensemble promoting global understanding through performance and education. He has composed for and performed internationally with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble for the last 15 years. aBoUt tHe instrUMents Kamancheh The kamancheh (spiked fiddle), the ancient bowed string instrument of Iran, is ancestor to most bowed instruments throughout Asia and Europe. It has a small, hollowed belly made of walnut or mulberry wood with a thin, stretched skin covering and a conical shaped neck. The contemporary kamancheh has four strings, generally tuned in fourths or fifths, and it is played vertically.

Tabla The tabla consists of two hand drums. The right drum, called tabla or dayan, is carved out of a single block of hardwood and is tuned to the tonic of the Raga. The left hand drum, called bayan, is usually made of brass or copper. Both drums are covered with skin and have a circular patch of paste made with iron filings, flour and other ingredients affixed to them.

about the artists

Sitar The sitar is a long, hollow-necked, fretted lute with one or two gourd resonators. It has two main playing strings, two variable drone strings, two fixed, high pitched drone strings and up to thirteen sympathetic strings which are tuned to a particular Raga. The frets are movable and are set according to the scale of the Raga. An important part of the playing technique includes pulling the strings to produce slides and ornaments.

Nowruz Celebration Program


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Educational background needed for the position or Occupation.
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The ISO 3166-1 (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2) or ISO 3166-2 code, the place, or the GeoShape for the geo-political region(s) for which the offer or delivery charge specification is valid.

See also ineligibleRegion.

email ContactPoint  or
Organization  or
Email address.
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Type(s) of exercise or activity, such as strength training, flexibility training, aerobics, cardiac rehabilitation, etc.
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Genre of the creative work, broadcast channel or group.
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The GTIN-13 code of the product, or the product to which the offer refers. This is equivalent to 13-digit ISBN codes and EAN UCC-13. Former 12-digit UPC codes can be converted into a GTIN-13 code by simply adding a preceeding zero. See GS1 GTIN Summary for more details.
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The GTIN-14 code of the product, or the product to which the offer refers. See GS1 GTIN Summary for more details.
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The GTIN-8 code of the product, or the product to which the offer refers. This code is also known as EAN/UCC-8 or 8-digit EAN. See GS1 GTIN Summary for more details.
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IATA identifier for an airline or airport.
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The ISO 3166-1 (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2) or ISO 3166-2 code, the place, or the GeoShape for the geo-political region(s) for which the offer or delivery charge specification is not valid, e.g. a region where the transaction is not allowed.

See also eligibleRegion.

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The specific biochemical interaction through which this drug or supplement produces its pharmacological effect.
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mpn Demand  or
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Category or categories describing the job. Use BLS O*NET-SOC taxonomy: Ideally includes textual label and formal code, with the property repeated for each applicable value.
openingHours CivicStructure  or

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Expected or actual outcomes of the study.
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Usage guidelines:

  • Use the priceCurrency property (with ISO 4217 codes e.g. "USD") instead of including ambiguous symbols such as '$' in the value.
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proprietaryName DietarySupplement  or
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publicationType MedicalScholarlyArticle The type of the medical article, taken from the US NLM MeSH publication type catalog. See also MeSH documentation.
qualifications JobPosting  or
Specific qualifications required for this role or Occupation.
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recipeCuisine Recipe The cuisine of the recipe (for example, French or Ethiopian).
recipeIngredient Recipe A single ingredient used in the recipe, e.g. sugar, flour or garlic. Supersedes ingredients.
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releaseNotes SoftwareApplication Description of what changed in this version.
reportNumber Report The number or other unique designator assigned to a Report by the publishing organization.
requiredGender PeopleAudience Audiences defined by a person's gender.
requiredQuantity HowToItem The required quantity of the item(s).
reservationId Reservation A unique identifier for the reservation.
responsibilities JobPosting  or
Responsibilities associated with this role or Occupation.
restPeriods ExercisePlan How often one should break from the activity.
reviewBody Review The actual body of the review.
risks Diet Specific physiologic risks associated to the diet plan.
salaryCurrency EmployeeRole  or
The currency (coded using ISO 4217 ) used for the main salary information in this job posting or for this employee.
seasonNumber CreativeWorkSeason Position of the season within an ordered group of seasons.
seatNumber Seat The location of the reserved seat (e.g., 27).
seatRow Seat The row location of the reserved seat (e.g., B).
seatSection Seat The section location of the reserved seat (e.g. Orchestra).
seatingType Seat The type/class of the seat.
securityScreening FlightReservation The type of security screening the passenger is subject to.
serialNumber Demand  or
IndividualProduct  or
The serial number or any alphanumeric identifier of a particular product. When attached to an offer, it is a shortcut for the serial number of the product included in the offer.
servesCuisine FoodEstablishment The cuisine of the restaurant.
serviceType Service The type of service being offered, e.g. veterans' benefits, emergency relief, etc.
servingSize NutritionInformation The serving size, in terms of the number of volume or mass.
significance SuperficialAnatomy The significance associated with the superficial anatomy; as an example, how characteristics of the superficial anatomy can suggest underlying medical conditions or courses of treatment.
skills JobPosting  or
Skills required to fulfill this role.
sku Demand  or
Offer  or
The Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), i.e. a merchant-specific identifier for a product or service, or the product to which the offer refers.
softwareVersion SoftwareApplication Version of the software instance.
specialCommitments JobPosting Any special commitments associated with this job posting. Valid entries include VeteranCommit, MilitarySpouseCommit, etc.
sport SportsOrganization A type of sport (e.g. Baseball).
status MedicalCondition  or
MedicalProcedure  or
The status of the study (enumerated).
step HowTo A single step item (as HowToStep, text, document, video, etc.) or a HowToSection. Supersedes steps.
storageRequirements SoftwareApplication Storage requirements (free space required).
streetAddress PostalAddress The street address. For example, 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy.
strengthUnit DrugStrength The units of an active ingredient's strength, e.g. mg.
structuralClass Joint The name given to how bone physically connects to each other.
subStageSuffix MedicalConditionStage The substage, e.g. 'a' for Stage IIIa.
subtitleLanguage Movie  or
ScreeningEvent  or
Languages in which subtitles/captions are available, in IETF BCP 47 standard format.
suggestedGender PeopleAudience The gender of the person or audience.
supply HowTo  or
A sub-property of instrument. A supply consumed when performing instructions or a direction.
targetDescription AlignmentObject The description of a node in an established educational framework.
targetName AlignmentObject The name of a node in an established educational framework.
targetPlatform APIReference Type of app development: phone, Metro style, desktop, XBox, etc.
targetPopulation DietarySupplement  or
taxID Organization  or
telephone ContactPoint  or
Organization  or
Person  or
The telephone number.
text CreativeWork The textual content of this CreativeWork.
tickerSymbol Corporation The exchange traded instrument associated with a Corporation object. The tickerSymbol is expressed as an exchange and an instrument name separated by a space character. For the exchange component of the tickerSymbol attribute, we reccommend using the controlled vocaulary of Market Identifier Codes (MIC) specified in ISO15022.
ticketNumber Ticket The unique identifier for the ticket.
tissueSample PathologyTest The type of tissue sample required for the test.
title JobPosting The title of the job.
tool HowTo  or
A sub property of instrument. An object used (but not consumed) when performing instructions or a direction.
totalPrice Reservation  or
trackingNumber ParcelDelivery Shipper tracking number.
trainName TrainTrip The name of the train (e.g. The Orient Express).
trainNumber TrainTrip The unique identifier for the train.
transcript AudioObject  or
typeOfBed BedDetails The type of bed to which the BedDetail refers, i.e. the type of bed available in the quantity indicated by quantity.
typicalAgeRange CreativeWork  or
unitCode PropertyValue  or
QuantitativeValue  or
TypeAndQuantityNode  or
unitText PropertyValue  or
QuantitativeValue  or
TypeAndQuantityNode  or
A string or text indicating the unit of measurement. Useful if you cannot provide a standard unit code for unitCode.
urlTemplate EntryPoint An url template (RFC6570) that will be used to construct the target of the execution of the action.
value MonetaryAmount  or
PropertyValue  or

The value of the quantitative value or property value node.

valueName PropertyValueSpecification Indicates the name of the PropertyValueSpecification to be used in URL templates and form encoding in a manner analogous to HTML's input@name.
valuePattern PropertyValueSpecification Specifies a regular expression for testing literal values according to the HTML spec.
vatID Organization  or
The Value-added Tax ID of the organization or person.
vehicleConfiguration Vehicle A short text indicating the configuration of the vehicle, e.g. '5dr hatchback ST 2.5 MT 225 hp' or 'limited edition'.
vehicleIdentificationNumber Vehicle The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique serial number used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles.
vehicleInteriorColor Vehicle The color or color combination of the interior of the vehicle.
vehicleSpecialUsage Vehicle Indicates whether the vehicle has been used for special purposes, like commercial rental, driving school, or as a taxi. The legislation in many countries requires this information to be revealed when offering a car for sale.
videoFormat BroadcastEvent  or
BroadcastService  or
The type of screening or video broadcast used (e.g. IMAX, 3D, SD, HD, etc.).
videoFrameSize VideoObject The frame size of the video.
videoQuality VideoObject The quality of the video.
volumeNumber PublicationVolume Identifies the volume of publication or multi-part work; for example, "iii" or "2".
warning Drug Any FDA or other warnings about the drug (text or URL).
workHours JobPosting The typical working hours for this job (e.g. 1st shift, night shift, 8am-5pm).
yield HowTo The quantity that results by performing instructions. For example, a paper airplane, 10 personalized candles.

More specific DataTypes

More specific Types available in extensions

Schema Version 3.3


Resource Advantage

Comprehensive Strength
In 2015, the GDP of the whole Hangzhou City reached RMB 1005.358 billion; calculated at comparable prices, it increased by 10.2% over the previous year. The GDP per Capita reached RMB 112,268, increasing by 9.1%; calculated according to the average exchange rate in 2015 released by the State, it reached USD 18,025. The financial revenue continued to grow rapidly. In 2015, the general financial revenue of the whole city reached RMB 223.875 billion, increasing by 11.0% over the previous year, including the local financial revenue of RMB 123.388 billion, increasing by 9.8%.

Industrial Structure
Hangzhou greatly develops the tertiary industry, adjusts and optimizes the secondary industry, stably enhances the primary industry and actively promotes the coordinated development of the primary industry, secondary industry and tertiary industry. In 2015, the value added of the primary industry in the whole city was RMB 28.769 billion, increasing by 1.8％; that of the secondary industry was RMB 391.060 billion, increasing by 5.6％, and that of the tertiary industry was RMB 585.529 billion, increasing by 14.6%. The industrial structure is 2.9∶38.9∶58.2.

Open Economy
During the “12th Five-year Plan” period, Hangzhou was the place where various industries and capital investments competed. Accumulatively, it newly approved 2308 foreign-invested enterprises and actually used the foreign capital of USD 28.406 billion accumulatively, over-fulfilling the goal of “accumulatively exceeding USD 25 billion in the ‘12th Five-year Plan’ period”, increasing by 69.7% over the “11th Five-year Plan” period. As of 2015, Hangzhou has accumulatively introduced 112 Global 500 enterprises, which invested 188 projects in Hangzhou in total.

Use of Foreign Investment
The vigorous economy and good investment environment in Hangzhou attract investors from all over the world and global elites to live, start up business and make investment here, realizing their “China Dream”. The business performance of the foreign-invested industrial enterprises above designed size takes up a larger share among the industrial enterprises above designated size in the whole city, making outstanding contributions. Among the industrial enterprises above designated size in the whole city, there are only less than 1/5 of the foreign-invested enterprises, but they contribute nearly 1/3 of the total operating revenue and nearly 1/2 of the total profit.

Hangzhou has rich tourism resources. The golden tourism route composed of Qiantang River, Fuchun River, Xin’an River, Thousand-Island Lake, West Lake and Mount Tianmu is well-known at home and abroad. West Lake Scenic Area is one of the 10 great landscapes in China, covering an area of 60.8km2, and it integrates scenic spots and historic sites, gardens and parks, mountains and water as a whole. In 2011, West Lake Cultural Landscape was formally inscribed on the World Heritage List, and so far, West Lake is the only lake cultural heritage among the world heritages in China that are inscribed on the World Heritage List. In 2014, the whole city received 3.42 million inbound tourists, and 120 million domestic tourists, increasing by 13.5% over the previous year. In 2015, the gross revenue of tourism industry in the whole city reached RMB 220.067 billion, increasing by 16.7% over the previous year.

Private Economy
In Hangzhou, the number of Chinese top 500 private enterprises ranks first for many consecutive years, and it has cultivated a lot of excellent private enterprises, such as Wahaha, Alibaba, Wanxiang Group, Transfar Group, Zhejiang Geely and XIZI UHC. In recent years, along with the adjustment of industrial structure and injection of technological force, the private enterprises in Hangzhou have strengthened their innovation consciousness, further improved their innovation ability and brand consciousness. In the GDP of the whole city, the proportion of the private economy reaches 59.2%. The private economy in the whole city reaches a value added of RMB 595.172 billion, accounting for 59.2% of that of the whole city; the private economy realizes the financial revenue of USD 91.256 billion, accounting for 40.8% of the general financial revenue of the whole city.
Copyright@2010 China Council for the Promotion of International Trade(Hangzhou) injection molding machine
TEL:0086-571-85069972    FAX:0086-571-85068827


Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Why Is Composition So Important in Photography?

In simple terms, composition refers to the systematic arrangement of objects for a particular purpose or to achieve a specific result. This aspect is important in the field of photography and in essence it refers to the arrangement to object within the view finder with the aim of emphasizing certain aspects. This composition process may be done to bring out an object(s), the foreground or background. For instance sometimes you may view a picture that has a blurred background or slightly obscured main object and this may have been done intentionally so as to bring out a particular effect or highlight another object.

Composing a picture is usually done at the discretion of the person taking a picture and most compositions are simple and only highlight the main object captured. In some cases the composition may be a bit abstract or asymmetric in nature which may be done by the photographer for a specific reason.

Composition basically adds value to captured images by highlighting the main objects in a manner that makes pictures esthetically appealing. You may have the best camera equipment that money can buy but if you cannot arrange captured objects accordingly through the viewfinder, the results will be less than favorable.

Once you are able to compose a photograph well, the resulting images will turn out as intended on most occasions; while for those who are still unable to compose well will need to several pictures before achieving the desired result.

Composition of a picture also involves proper use of light and color. In the day time when outdoors, positioning yourself well and using the sunlight and ambient colors well can make the difference between an ordinary picture and an excellent one. Colors, sunlight, texture and shadows can enhance object well and even add a great 3D effect.

The right picture composition can be achieved by using a basic rule of thumb which involves the division of any image (as seen on the viewfinder) into three equal horizontal portions (sometimes referred to as the thirds rule). This will give any object a sense of balance and this will help you capture the right proportions of the subject. With a little practice it is possible to significantly improve your picture composition skills by using the 'thirds rule' as well as locating the main subject and deciding which angle and viewpoint will best bring it out best.

For more information, kindly visit

How to Improve Your Photography Skills Without Spending Unnecessarily

Once you have managed to gain insight into the basics of composing pictures and shooting, it would be advisable to go a notch higher and improve photography skills. By doing this you can turn it into a serious hobby or better yet, make a career out of it and get paid to take pictures. The first thing that you should ensure that you do is master all the basics such as camera handling framing, composition, and lighting. Once you are sure that these are all these aspects are at your fingertips, then you are ready to move on to the next level.

In many cases, the best way to get a perfect shot is to be in the right place in order to get the right shot. Ensure that you have your camera with you at all times and use it as much as possible in order to give yourself more confidence as well as the getting used to spontaneous shooting which in many cases produces the best pictures.

There is nothing wrong with basic or entry level equipment; however, if you want to step your game up as far as photography is concerned it is advisable for you to invest in professional equipment. This will help you significantlyimprove photography skills and though it may cost you quite some money, you are bound to notice a significant improvement of photographic content.

Stop looking and start seeing

By this I mean that you should move away from the notion that only conventional objects can be photographed. Don't just look at an object as it is but also focus on how the object relates and interacts with the surroundings. Begin to notice the interaction of lines, textures, patterns and colors in different spaces. You will be surprised at how much there is to capture with your lens.

If you are taking photographs of people, one of the most distinctive characteristics of great images is the emotion that is captured. Expressions, gestures and feelings can be spectacularly captured especially when photos are taken spontaneously.

Subject matter

A good photograph often consists of something that captures the eye of the viewer. In order to improve photography skills it important to know how to look out for interesting objects, people, expressions and scenarios that are captivating enough to capture the attention of viewers and evoke some kind reaction.

For more information, kindly visit

Sunday, February 12, 2012

The Photography X-Factor E-book Review

The X-Factor Photography e-book is a brand new e-book which teaches

the most advanced techniques for taking only the highest quality of top quality photos.

Photography is a very respected profession nowadays, but if you struggle with photography

even if you love it so much, then you won't see yourself being respected and taking on many

photography jobs. The program goes into every aspect and detail about taking the most beautiful

photos possible. The overall concept is to teach you how to take pictures for you to do whatever

you want in the photography business, whether that means becoming a wedding photographer,

celebrity photographer, and a photographer who sells stock photos online.

What's inside of the e-book?

Inside, you'll discover some pretty nifty techniques for getting that perfect photo.

Most people spend years just to learn how to take that perfect picture, and so did the author himself,

but he teaches it in this guide exactly how this business works and how to succeed at taking pictures.

It isn't a difficult task like the way most people think, and he makes the entire process easy

even for those who have a hard time. The e-book is titled The Photography X-Factor because it

teaches you exactly what you need to do in order for your photos to have that X-Factor.

The e-book itself is nice because Gerald teaches so many methods for successful photography,

and he goes into different aspects like what equipment you need, whether or not you should

take a certain photo at this angle, and how to actually make money from your photos as soon as today.

Most guides similar to the X-Factor only teach and go into one thing like making money from your

pictures, but the author goes into all of them because of how hard he knows this business is.

He used to be a struggling photographer who had no talent at all with photography.

He dreamt of becoming a good photographer, but it just wasn't possible at certain tines.

Until several events started to take place and he finally discovered everything to get the

perfect picture and gain the X-Factor in whatever object he took a photo of. His story is

truly magnificent, and you can read it in his guide how much he wants to help ordinary

photographers learn how to find that special something in their pictures.

The guide has 70+ pages of pure Gold. It's outstanding information is brought out with

crystal clear images, strong words, and an easy to read format. The e-book has every

information very well compiled together, so everything he's ever learned from photography is put

into the e-book. There usually is more pages than normal in other ebooks, but it's only 72 pages

long because the tips and techniques are all too simple to understand, and it doesn't have to

take weeks or months before you finally become a great photographer.

You can visit the official website at, and you can learn more about his revolutionary new training program for achieving the X-Factor in your photography.

Lighting Photography Techniques

Lighting techniques determine the overall result of your image and plays a critical role in revealing the texture and form of the subject. Understanding where the source come from is critical in photography. For photographers, natural and artificial (studio) light are two available sources.
In outdoor photography, light changes constantly. Always consider the angle and intensity of the source as well as its distance to the subject. A thorough understanding of natural light will help you control the brightness in your images. Moreover, understanding this important element in photography helps to create and recreate many different effects in a studio environment.
Most photographers are interested in portrait lighting but do not understand how to do it. Same concepts can be used with flash unites, however you will not be able to see the effect until after shooting it. In order for you to control the harshness of the light, you need to practice. Wrong technique will result in narrow or round face. There are four main styles of lighting namely, broad, short, butterfly and Rembrandtlighting.
The Importance of Temperature In Photography
A photographer must also understand the sun's color scale (color temperature) which is the actual colors that human eye can see. Color temperature defines visible light. It is measured in Kelvin (K) degrees. Yellow to red are called warm colors, blue to white are called cool colors (see Color temperature).
If you observe carefully, the sun evokes hues in the morning and neutral colors during the afternoon. These neutral colors occupy a part of the definition you'd like to include in your photographs. Afternoon offers warmer tones with reds and yellows.
The Importance of Angle
The sun is the source of all daylight. The angle or its direction can bring plenty of shadows or remove them. The day light changes throughout the day creating two main light effects: hard and soft light. These two sources are also used in studio photography.
Hard Light
Simply means director bright sunlight. It is equivalent to the brightest time during the day when the sky is clear. It is harsh and could be used for amazing effects. This method is used for contrast as it results in more definition and shadow. The angle of this technique determines the overall effects.
Above are just a brief explanation about lighting photography techniques. Whats more important is constant practice as well as basic understanding of how it works.

How Do Shutter Speed and Aperture Affect Your Photography Shots?

Photography today has been overrun with automation so much so that words such as shutter, aperture and the like have virtually become extinct. A lot of the equipment on the market hardly needs any expertise to use. For those who want to understand photography well, it is important to know how the major parts of the SLR based cameras work.
Professional photographers will not let cameras determine the exposure of photographs and instead they will adjust the shutter speed, aperture and lighting accordingly in order to determine the final exposure. Without making these adjustments, the camera usually just uses default settings that produce medium tone.
Shutter speed
The shutter is a sort of flap that is positioned within the body of the camera and which opens up, allowing light to reach either the film (analog cameras) or light sensors (digital cameras) from the lens. Shutter speed is hence the amount of time that the shutter takes to open and close. The time is usually measured in fractions of seconds; hence the values may appear as 1/500 or 500 to represent 500th of a second. Shutter speed has a great effect on the sharpness of the image and usually the higher the shutter speed, the sharper the image. To get a good final picture, the right amount of light has to reach the sensors or film and this is why a fast shutter speed will just allow the right amount of light to capture a moving object clearly. Shutter speed can also be used to create and effect on the final image for instance if you want to emphasize motion on a moving object you can set a lower shutter speed which will create a sort of blur that signifies movement.
Aperture and light are all related and they can be synchronized accordingly to achieve the desired outcome. The aperture refers to a diaphragm-like opening within the photographic lens and determines how much light will be sent through the shutter when a shot is taken. It opens up in a circular manner and the aperture size refers to the measurement of this opening when shooting. It greatly determines the outcome of a picture by determining the depth of field and the quality of the final exposure. The aperture works much like the pupil of the human eye which regulates the initial amount of light that gets into the eyeball by either increasing or decreasing in diameter. This ultimately influences the quality of image that the viewer sees.
The key to a good photograph is how much light is passes through the camera and once you learn how to adjust the shutter speed, aperture and flash, you will be sure to capture great photographs.


Swimming Milestones for Children

By Jennifer Zimmerman
Swimming should be an enjoyable activity for children.
Swimming should be an enjoyable activity for children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics does not include swimming in its checklists of developmental milestones for children, but that doesn't mean that swimming isn't an important life skill. The AAP recommends swimming lessons for children 1 year old and older, with instruction becoming increasingly formal around the age of 6 years. The Red Cross has a water skills and safety chart that includes milestones for each swimming level.

Level One Milestones

Level one milestones are about the same for preschool swimmers and swimmers aged 6 years old and up. They include getting in and out of the pool safely, blowing bubbles through the mouth and nose, floating on the back, treading water using hand and combined arm and leg motions on the front and back. Children must be able to meet these requirements before moving onto to level two.

Level Two Milestones

Again, level two milestones are just about the same for the preschool level swimming classes and the classes for children 6 years old and up. Children must step into the pool, switch from front to back and back to front floats, tread water using arm and leg actions and bobbing. The one difference between each age group's level two milestones is that those in the 6 years old and up group must also be able to submerge themselves under the water and hold their breath.

Level Three Milestones

This is the final level for children under 6 years old and the middle level for children over 6 years old. For both age groups, swimmers should be able to jump into the pool from the side, tread water, bob, recover from a float to a vertical position and do a back float and glide. Those in the older age group should also do the front crawl and elementary backstroke, use flutter, dolphin and scissor kicks and go into the water headfirst from sitting and kneeling positions.

Level Four Milestones

This level is only for swimmers 6 and above. Children should be able to dive into the pool from the compact position, swim underwater, perform the front and back crawl, backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke and butterfly stroke. Swimmers also work on turns from the front crawl and the backstroke as well as treading water using two kinds of kicks.

Level Five Milestones

This is the most advanced level of swimming instruction; students at level six focus on particular skill sets such as advanced diving, fitness or water safety. At level five, children learn to do a side dive and then begin a front stroke, tuck and pike surface dives, all the strokes and doing flip turns while swimming.

About the Author


Blog >

CrowdFunding promotion Launching record label & musician advocacy service

posted Jan 20, 2015, 1:42 AM by J Shaw   [ updated Jan 20, 2015, 1:46 AM ]

I am a guitarist's guitarist, the blues music happened to me ! A day without music is unimaginable.

It was in a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, in early 1983 for me. A young teenager who enjoyed playing the guitar for fun, who had studied some classical guitar at school. I was given a record from a local charity shop. That record was John Mayall Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, commonly called the Beano album.
Having not much to do, this young teeneager started listening to the album in question and his blood ran cold. The sound of the Blues affected him physically, emotionally and much more.
A Melbourne guitar teacher called Greg Franklin guided him on a pathway that led to a lifetime love affair with electric, acoustic and folk blues, not to mention jazz, reggae and the guitar in general.

30 years later, after many twists and turns, ups and downs, good times and bad times, many many bands and live gigs, the love affair with the guitar still goes on ...

And people, that is me, the blues happened to me !

This project, starting up my own record label and musician's advocacy service, needs funding to be able to realize it. But first let me explain the purpose of the project in more detail. The project team will consist of a proposed director and a small team of creative people who all have one thing in common, the love for music and helping out fellow musicians.

Part I, a record label

This is not just a run of the mill record label. This is a record label with specific purposes. The proposed director of this project (myself) has musical friends, colleagues and associated, streched out across the world. And the music is in various genres. The purpose of this record label, apart from making money, is to reach out to musicians who may never have had the opportunity to record, and by reaching out, we would be preventing the loss of talent. By that comment, what I mean is, I want to create opportunities for people who previously might not have been able to record, release a CD/DVD.

Part II, an advocacy service for musicians

By advocacy, we don't mean legal in the French or Dutch sense of the word. But what I mean is a partnership, where we assist any musician find solutions for some of the problems that they could face. Problems could be, how to find medical assistance, find somewhere to live, a warm coat, in short, to assist in any way we could; direct intervention.
Part III, an 'all over the world' record label

We believe we can make a difference. We have contacts and know people personally, all through the world. To give a few examples; in Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, the Czech republic, the UK, Ireland, Canada, the USA, Australia and Japan. We believe that with contacts in all of these countries, we will make this a success.

Ask any of my friends and/or colleagues to describe me and they will refer to me as one with tremendous leadership and organizational abilities, the ability to analyze and solve problems under time pressure, being able to manage a team, steering them in the right direction and encouraging them to share their love for music. There is never a quiet moment in my team !

Music is a way people communicate with eachother and the world. Music is part of life. Imagine the world without the sound of music, without the possibility to share your music ! Can you imagine that ?

My team consists of different personalities, each of them bringing their unique skills to the project.

If anything I would like to ask you, to get the word out and make a bit of noise about my campaign. The project will need funding so if you are able to back me up on this one, that would be a tremendous support action. Sharing tools are available everywhere, use your social communication accounts.

Folks, isn't music a part of our being. My aim is to make sure that no creative talent is lost and music can be shared and played for change, change for the better.


Browsing named entities in John Dimitry , A. M., Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 10.1, Louisiana (ed. Clement Anselm Evans). You can also browse the collection for Kershaw or search for Kershaw in all documents.

Your search returned 1 result in 1 document section:

tified posts—such as Tullahoma, which the Confederates had used as a depot of supplies—and driving him to new headquarters. It was a short campaign, at the end of which Bragg, evacuating Tullahoma, had marched into Chattanooga. Rosecrans' main object in September was to maneuver Bragg out of Chattanooga; and he succeeded by crossing the mountains south of that city, upon which Bragg fell back to Lafayette, Ga. Bragg had just received help from Mississippi, and Longstreet, with Hood and Kershaw, was speeding from Virginia. Rosecrans made a faulty movement by dividing his army into three columns, thus getting his right and left wings hazardously separated from his center. His position became full of peril and gave to Bragg an excellent chance to overwhelm some one of these pieces on the board, after which the others would be easy victims; but there were unfortunate delays and the opportunity was lost. By September 18th the scattered Federal wings joined Rosecrans and as the reun


Father Fights For Daughter’s Rights After Being Shamed For Her Outfit

13-year-old Demetra Alarcon was pulled away from class by her teacher, who claimed she must go home and change her outfit on account of it being too revealing. This was not the first time the young Californian teen was told off for her choice of clothing, but this time, her dad had enough of the shaming.

Demetra’s father, Tony, is an independent investment banker who understands the concept of a dress code very well. For that reason exactly, Tony rushed over with a change of clothes the minute he received the unpleasant phone call from his daughter’s school. However, after Demetra changed, her teachers yet again felt that her clothes were inappropriate and distracted the other students.

The teachers argued her previous romper and current shorts did not meet the 4-inch inseam requirement that is required according to the school’s dress code. Appalled with their argument, Tony called out the school for implementing a dress code that was targeting young girls, especially during the scalding summer months.

Speaking to KTVU, Tony explained what had happened after the school’s teaching staff were unhappy with Demetra’s change of clothes:

“I was told the shorts weren’t appropriate. I had to go back into the car, where I luckily had a pair of leggings as a backup.”

Tony also told CBS San Francisco:

“I mean, today it’s 90 degrees outside, and she’s wearing leggings because she doesn’t want to be dress-coded for wearing shorts. And it’s not OK. It needs to change.”

Demetra herself admitted she rarely sees male students being told off for their short shorts, which makes her and her female classmates feel like they are being discriminated against. Deciding to take things into his own hands, Tony used his online social media profile to express his frustration. He wrote:

“Fisher has a dress code policy, which is clothing specific. Most of the clothing mentioned are women’s clothing like halter tops (and) spaghetti straps.”

When he was interviewed and asked why he took this specific matter to heart, Tony replied:

“We have to have dress codes that are fair and reasonable, and don’t cause them emotional issues – cause them to question their bodies or feel like they’re sex symbols at 13 years old. Because they’re not. They’re just kids.”


Injectable Cosmetic Fillers

JUVÉDERM® is an injectable gel that is indicated for correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds (such as nasolabial folds). JUVÉDERM® XC is formulated with lidocaine, a common anesthetic, to provide a more comfortable experience during and after treatmentjuvederm while delivering smooth, natural-looking results.

Why do facial wrinkles appear on the face?

Young, healthy-looking skin contains an abundance of naturally hydrating substance called hyaluronic acid (HA). But as you age, time, sunlight, and other factors can reduce the amount of HA in your skin. The lack of HA causes your skin to lose structure and volume—creating unwanted facial wrinkles and folds, like those “parentheses” lines around your nose and mouth.

How JUVÉDERM® XC can get rid of wrinkles:

JUVÉDERM® XC helps replace the HA your skin has lost, adding volume to smooth away facial wrinkles and folds. JUVÉDERM® XC achieves its smooth consistency to an innovative manufacturing process called HYLACROSS™ technology.
HYLACROSS™ gives JUVÉDERM® XC its unique smooth-gel properties as well as a robust gel structure that holds up over time. JUVÉDERM® XC is the first smooth-consistency HA gel that is FDA approved to last up to one year with only one treatment.”

What is Voluma?

JUVÉDERM VOLUMA™ XC injectable gel is a smooth, colorless hyaluronic acid (HA) gel that contains a small quantity of local anesthetic (lidocaine). HA is a naturally occurring sugar found in the human body. The role of HA in the skin is to deliver nutrients and help the skin retain its natural moisture and softness. The addition of lidocaine helps to improve the comfort of the injection. JUVÉDERM VOLUMA™ XC injectable gel is manufactured using VYCROSS™ technology to give a specialized smooth-gel filler that produces long-lasting results at the treatment site. JUVÉDERM VOLUMA™ XC is delivered by an injection into the cheek and surrounding area of the mid-face to correct volume and fullness.

volumaWhat is Voluma for?

What does Voluma do?

Please contact our office for any inquiries regarding contraindications, precautions, and risks of using JUVÉDERM VOLUMA™ XC.

Before and after photos of JUVEDERM® XC and JUVEDERM VOLUMA XC  models property of Allergan, inc.


THE MAIDEN problem (improved)

Calculus Level pending

consider the function y=sin(x)/{x+x^{2}} .

LET \(y^{(n)}\) denote the n'th derivative of y. Then find the value of 90 * \(y^{(9)}\) - 6480 * \(y^{(7)}\) when the value of x limits to zero {i.e as x tends to zero}

This problem is inspired by this one..

asterix(*) denotes multiplication.

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Health Service

Brazil - Health Service

Brazil provides free public health care to its citizens. In addition, the country has a private healthcare sector that is rapidly growing. The private healthcare sector offers health insurance and supplementary health programs.

The government offers the Unified Healthcare System, which offers a wide range of free health care that Brazilian citizens can access without registration. Foreign and local residents can also access the healthcare service. The free public health care system has been in place since 1988. Before then, health insurance was the reserve of the employed, leaving a huge population without access to healthcare. In a bid to enhance equality in healthcare access, the government introduced free public healthcare programs that are funded by other sectors of the government. The free healthcare cover caters for hospital accommodation, doctors’ fees, laboratory fees, drugs, and surgeries.

Despite the good intentions and the various sources of finance allocated to the healthcare system, the budget is not enough to cover the growing population. This has made the condition of most public hospitals deplorable and caused shortages of staff and medical equipment. The long queues in public hospitals have made most people who can afford private hospitals shift to obtaining healthcare from private hospitals.

Expats are advised to consider signing up for private health insurance plans to avoid the risk of having to rely on public medical treatment, especially in emergency cases. Over the last few decades, the increase in the number of expats in Brazil has indirectly led to an increase in the number of private health insurance providers in the country. Currently, more than 20 percent of the population has access to supplementary health plans.

Private healthcare can either be obtained as a work benefit or bought individually. It is readily available to people as long as they have the financial capacity and are willing to pay. Private and public healthcare plans are strictly controlled by the Agencia Nacional de Saude Suplementar, which acts as a representative of the Ministry of Health. They fulfill the minimum requirements, which include coverage of certain hospitals and doctors. It is important to remember that some healthcare plans are restricted to certain regions.

The many healthcare plans available can confuse you when you are trying to select your preferred cover. The ANS offers an overview of all the available plans and their premium rates. Many expats find it difficult to choose a healthcare plan because of the great choices available. It is important to outline your healthcare priorities before you start the decision-making process. You need to decide whether you want to cover inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, or both. In addition, decide whether you want regional or national coverage. Also, determine if you will need dental coverage. Once you have noted down the packages you would like covered, browse through the ANS website to compare healthcare service providers, available programs, and their costs. However, it is important to know that most of the information provided on this website is in Portuguese. Remember, many healthcare insurance providers only cover residents of certain cities. Therefore, be sure to look at city-related websites for additional information.

Free choice of doctors and hospitals is only offered by private insurance policies. Healthcare plans are predetermined by hospitals and physicians. General insurance companies provide private health insurance. No matter which plan you select, dental treatment is often excluded and you have to buy it separately. Purchasing private insurance does not exempt you from accessing free public health care. This comes in handy if you find yourself in a remote area where there are no private hospitals. If you choose not to buy private health insurance, you can still access private health services, which you can pay for separately. The downside is that the medical fees tend to be a bit expensive.

A common option used by foreigners staying in Brazil is purchasing private insurance from their home country that covers treatment and services in Brazil. This can end up being a cheaper alternative for people who are in Brazil for a limited period. A common feature in most insurance schemes for non-resident citizens is limiting cover up to a certain age. Foreigners are advised to ensure that they get various vaccinations as preventive measures. Vaccinations are not compulsory for US and European citizens going to Brazil, but there are a few exceptions.

If you have been in a country with a high risk of yellow fever for more than three months before your arrival in Brazil, you will need an international certificate of vaccination against yellow fever. There are states such as Amapa, Golas, MatoGrosso, Acre, Amazonas, Minas Gerais, Rondonia, Goias, and Distrito Federal that have experienced an increase in cases of yellow fever, making the yellow fever vaccine a wise precaution. The vaccine takes about ten days to become effective. Caution needs to be maintained when vaccinating infants between the age of six months and one year, as side effects regularly occur. Children between six months and three years can also get vaccinations against polio.

The tropical and subtropical regions experience many cases of dengue fever and malaria. Infections of dengue and malaria have been on the increase; both diseases are caused by mosquito bites. Take extra precaution when visiting these regions by wearing long, light colored clothes and by using mosquito repellent both during the day and at night. Make sure you sleep under a treated mosquito net.

When in Brazil, be careful about what you eat or drink to avoid getting sick. Do not drink tap water unless you either boil or sterilize it. Make sure you thoroughly cook meat, vegetables, and fish. Wash fruits thoroughly and peel them before eating. In addition, be sure to only eat dairy products that are made with pasteurized milk. It is common to find people in rural areas consuming unpasteurized milk. Do not fall into this temptation.

Brazil has a publicly funded ambulance service that is available all over the country and is free to all citizens. The ambulances are packed with different equipment to handle a wide range of injuries and diseases. To request an ambulance, contact 192 and if you are speaking English, try to speak slowly so that the phone operator can understand you.

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Our tent, Sahara

Our camel, Sahara

Climbing a dune at sunrise, Sahara

Jacob in Tangier

Emily in Tamegroute

Rowan & Kieran in Essaouaria

Medina, Marrakesh

Sunset over Marrakesh

Salaam Hello.

Morocco was the most amazing place we have been to so far. The Saharan desert was the best moment of my life; we got the most amazing sunset, many people get a big sandstorm in their face there so we were really lucky to be able to see that sunset. There is a lot more plants in the Saraha then I thought there would be. The mosque's calls are sometimes annoying early in the morning but sometimes during the day and at night they're pretty cool. The mountains were really cool and we got to stroke little tiny baby mountain goats. Some places (like the gardens we went to) are full of water and the other places (like the kebab store) waste their water by squirting dodgy hobos. Marrakech was fun when we were trying to find our way through the souks. I personaly liked the tagine and the couscous but there is a wide variety of other foods. The cheapest place we went to was a kebab seller on the side of the road.

Morocco was probably the first really “different” culture we've encountered this year, and it was great to be able to spend almost a month there, soaking it all up. We started with a day in Tangier, then an overnight train to Marrakech, followed by a ten day tour that took us into the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert, then out to the sea at Essaouira. A couple of things that I really enjoyed from our first week or so were the peace and quiet of the graveyard of the English church in Tangier, and the hustle and bustle of the weekly nomad market in Tamegroute. The tour was a good introduction to the various landscapes and towns of southern Morocco, although, by necessity, a bit once over lightly. But then we had two weeks in Marrakech - plenty of time to explore the maze of alleys that make up the medina and start to feel a little at home.

There are a lot of great things about Morocco - the people are friendly, and the food is delicious. We felt safe most of the time, except when scooters zoomed through the narrow streets of the souk and we had to squeeze up and make sure we were all out of the way. I love the architecture and gardens, especially the traditional riads with a garden in the centre, and one of the highlights for me was the newly opened Jardin Secret - a renovated garden in the middle of the souks - but there are also beautiful mosaics and doorways just about everywhere you look. It was nice to be able to take time and appreciate things slowly - no more than one palace or garden per day and plenty of time to relax and recharge our travel batteries.

Outside the cities, the scenery in the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert is spectacular, but marred a little by the litter along the sides of the roads. That was probably the most disappointing thing about Morocco - it doesn't seem like the people take the pride they should in their country - there's a lot of rubbish and all the playgrounds have been vandalised to the point of being unsafe and unusable. But those are little things, and overall my impression was of a beautiful, friendly country.

The thing that struck me first about Morocco is that it was so different from what I expected. This has been a theme for me throughout the trip so far. Even in Antarctica there was something unexpected from my impression of a frozen wasteland; grass.

Morocco, however, had the opposite. Morocco is a desert, as it is very close to the Sahara. This means there is very little rain-fall. In turn, this means it is very difficult to grow crops and grass. Grass needs a lot of water to stay alive, and water is expensive. After all this explaining, I realise I should have just said “Only the royal family has lawns in Morocco”...

In Morocco, donkeys, horses, mules and camels are a lot cheaper and easier to drive than cars. (most of the time, especially for the Berber people living in the mountains). We saw a lot of motorbikes as well. Apparently they are slightly better adapted to the cities many narrow streets. The worst experience I can think of with these motor-killers is when we were in Marrakech's souks (arabic for markets). These streets are famed for their narrowness. This is especially un-nerving when a motor-killer comes speeding towards you at stupid-kilometres-per-hour and you have no room to get out of the way!

As I mentioned before, Morocco is one of the many countries that border the Sahara. We were lucky enough to spend a night in one of the most amazing places on earth. For me, that night was as cool as it would be to stand on the top of Mount Everest, or to land on the Moon. We saw the sun slowly set, sending the light and dark sides of the dunes away to leave the grey-yellow colour of a night in the desert.

As well as going out into the Sahara, we also ventured into the surprisingly cold High Atlas Mountains. Here we did a walk up to a mountain mosque, drank fresh spring water from a mountain aqua-duct and played with some kids whose only english words were "hello" , "yes" and "no".

Overall, Morocco was amazing. The food was amazing, the people were amazing, but most of all, the places were amazing. I really want to go back one day.

In just eight weeks we've gone from ice bergs in Antarctica to the golden sand in the Sahara. This trip continues to deliver special moments.

As soon as we got swarmed by hustlers as we stepped off the boat in Tangiers it was clear: we are in Morocco now! Some places have a distinctive smell, some place have a signature sound, but in Morocco they have decided to carve out their own piece of the spectrum - it seems the whole place is a beautiful brown-ochre colour, the earth and the houses, the dunes, even the public buses in Marrakesh.

Travelling around during the first part of our time here was a whirlwind of highlights - trekking in the High Atlas mountains and staying in a traditional Berber house; visiting the historic old city of Ait-Ben-Haddou (better known as Yunkai to Game of Thrones fans), riding a camel and then, much less comfortably, a 4WD ride into the Sahara, followed by a magical sunset we got to enjoy from the top of one of the giant sand dunes, where it's so quiet it feels like you can hear forever (this is easily as close as I've ever felt to being in the middle of nowhere, assuming you'll allow me to categorise Antarctica as feeling like another planet!); seeing goats climbing trees to eat the berries; and a delicious lunch of freshly caught and simply cooked fish in Essaouera. Our guides Aziz and Mustafa did a great job of looking after us and tailoring the trip to the slightly different things which grab you as an 11-year-old or 8-year old tourist - including teaching the boys to write and speak a bit of Arabic. Mushi Moushkil!

The last couple of weeks staying in a big riad back in Marrakesh was in theory a chance to catch up on work etc. That didn't quite work out as planned, partly because of crappy internet which made even audio calls difficult and also the challenge of timezones when we were literally on the other side of the planet from most of the people I wanted to speak with.

But, we did manage to achieve something that I hope we'll do a few times on this trip, which is flipping briefly out of tourist mode and enjoying a place a little bit more like a local might, starting to normalise the noise and the dust and the motorbikes. This means spending a bit longer in one place, but it's worth it. We found a local, close to our first riad and ended up getting dinner takeaway (as many do, after the last call to prayer) three times during our stay, complementing that with a salad made from vegetables also bought from the nearest souk stall. It was great simple food for a price that had the decimal point in the wrong place compared to tourist prices. Elsewhere we found a funky cafe in the new part of the city which was a nice place to escape for lunch a couple of times when the medina got a bit too claustrophobic.

But, we didn't completely stop being tourists - things to remember in Marrakesh include the impossible blues of the Garden Majorelle (once owned by Yves Saint Laurant); a fun and delicious cooking class at Clock Cafe; and the delightful views over the old city from the top of the Photography Museum (where we were joined by our friends Nik and Ange from London) or the tower in the recently restored Jardin Secret.

During our time here I've noticed that I've stopped trying to think of this trip as a single thing and hold all of it in my head. It's good. It means I head to Italy feeling less anxious - no reason to stress about October while it's still April, eh?


"Birthday Orchid"

"Birthday Orchid"
"Birthday Orchid"

Sunday, January 24, 2016

"Sunshine's Promise"

While storms on the ocean are frightening, they are also exciting and
beautiful!  On spring break at Cocoa Beach, Florida, there was a dramatic
storm with much lightning.  As things broke up and the sun started to come
out, I saw the most beautiful rays from the sun peeking through the clouds,
 and knew it would be a fun and challenging watercolor project.


The Ustyurt Plateau

Plateau Ustyurt - Desert Between the Caspian and Aral Seas

Ustyurt is a plateau in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, located between the Mangyshlak and the Gulf of Kara-Bogaz-Gol in the west, the Aral Sea and Amu Darya delta in the east. The Ustyurt Plateau is a clay and stony desert with the total area of about 200 000 km². Also, there are areas of sandy desert. Very often Ustyurt is called the boundary separating Europe from Asia. The Ustyurt Plateau occupies a huge area between the Aral and Caspian Seas, and has a characteristic feature: the escarpment, a steep inaccessible slope with the height of about 150 m (the East Escarpment facing towards the Aral Sea, reaches 190 m). According to scientists, Ustyurt is the bottom of a dried-up sea, which existed here in the early and middle Cenozoic Era (21 million years ago).

This is evidenced by shell traces in the limestone, as well as ferromanganese nodules like billiard balls scattered across the plateau. These balls were formed on the bottom of the sea, and then, as more resistant to weathering, they left on the surface while other limestone and dolomites were eroded by water. Flat desert terrain broken by chalk deposits in the form of rocks and random cracks looks like the Martian landscape of Hollywood films and it seems that by an incredible chance you explore a different, unknown planet.

The Ustyurt Plateau is especially beautiful during sunrises and sunsets. The chalk rocks are an impressive picture at sunrise and sunset, when the white rocks are painted in purple colors. At first sight you may overlok flora and fauna of the Ustyurt. Gradually, getting used to the unusual weather conditions, you can see colonies of gerbils, ground squirrels and jerboas. This area is inhabited by many birds of prey, vultures and eagles, who proudly sit on the rocks of escarpments. You can also meet the saiga, although it is doubtful whether you succeed to make a photo of these shy and very fast animals. But travelers can take a picture of Ustyurt argali in their natural habitat. The presence of wild horses in the Ustyurt is the most surprising. People say that in former times there were farms of Kazakh nomads, but the horses became wild, and settled down on the plateau, where live so far.

Tags: Ustyurt Plateau


Exchanges / Session 3 / 21 March / 8 p.m.

Oier Etxeberria

Economic Agreement

In effect, a concert. It will talk aloud about the relation and parenthood between the musical instrument and musical reason; of ecstasy, hypnosis and hallucination. Acclamation, instead of democracy, as a unique way of administrating ourselves.

Oier Etxeberria - artist and musician


Oh how it has changed me.

Loving more…

photo credit:

Discovering Simplicity: Sustainable Living

Enter 7. Again.

Discovering Simplicity: Part 2

photo credit:

As you probably know, over the past few months God has been tuning my heart to hear what He has to say about excess and waste and greed and my role in all of it. I typically never thought of myself as greedy, but after analyzing my life, I realize that my actions have a tendency to show more self indulgence than they do generosity, more carelessness than intentionality. This stuff is counter-cultural to Jesus. He came and did everything with intention. He gave freely. He moved people. He changed lives. So we wanted to see if we could remove some of the dependence we have on food, on things that are unhealthy, and on cooking well (aka: spending money), and replace it with self-control and gratefulness for what we’ve been given. This is a huge lesson in stewardship and it was hard, but guess what??

We intentionally spent only $100 dollars on groceries for our home (actually it was $97, but who’s counting??), and it really, really worked. We didn’t go hungry, we didn’t lose weight, we just limited and cut back and had self control at the grocery store. It’s really amazing what can happen when we plan ahead, only go to the store for certain things, and cook creatively.

One caveat would be to say that we did eat out the same amount as we normally do (in April, this will be our target item to cut back on) and if we were in a hurry (meaning not if we ran out of food) we sometimes bought food/coffee at work. Mostly though, we tried to pack as much as we could, which meant that packing lunches was a part of the $100 goal.

This was an incredible month. We both stopped snacking, and we ate smaller portions, and we thought about and prayed for those who are hungry way more. We were grateful for every meal and it was amazing to find things to make for dinner even though we had “nothing to eat”… God wrecked me once again and I am so grateful that He did. This fast was incredibly successful and it’s my hope that He was glorified.

We would encourage as many people as we can to take a look at their lives and find one area where cutting back could be more helpful than harmful and challenge yourself and your family. Whatever your motivation: financial, awareness, simplicity– you will change through it for the better. I promise.

Some of our friends/family asked specifically how we made this work. Remember that we chose to only live off of 30% of our typical food budget, so creativity did occur, which made it a very fun project for me. So here are some tips on cutting back that really helped our success in this endeavor:

1) Pick 7 guideline foods. For us, we’ve used more than 7 in the end, but starting there gave us a foundation that was very helpful when shopping. None of these food were processed and many had “superfood” qualities. We got most of these foods from the book “7” which was the inspiration to the whole month. Our 7 foods were: chicken, avocado, apples, wheat bread, spinach, rice, and sweet potatoes. We added foods like cereal/oatmeal, grapefruit, and peanut butter/jelly, tuna, eggs, and yogurt, in order to accent the other items and to have more variety when it came to packing lunches/eating breakfast.

2) Eat smaller portions. We started using our salad plates as dinner plates and we filled them to create the illusion that we were eating more. This part is a mind game and it works. We ate the first plate of food as slowly as we could and had a rule that we could only go up for seconds (and the portions the second time around had to be smaller than the first– this worked most times because the portions I cooked were less too) and not thirds. We realized that sometimes going for seconds is about hunger and sometimes its about desire (and we still wanted to enjoy the food we cooked).

3) Eat less meat. We chose to make our food go further by cutting up chicken instead of eating it in whole breasts. Therefore 3 fresh chicken (skinless, boneless) tenders was enough to feed both of us when mixed with veggies and rice. This made the meat last longer in our freezer/refrigerator and we didn’t have to buy it each week which is a huge money saver.

4) Shop local. As much as we could, we used Central Market as our fruit and vegetable go-to place. Dan and I really like fruits and veggies, and we tend to spend a lot of our budget on this stuff at the grocery store. At market, we spent a total of 25$ there for the whole month and ate veggies every night and fruit daily. This called for extra planning since market is only open 3 days a week from morning to early afternoon, and my work schedule didn’t always comply.

5) Be on the same team. For most of this we were completely in unity. Dan was really on board with saving money and I was excited about living simply. This helped, because I can’t imagine trying to do this without him being into it. It also helped when one of us was really craving our favorite snack, or just really wanted to spend money and cook a nice meal, and we could remind each other what our goal was. For the most part, we had a lot of fun doing it together too!

Thank you to all of you who supported us through this. While we will not be holding strict to the $100 budget anymore, we do know that our goal is to maintain self control and learn from what we’ve been taught. This month we are going to be working on stewardship, and I will tell you a little more tomorrow about what that entails for us! We are excited to see what God will continually be doing in our lives!

Coming back from my two week writing hiatus because of exhaustion and busyness, and today happens to be Friday. On Fridays I like to stop, drop, and write for 5 minutes with no editing, back-tracking, and over-thinking. I’m doing it with the lovely ladies over at The Gypsy Mama.

There is an ache inside me and I’m not sure what it means. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember and I wish I could just figure it out. Sometimes I perceive it as a discontentment, sometimes a calling. Sometimes its just a yearning for more, for change, and sometimes I understand it as a simple need to roll down the windows and drive.

This ache moves me, and there is so much I just can’t figure out about it, that I hope I’m moving in the right direction. It’s the desire that spurs me to more– to be more, to do more, to love more, and to hear more. This ache can be so good, so well-used, and it can be so hard and so misunderstood.

It leads me to my passions and it determines what steps I take and I think that I misunderstand it because sometimes I say that it tells me things that I know it wouldn’t.

You see, this is a holy sort of thing, and sometimes I lay it on the dirt of my own desires and call it by names it would never answer to. And the aching is there and it wants to be used right.

I heard once that the place we are called is the place where our deepest longings and God’s holy desires are combined and in that we will be most satisfied.

And I search for that. For the finding of the fulfillment of  my ache within. And I know it will change, and I know it will grow, and that ache might never leave until we are fully dwelling in Him. So I ache for the day. And I’m learning to find it.