gear
Image by twintermute
took a group shot of everything that went all the way around the world with me (except the S300, obviously).
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this is only the stuff that took off from LAX for new zealand and arrived back at LAX from london. so, no guidebooks - we picked those up as we needed them and mailed them home as we were done. various other things were cut and sent home in packages, including a number of casualties in the ill-fated Second Australia Package - most famously the blank white cards deck, but also my statue of liberty shirt and a few other items.
DSC_4286.JPG
Image by Rich Gibson
You can buy internet access cards, CD roms, mice, even a usb web cam from a vending machine
11/22/2004 - Monday: in Rome Roma, the Vatican, train to Florence Firenze
tags: italy
Monday Reality
Left hotel a bit late...not too bad. Tried to get on the subway but there was a line up the stairs. We were going to take a bus, but then we got a cab. 10 euros to take a cab two metro stops...I sort of think that wasn't strictly kosher...but maybe it was. it was still fun. We got to go under a tunnel that we saw yesterday during our ordeal march of being lost.
the idea was to catch the capucin crypts on the way to the vatican. But they were closed...still. so we slipped down back into the subway. We had used our single use tickets when we were turned back by the line at the Termini station, but we decided that the moral constraints were met, so we slipped through and re-used the tickets to get to the vatican. AFter all, we had gone through the gate, but we hadn't gotten on a train...
so the train left at 4:48ish, maybe 4:47...basically right on time ...
Off we rushed to the Vatican museum. We arrived at 10:00...and the english tour was at 10:30, so just enough time to get oriented and rest a bit before the ordeal by marbel floor!
We had a nice tour guide. First she showed us a sort of parchement view of the sistine chapel-two rulls of text and pictures with details of the different scenes. She would wind it down to get the next view.
This was fascinating...I am phenomenally underinformed of art and cultural matters...it is almost a cliche to say that, but egads it it true.
on the other hand, there are things we know today that were unknown 200 years ago. Amazingly...apparantly the whole forum area was under dirt until 18-something. So much dirt that only the tops of the columns were exposed. and even now much remains.
The archeologists cringe over the techniques used to clear what is now exposed. There have been several recent archeological 'campaigns' among the ruins of palatine hill that have excavated pre-roman huts. one of the write ups discussed the findings of 27 flakes of flint, indicating tool maing. So infering thngs based on bits of things found...which is the whole point of archeology.
And it made me realize that they are not done excavating Rome Roma...an odd thing to realize, since only a moment's consideration would reveal how obvious that is! There are Indian mounds that the archeologists are intentionally leaving alone for now, with the expressed plan of letting future archeologists examine them when they have better techniques.
my ears are popping...and the gps lost its lock...I then look out and realize we are going through a tunnel. ah...sense is made.
maybe...perhaps it wasn't a tunnel...I can't tell. several more episodes of pressure changes are occuring.
There are sliding head rests on the cabin walls in back of the seats. they are padded and have vertical supports so that you can lean on them to sleep without falling into the window, or onto your neighbor. they slide up and down to allow you to adjust to your preferences.
We didn't see the capucini crypt, because it was closed, and it was getting dark as we got on the train, but we are doing pretty well.
The vatican tour took two hours...and it seemed that we were moving much of the time. they have these slick radio receivors so you can hear the tour guide even if you are in the next room back.
I had a strong response to a tapestry depicting the slaughter of the chilidren by herod. One baby is being held, barely, by its mother and a soldier has a dagger to the child's heart. The baby is about to die. Other mother's are using their bodies to shield their infants. it is truly horrible.
damn! the pressure changes are really frequent, and amazingly annoying.
I downloaded a bunch of stuff from 'hex'-a friend of Jo and Schuyler's. I'm reading
how to build a reality that doesn't fall apart two days later...file:///Users/admin/wa/web/downlode.org/etext/how_to_build.html
I'm on the train...fighting sleep. I need to pee, but to do that I worry I'll have to wake the gentleman seated in front of the door to our compartment.
passing through orte...at 5:27:00---possibly even got a track point. I had a signal for a moment.
well..more than a moment, but not too long. there is crying in the hall....
The GPS showed us going 115 mph, for a bit. not just one observation. interesting. fast.
The hall of maps was cool because I realized it was, or could have been, not about art and instead was about the simple matter of managing an empire.
I enjoyed the museum, duh, and the Sistine chapel...and then we climbed the dome! I loved that! I truly loved it. We got to the top and I could see radio vatican and the quiet parts of the vatican and various 'stuff.' I don't know why, but seeing vatican radio made me happy.
We descended...heather waited while i ran about St. Peter's one more time. I went back into the catecombs...and reflected again at st. peter's grave, and the crypts of the popes. different passageway's were open from last time...you went in and out on different sides. Saturday we went through more passageways, past bits of monuments, even broken bits, supposedly the memorials for past popes there had been recovered via archeological digs and the like...little rooms, with gates, and some stones mounted on the walls.
Today I looked through a grate and down at a compartment that seemed to be set up as a small chapel. maybe a particularly holy pope was buried there.
When they embalm a pope, or remove anything from one, they send the bits to a particular church in room so the bits don't become relics.
I was struck by how clean and non-catacomb like the area was that we were allowed to tour. There were passageways that looked like they might get more 'creepy' small and twisty, but it was all clean...I guess marble does that for you.
Heather was whipped. We walked the .4 miles to cafe ruggio (is that it? The antipasto bar place by gellati millenium. it is in the Rick steve's book. We tried for it Saturday, but it was still closed, and we tried today, but closed Monday. Both faux paws (sic) could have been avoided if we had looked at the book and actually _read_ that listign first.
I have so many books and things that I don't really need...
Well Heather felt really crappy...but we ate at the little place by millenium gellati. It was great. The woman dished me up two plates. First a bowl of pasta, and then a plate with veal, mushrooms, zucchine, and peas with ham. It was in little bowls and I got to pick...heather had a panini. I was jsut positive that I was suffering eyes bigger than my head syndRome Roma, but
(and here the laptop powered down, I was writing on the train, and now it is the next day and some, 1:20 am on the 24th) I ate everything, and had a gellato after. And we went to the big 'M.' We found the M, but there was no metro...it was up another block. We metroed to the train station. Identified a train time, then grabbed our stuff at the hotel.
We spent time at the internet cafe DSC_4285.JPG, DSC_4286.JPG, DSC_4287.JPG ... They didn't support ssh! well I finally did send an email to folks via the webmail at work.
Then the train! The train was great. And we whisked into Florence Firenze. We wandered streets for a bit, then I got lock on the GPS, and knew we were .15 miles, and we wandered. I didn't remember the street name (via nazzionale, #10), but when we stumbled onto it Heather identified it. And we were a half block away.
Check in went smoothly. We fooled around, and then took to the streets. We ate at trattoria Sostanza-Troia (see p285 of Rick Steves). There were tour de france pictures on the walls, and signed photos dating back. We enjoyed it! A bottle of table wine. Tortellini with a house sauce, and then pot roast with beans. Heather had a bean salad and a salad.
Then we wandered back and bought a bottle of wine and some chocolate. Heather studied our books, and I sort of watched the Tony Gatuf movie Swing. I think it was in Italian with French subtitles. After all of that Art, and trying to read the pictures, I watched it in a different way. Paying attention to the cultural signifiers and all of that jazz. Having thoughts like 'why did he frame that shot that way? What does that use of open space say?" etc...
XMAS 2011
Image by Cali4beach
Bentley thinks he's a present under the tree!
I would have liked this more if I had managed to fit the entire tree in, but the other photos with B under the tree weren't as good as this one. (The problem of taking photos of a subject who likes to move around a lot!)
**mydailyshoot #ds763-> Take a Christmas Card worthy photo today **
** Now that the Dailyshoot project has officially ended, I am continuing on by taking photos inspired by my own Dailyshoot ideas. *
Collier Magazine - 1951 ... Why doesn't my husband understand me? (July 25, 2011 / 23 Tammuz 5771) ...item 2.. Married Life -- but on Fridays, I play golf ...
Image by marsmet541
We know that marriage is about communication. If you have a need that you would like your husband to satisfy, tell him. If you have a mood you would like your husband to respond to, let him know.
You said he is a decent human being. I will assume he cares about you and wants the marriage to succeed. But you have to help him; you have to work with him.
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........***** All images are copyrighted by their respective authors .......
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.....item 1).... aish.com ... www.aish.com/ci/de ... HOME CURRENT ISSUES DEAR EMUNA ...
Dear Emuna: The Misunderstood Wife
Why doesn't my husband understand me?
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img code photo ... The Misunderstood Wife
media.aish.com/images/DearEMisunderstoodWife230x1.jpg
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July 25, 2011 / 23 Tammuz 5771
by Emuna Braverman
www.aish.com/ci/de/Dear_Emuna_The_Misunderstood_Wife.html
Dear Emuna,
I have been married for 10 years. My husband is a decent person and basically good husband but sometimes I get very frustrated. I feel that after all this time he should be able to understand my moods and needs without my always having to tell him. When he doesn’t, I get very hurt and end up lashing out.
What do you suggest?
-- Misunderstood Wife
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Dear Misunderstood,
I can’t state this often enough. Our husbands (or wives) are NOT mind readers. They do not instinctively know what we are thinking or what we need. It is an unfair and unrealistic expectation to place upon them. And it’s a complaint I hear all the time.
I’m not sure what the root of it is – perhaps some foolish romantic notion found in 19th century novels – but it has no basis in reality. And, more importantly, it is not a reflection of your husband’s love for you. It is not a litmus test of his true interest in your life. And it is destructive to you and your marriage to turn it into one.
Click here to receive Aish.com's free weekly email.
We know that marriage is about communication. If you have a need that you would like your husband to satisfy, tell him. If you have a mood you would like your husband to respond to, let him know. You said he is a decent human being. I will assume he cares about you and wants the marriage to succeed. But you have to help him; you have to work with him.
If you don’t want to be misunderstood, share your thoughts and give him the information he needs to understand you. Don’t allow romanticized notions of telepathic abilities to derail your relationship with your spouse. He wants to help you – but you have to let him in.
-- Emuna
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Dear Emuna
I realize that in marriage it "takes two to tango" and that both spouses need to take responsibility for the relationship. I do not intend to paint myself as the tzaddik who does no wrong as that's simply not true. I have made and continue to make my fair share of mistakes. However, I am struggling to know how to respond to my wife in the following scenarios.
1) My wife is carrying with her a lot of anger which I feel is poisoning her own peace of mind as well as affecting negatively our marriage and our kids. I often find myself walking on eggshells, not knowing what will trigger her anger next. Sometimes her anger has nothing to do with me and at other times I know that I say or do things to trigger it. Even when I may be the cause, I often feel that her level of anger in response is disproportionate. Her anger often expresses itself in passive-aggressive behavior. How can I help her and what would be the appropriate way to respond in these situations?
2) My wife complains frequently. I don't claim to be the best husband and father in the world, but I do try and yet nothing that I do seems to be "good enough". She generally seems to view the glass as half-empty as opposed to half-full. Perhaps it's my fault. Perhaps I need to focus on treating her better and then her complaints would gradually disappear. How could I respond appropriately?
-- Trying Hard
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Dear Trying Hard,
I heard a beautiful idea in a class recently. The teacher said that “marriage is the finishing school for your soul.” The challenges that our marriages present are opportunities for us to grow. And frequently the reason our spouses seem to push out buttons is because they’ve hit on the exact spot where we struggle the most. So take heart; if you work at it, the best is yet to come.
Let’s take question 2 first. Seeing the glass half-full or half-empty is often innate. People are usually born with a more pessimistic or a more optimistic perspective. Additionally the home we grow up in may reinforce or counter this viewpoint. If there was a lot of dissatisfaction in your wife’s family of origin, that may also have contributed to her half-empty outlook. This doesn’t mean that she – or you - is stuck. It means that you need to begin with some empathy and understanding. It means that someone with a half-empty world view will need to work hard to change it – and will need a lot of support in so doing.
Try to be patient with her complaints. Try to respond humorously to help her gain some perspective and maybe even laugh at herself. Give her frequent compliments so she can experience the power of praise versus negativity. And if she is receptive, maybe you could even study together the topic of trusting in God and recognizing that everyone has exactly what they need. You are not responsible for her attitude but, hopefully, these tips will help you respond in a way that is more appropriate and more helpful to your wife.
With respect to her anger, the last point applies here as well. Try not to react with anger yourself. Try not to react defensively (I know this is difficult). Try to have empathy for whatever underlying pain has created this feeling in your partner. And try to find a quiet time (maybe take her out for a little while) to gently raise the issue and discuss it calmly. I assume it’s not a feeling she enjoys and that she feels trapped and confused. Explore together how you can both help her move on from this negative place. If you are both united in this effort, I’m sure you will experience positive results.
-- Emuna
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Dear Emuna,
I am a happily married man. I have a wonderful wife, well-adjusted children, a nice home and a good job. I seem to “have it all”. Yet I’m tormented inside because I feel like I present a perfect image on the surface yet underneath I am riddled with insecurity, petty concerns and other selfish traits. I am afraid that if my wife finds out, the whole house of cards will come tumbling down. But I’m having a hard time keeping up the front. Can you help me before I crack?
-- Outer Image
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Dear Outer and Inner,
I actually think I can. You don’t say how long you’ve been married but since you mention more than one child, I can assume at least a few years. So I’m going to let you in on a secret. Whatever you think you’re hiding, your wife already knows! The Torah informs us that women are endowed with bina yesera, an extra dose of perceptiveness. They see people very clearly. Your wife lives with you. She knows you like no one else. She sees your strengths and your vulnerabilities.
And it’s okay. She knows you’re not perfect. She knows you are human with all that implies. She recognizes your faults. But she doesn’t judge you for them or associate you with them. She focuses on the good – and you should too. She accepts the whole package and would laugh away your concerns. No one is perfect – not ourselves, not our spouses, not our children. But when we love, we put our emphasis and focus on the positive and play down the negative. It sounds like you’re a lucky man. Don’t waste the blessing in your life by being too naïve about marriage (and your wife!) to relax and enjoy it.
-- Emuna
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.....item 2).... Married Life !!!
After 35 years of marriage, a husband and wife came for counseling. When asked what the problem was, the wife went into a tirade listing every problem they had ever had in the years they had been married.
On and on and on: neglect, lack of intimacy, emptiness, loneliness, feeling unloved and unlovable, an entire laundry list of unmet needs she had endured.
Finally, after allowing this for a sufficient length of time, the therapist got up, walked around the desk and after asking the wife to stand, he embraced and kissed her long and passionately as her husband watched - with a raised eyebrow.
The woman shut up and quietly sat down as though in a daze.
The therapist turned to the husband and said, "This is what your wife needs at least 3 times a week. Can you do this?"
“Well, I can drop her off here on Mondays and Wednesdays, but on Fridays, I play golf.”
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MOOebius
Image by mortimer?
"The Möbius strip or Möbius band (pronounced /ˈmøbiʊs/) is a surface with only one side and only one boundary component. It has the mathematical property of being non-orientable. It is also a ruled surface.
[...]
The Möbius strip has several curious properties.
A Möbius strip can be made by joining the ends of a strip of paper with a half-twist. A line drawn starting from the seam down the middle will meet back at the seam but at the "other side". If continued the line will meet the starting point and will double the length of the original strip of paper. This single contiguous curve demonstrates that the Möbius strip has only one boundary.
"
From: Moëbius Strip
I finally had (Well, Tigereye gave it to me) an idea of what I could do with my MOO minicards: A MOOebius strip.
The cards are attached together with the great Lomo Foto Clips I just received.
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