Back in the mood

Never trust 000webhost.com or hosting24.com

2009-05-19T00:28:00.003+02:00

I used to post here. After a while, I realized that as a photographer it was better for me to have a photoblog, so I decided to have two sites: a photoblog (www.twistedeye.com.ar) and a blog (www.backinthemood.com.ar).

I've researched a long time, and decided to use Pixelpost as the photoblog software, and Wordpress for the blog. Since I was unsure of my capacity to setup both sites, I decided to go forward with a free web hosting solution, and after a while I decided to go with 000webhost, basically because of their offered capacity.

I've created both sites in a few days, but after some weeks it was clear that I was more into updating my photoblog than my blog.

I was not a regular person, posting every day, but I had my periods, and in one year I posted around 85 pictures. That's a lot of work. In the meantime, I registered my site on photoblogs.org, coolphotoblohs, photos.vfxy.com, etc., so I started to have a lot of visits.

In the last month only I had more than 100 different visitors per day (as per Google Analytics).

In the meantime, I didn't make any decission about my hosting solution. 000webhost seemed to work ok, a little bit slow from time to time, and with lot of downtimes due to a poor SQL hosting service. I was considering going all the way to hosting24.com, their paid site, but then things started to go wrong. Terribly wrong.

Two weeks ago there was a major down time. For almost two days. I don't know what happened, probably one of their servers was down. Two days is a lot of time. There was a text explaining that one of the servers (server27) was down, but that was not the server where my site was hosted (server14), so I went to the help desk service and posted a ticket. The answer was that they knew about the problem and that they were working on it. They took their time, but sometime after almost 2 days the problem was over. In the meantime, my site was down for almost 2 days.

One week ago, again with the same problem. The service was down and my site wasn't working. I went to the help desk again, after 5 hours of my site being absolutely down, and posted a new ticket. The answer was quite fast, letting me know that a disk was broken and that they were working in the problem and in 5 hours everything was going to be ok. They asked me not to ask again because I was making them loose time.

After 12 more hours, nothing was going on. Since I had lot of visits, I know this was really bad for my site. You cannot be 17 hours down, twice in almost a week. So since the original 5 hours were due long ago, I decided to ask what was going on, replying to the ticket that they ask me not to reply. I also told them that I appreciated their service but that was not good enough for my needs, and that I wanted to have access to my files make a backup and probably move to a more trustable hosting service.

Their answer was fast. They cancelled my account. They did it even without telling me the reason. I've lost everything. My work of 1 year in this site, the comments of my visitors, my pictures, the web design, everything. They gave me no access to my site again. Not even to ask them what happened. I keep posting notes on the Contact form, but they don't even bother in reply to me.

Long story short: if you trust them, you know what you get. This is an advice: Your effort is to valuable to put it in the hands of these thieves. Don't trust them. Don't recommend them. Don't use them.

Ariel.

Moving forward, moving out

2008-07-31T22:53:00.003+02:00

This eclectic blog is muting in blogspot, only to get his own new domain.
Please continue reading it in its new address:

http://www.backinthemood.com.ar

The design is still lame, but I will be working on that (very slowly, in fact).

Thanks!!
Ariel.

Again, where in Paris?

2008-07-31T13:44:00.001+02:00

This is a test

Endless. Pointless?

2008-07-21T01:22:00.002+02:00

Camino de Santiago, June 2006

Back in the road. All over again. Same old road, same step after step. Yes, the process is gratifying. Yes, it's all about the experience.
Is it?
There is no option. To answer the question I'll have to walk it. Again.

Se tudo pode acontecer (A lightning in the dark)

2008-07-17T23:16:00.006+02:00

If there is an idea that some of us tend to believe is that everyone is born with one gift, and a bunch of defects. It's up to us to search and find that gift, as well as correct the defects, in order to shine in our own particular way in this world.
For some of us, mere mortals, this is a life lasting task, which normally ends up in spotted shiny moments and a significant number of darker ones.
For Arnaldo Antunes, for evident reasons, this was an easier task. His voice is his natural talent. His evident talent, his gift.
But this gift is not a normal one. He is not Whitney Houston. Once you hear him once, you will recognize him forever. Undoubtedly, he has one of the deeper voices you will ever hear.
For some of us, that gift would be more than enough to feel satisfied in life, but not for Arnaldo. He is also a perfectionist. A perfectionist of the language, an instigator of unexpected images. He delights himself by finding the greatest combination of words, an unexpected parallel universe that, together with his voice, rocks your senses, from the basement to the top of your head.
If, as his song says, anything can happen, his leit motiv would be "let's make it happen".

His last work, Live in Studio (Ao vivo no estudio) is many of those things. It's a live album, recorded in a studio. It's also an opportunity to revisit his previous album with slightly different arrangements. But among this things, it's also the enjoyment of listening to a man that strongly believes in what he says and what he creates. A man that is used to transform any possible defect in a gift that it's almost as powerful as his natural gift. A man, transformed into a poet. A deep voice poet.

Enjoy him:

Se tudo pode acontecer

Contato imediato

London suit

2008-07-16T00:37:00.002+02:00

Ealing, London, June 2008

Canterville was a little bit far away, so definitively was not that ghost who left it there. Could have been any other ghost, probably not so famous as the Canterville one, but in that case, this wouldn't be relevant at all.
Let's say that this is Guy Ritchie's suit. Yes, this is totally confirmed. He was filming around the area (Ealing), and with so many cameras, and people, and expensive things to care about, he just forgot his suit. It could have happened to anyone. It happened to Mr. Ritchie.
By the way, I will sell it on eBay, so if you want it, just let me know.

Little car in Paris

2008-07-15T01:50:00.002+02:00

Paris, June 2008

Let's end up with the big lie that ruled our world for decades! One size fits all concept was created by somebody tall and fit!
This is what Jerome Malaver, a short Parisian engineer thought not so long ago. Despite being short and unattractive, he was self confident. So he used to go out every night, seducing a wide range of women who were easily attracted by his magnetism and charm.
But the world was unfair with little Jerome. Cars were like submarines too him, and cloths were specially design to fit his needs.
He was tired of feeling short in his car, so he invented his own. The little Malaver, presented in the picture above, was the famous partner on his dandy adventures until the moment of his premature death.
He got hit by a tramway in 1965, dying immediately in the accident. Car was reconstructed, and is now property of Pierre Richard, famous french actor and known car collector.

Costanera Sur

2008-07-11T00:50:00.001+02:00

Tourist beach essay

2008-07-10T00:43:00.002+02:00

Menorca, Spain (Sept. 2006)

Tilt shif lens experiment.

Cloud 8Xtr920prrrrr

2008-07-08T23:25:00.003+02:00

Ljubljana, Slovenia (Nov. 2007)

According to sources related to an important leak in concentric spheres of the government, an independent unidentified organization related to philanthropic private initiatives has started yesterday the most detailed and pretend-to-be most accurate identification and classification system of all clouds around the globe. According to a never probed theory by Albert J. Armand, legendary riverbank philosopher, clouds are believed to have a life form of its own, are susceptible to external stimulus, and have a very irritable primitive form of nervous system.
Cloud 8Xtr920prrrrrm, shown above, has been registered as born in the proximity of Slovenian capital Ljubljana. Aged 3, it's suspected participation on two hurricanes (names are filed under secret data platforms) around the Cuban capital, La Habana, and in the latest thunderstorms that almost ended in a severe plane crash in Hamburg, Germany, are yet to be probed.

Are you talking to me?

2008-07-08T00:58:00.003+02:00

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dec. 2002

Look. I am trying to make a point here.
I cannot speak, as you know. So my forms of communication are more subtle.
Just watch my position. Am I facing to you? I mean, look at my legs. It's so evident! Well, at least for me, of course, what can I expect from you.
I am just not interested. Not at all. So... STOP FOLLOWING ME WITH THAT FUCKING CAMERA, YOU MORON!!
Perhaps it's more clear now? I think so.

I just HATE to use such obvious ways to communicate myself....

(Ona dixit)

Funky Big Bang

2008-07-06T21:17:00.002+02:00

Pretty dark times seem to come over the horizon.

I think it's just a question of mood. Let's challenge theories. Let's spice things up! Show to the world that you don't agree with the pessimism epidemy.

I picked up "Big Bang". This is my version.

First drawing 100% created by me.

Roubado do Hotel Ideal (Stolen from Hotel Ideal)

2008-07-04T22:41:00.002+02:00

Manaos, Brasil, June 2003

Awareness.

Or how to easily jump the thin line that separates the present from the future.

Hardly can we predict something about ourselves for the nearest future.

But that's not the truth for all of us. Some, a few, can tell without any knowledge in astronomy, where the Southern Cross will be located in the sky next Tuesday, 9:00PM.
Others, probably a bunch of people that can be counted with the fingers of one hand, possess the exact hour and day in which all existing birds will cease to exist over planet Earth.
Some believe that there is one person that knows the results of any football game that will be played from here to eternity.
Others believe that there is one person that knows exactly which sheet will be stolen in a centric hotel in Manaos, Brasil.

Sunset in Stuttgart

2008-06-10T09:08:00.003+02:00

Stuttgart, Germany, June 2008

Waking up from the discontent. Realizing there's a world around us. Realizing the world.
I wish I was you in that sunset. I wish I could watch it with your eyes, feel what you feel. Was it comforting?

What you see is what you get

2007-11-28T15:35:00.001+01:00

Ljubljana, Slovenia, Nov. 2007

As I said before, Ljubljana gets filled with friendly ghosts that wander the streets at night, looking for a place to sleep and trying not to disturb the new owners of their previously owned houses (when they were alive, of course).

But those are not the only ghosts you get to see around here.

A ghost can be an image that reminds us of somebody from the past. They are there because we still fear them, or because we just cannot let them go. Those ghosts are around because we want them to.
But if ghosts are an image of something that existed in the past, then we may be surrounded by ghosts all around.
Centromerkur (or Urbanc House), for example, is both a ghost, and a real presence. It's located in the corner of Presernov trg. It's a beautiful and well preserved building, constructed at the beginning of the twentieth century, with the only purpose of holding the first department store in Ljubljana.
Why a ghost? Definitively it's an image of something that existed in the past. It's an image that brings us to the present the daily life of people living hundred years ago in this very same place. Looking at it, we see the image of a lifestyle that, having physical presence in the present, has been long gone in the past.
But if you still need a scary look to properly call it a ghost, just stand below the glass canopy and look upside down. That will give you the effect, and validate the definition.

Frozen Ljubljana

2007-11-27T00:14:00.001+01:00

Ljubljana, Slovenia, Nov. 2007

When you come from places with mild winters, you are scare of this moment. You know it's going to come, and you know that you will survive it. But the fear doesn't go away.
The cold has come to Ljubljana. Real cold, the one that puts the thermometer upside down, with temperatures below zero. But instead of being a moment to suffer, it's just another moment of beauty. The color of the light change its hue to a colder palette, the naked trees show forms that reminds mathematical graphs, and all things around go through this metamorphosis that slightly shifts the way they look. In this way, the fear leaves its way to curiosity.
Stay tuned. More winter to come.

Ghosts in Preseren square

2007-11-26T23:56:00.001+01:00

Preseren Square, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Nov. 2007

When night falls in Ljubljana, people go to sleep. They don't go because they are tired, or because they have to wake up early the next morning. They go to sleep because the city doesn't belong to them at night.
At night, previous owners of the ancient buildings wonder around the city, at slow pace, asking themselves were to sleep. People in Ljubljana are friendly. Ghosts are as friendly as they were in their human lives. That's why they don't show themselves on their previously owned houses. They don't want to scare new owners, or their kids. That's the secret of the pact. People stay in their houses, so ghosts are free to wonder around the city. That's the least they could ask for.

Where the world changed the colours

2007-11-21T00:46:00.001+01:00

Novigrad, Croatia, Nov. 2007

Nothing is infinite. Everything has a beginning and an end. Berlin's wall, 11-S, Mexico '86. The world, as we knew it, cease to exist. Some are lucky enough to witness such transcendent moments. The rest of us enjoy the small ends, the repeated beginnings. Less is less, but still enjoyable.

Things that happen while you're at home watching TV

2007-11-20T23:16:00.001+01:00

Ljubljana, Slovenia, Nov. 2007

Actually, I was at home watching TV. Luckily I realized that a funny light was coming from outside, so I took my 'always ready to shoot' camera and came up with something like this.

Clouds over Ljubljana II

2007-11-18T11:34:00.001+01:00

Ljubljana, Slovenia, Nov. 2007

Now it's rainy, almost snowy outside. My eyes can hardly go beyond 10 meters. Everything else is white. White fog, white snow, white vision. But sometimes, when it's not like that, it looks like this.

Instructions on how to get the good old mood back

2007-11-16T08:19:00.001+01:00

Poreč, Croatia, Nov. 2007

As it appears, this blog only get posts when I am in the mood to do it. And this doesn't happen very often. It's like a wave, it comes and go in chunks... a few posts last month, nothing afterwards, then a few posts again...
Only this time is not about the mood. I have just too much work. This doesn't help very much to get any kind of creativity, so don't expect much from me for the rest of the year.
That being said, I still hope to come back with a few surprise posts, so I wouldn't give up on this site at all. Keep your fingers alerts, and your history of visits enabled, so before you start, everyday, you just type backint and your friendly browser will help you complete the name and take you to this wonderful site.
Keep the good work!

Nothingness, or small Immensity called Utopia

2007-10-23T10:58:00.001+02:00

Lençois Maranhenses, MA, Brazil, July 2003

Utopia is a popular word used to describe an ideal society. But the origin of the word can also be interpreted as "non existing place".

For me Utopia is an empty place, like an empty canvas. A place to start from scratch. It's where we have the opportunity to change things back to where we fucked it all up. It's an immense desert, where we can be aware of our nothingness.

When I search for Utopia, I search for the unexplored places, the unknown gestures, the unspoken words, the unlimited land of nothing. I search back for our nothingness.

Cyclops City

2007-10-22T18:23:00.001+02:00

London, U.K., Feb. 2006

They say Cyclopes were giants with only one eye. So it's fair to think about London as the Cyclops City. It's definitively giant, and surely has one eye. Funny thing is that this only eye is a blinded one, so in order for London to survive the myth of being a Cyclops they replaced the inability to see with millions of cameras disseminated all around the city, so the blinded Cyclops it's really the open eye monster, where everything can be seen, where the tracks are not lost, but saved.
Think twice before doing anything in London. The Cyclops is looking at you.

Moonlightning

2007-10-17T23:13:00.001+02:00

Tivoli Park, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Oct. 2007

I went back to Tivoli today. We went together with Kam, to take pictures and learn a little bit more. This night, the same one that started in Tivoli a few hours ago, it's already in Flickr. Forever. Pretty good, isn't it?

Not in a million years!

2007-10-17T14:51:00.000+02:00

Lilly Allen is popular. Actually, very popular. Everything that can be said about her has probably been said already. So if you live inside a cave and you have not heard about her yet, please google her name and you will find loads of biographies, information and so on. Of course, just if you care enough to do it so, otherwise feel free to keep yourself virgin of Lilly Allen.

This post is not really about her, it's just about one of the songs that you can find on her new album. It's called 'Knock'em out'.

If you are a man (even more so if you are a teenager man) you have been probably in the mood for dating, at least once in your life. As you know, dating is not an easy thing unless you are Brad Pitt or Serge Gainsbourg (and a few other millions that are handsome/rich/smart/whatever enough to attract hundreds of women at the same time). Not being one of these guys makes things more complicated. You will have to relay on any of your 'above average' techniques or attributes in order to stop being one in a million and start to be seen as the 'special' one. Still, not an easy thing to do. Not at least if you lack the minimum self confidence required.
But let's say that you are good enough to sort out these difficulties and you feel all ready to go out for some 'hunting'. What do you do? Normally you end up in a bar or a disco, with some friends, a beer in your hand and an overwhelming desire to get laid. That will probably lead you to the ladies. Any ladies. At that moment, you are a man looking for action. You're a hunter. As we said before, you feel self confident because you know you have '\something special' that will drive the most beautiful girls towards your bed. This, could be well said, is a proper description of how you feel about yourself at that moment.

If you have been out there, you know that what you feel, and what women see is not exactly the same. And that's where Lilly Allen's song comes into play. Please, listen to it:

So, now back into our small analysis. From 1 to 10, how much do you feel identified with this situation? How many times did you get some of these 'creative' answers from a lady?

Conclusion: Lilly Allen wrote this brilliant, catchy, ironic song to complain about you. Yes, you. This song is nothing more than a mirror where you can see the other half, you can see how some women feel when you approach them all confident and horny. It doesn't leave us man in a very good position, but for sure it will make you smile and think about more creative ways to approach them.

Hyde Park, or example of how to fear

2007-10-17T08:12:00.001+02:00

Hyde Park, London, UK, April 2007

A possible nightmare example would be depicted by sudden clouds turning everything dark and moody. Add some trees waved by the wind, and you will get an instant feeling of 'Something is going to happen here'. Add some sun light to this creepy landscape, and you will get a wonderful picture. But still, don't feel confident. Something is going to happen.

Tivoli (III)

2007-10-16T23:39:00.001+02:00

Tivoli Park, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Sep. 2007

It looks like a setup. Those colors cannot be natural, and the same applies to the simmetries. But things are there to proof that we are wrong. In its unpredictable sort of way, life gets organized from time to time.

Ljubljanica river side

2007-10-16T23:19:00.001+02:00

Riverside, Ljubljana. Summer is long gone, and first signs of real cold are making serious appearances, specially in the morning.

But we still have the afternoon.

In the afternoon we can still seat at the side of the river, next to the weeping willows, and enjoy some time thinking that the good times are not really gone. Of course, until the sun falls and the good times are off, at least until tomorrow, same time, shorter length...

Fall in Tivoli

2007-10-14T01:40:00.001+02:00

Yes, indeed. Fall is all around. Also in Tivoli Park.

Fall is here

2007-10-14T01:38:00.001+02:00

If colder weather was not enough sign for some of you, maybe these colors all around will do the job. Fall is here!! You like it or not, this is the subject to come for the next months. You like it or not.

Velika Planina I

2007-09-17T21:05:00.001+02:00

First post of pictures about Velika Planina, in Slovenia. Ski resort in winter, and also fantastic place to hang around in Summer time. Enjoy!

Tree on fire rehearsal

2007-09-16T15:10:00.001+02:00

Sometimes things happen without us having any notice. Is this an evidence of the existence of a parallel world? Maybe. Or maybe somebody up there is making us part of its rehearsal, on this big scenario of life...

PS: This foto is for real, not a Photoshop creation or something like that. Same sunset moment as the posting with the dragon...

"Some a some a some I murdeeeer, Some a some I let gooo..."

2007-09-16T12:43:00.000+02:00

So, M.I.A. came back to the game.

If you don't know M.I.A., a very brief biography would say that she is a musician named Mathangi Arulpragasam. She has been born in London in 1977 from a family originally from Sri Lanka, and she spent part of her childhood back in Sri Lanka, where her father was a militant of the Tamil group. After a few years she went back to London, where she studied fine arts, film and video.

'Kala', her second album after the succesful 'Arular', is the evidence of her talent, and the confirmation that the originality and strength of the first record was not just a coincidence.

But 'Kala', for me, is Paper planes, a violent song written to express the worst nightmare of a society that feels immigration as a threat.
If you need to express violence in a song, just ask M.I.A., she will tell you how. Just give it a try:

This is what M.I.A. has to say about the inspiration for this song:

"I was going to get patties at my local and just thinking that really the worst thing that anyone can say [to someone these days] is some shit like: ”What I wanna do is come and get your money.” People don’t really feel like immigrants or refugees contribute to culture in any way. That they’re just leeches that suck from whatever. So in the song I say All I wanna do is [sound of gun shooting and reloading, cash register opening] and take your money. I did it in sound effects. It’s up to you how you want to interpret. America is so obsessed with money, I’m sure they’ll get it. "

The Dragon is back

2007-09-16T11:56:00.001+02:00

Not in the mood. Holidays, laziness, lack of subject, blah, blah, blah
But now I am back. As a dragon, to spit my fire!

Standalone

2007-08-02T06:00:00.000+02:00

Let's enlarge the clouds collection.

This one was taken a couple of years ago, in central square of Guanajuato, Mexico. As a solitaire cloud, it really has a good attitude.

Micro climate

2007-08-01T09:17:00.001+02:00

Summer in Ljubljana. Hot temperature, as the almighty sun heats the city during the long hours of daylight. Not so many cloudy days, and even fewer rainy ones. This, could be well said, is the general situation in Ljubljana at the end of July 2007.

But let me correct myself. I would like to emphasize the word general. When I say general, I might say average, or maybe "the situation that you might find almost everywhere in the city". So, almost everywhere in Ljubljana we get good weather is a better way to say it.

The areas excluded by the word almost are the ones that we want to talk about. The ones with their own micro climate just inside the city. Up to now I only know one of such areas, and as far as I am concerned it's a brand new one. And it's in Prešeren Square, just in the city center.

How is it like to be there? Doesn't matter how hot and sunny the city is. In this small portion of the square, you will get rain. Unfortunately, weather forecasts on Internet and on TV are still not aware of it, so pay attention while walking in this area! Fortunately, some signs are there to warn us about the possibility of getting wet.

Unlike other micro climate areas, this an artificial one. It was created by the hand of clever Slovenian artist Zmago Modic, responsible of many other performances and installations in the city center. One of the signs states "The area with Ljubljana's own weather", so let's consider it the name of the œuvre. Well done!

French word of mouth: Camille Dalmais

2007-07-31T17:23:00.000+02:00

If you are rather conservative while picking up new music to hear, please go no further. This is not for you.

Ok, so you are open to be surprised by new sounds and styles. That's great. So what if I tell you that the album that I am going to review is composed by a single note? Doesn't sound soooo interesting, I know. Well, that's right. The album is composed by a single note that will play since the beginning of the record, and won't stop until the end. That's what, in french, Camille calls Le fil, The thread.
But my question was a tricky one. The note is there, but fortunately it's not the only thing you will be listening to. You will also get a striking voice that is used not only to sing the lyrics of the song, but also to play most of the instruments. This has been done many times already by many groups and singers, like Björk in her previous album, Medulla. But in this case, I have to say that I find this album more enjoyable and easier to listen.

Le Fil was released in 2005, and Camille has been playing it in concerts all around Europe, North and South America and even Asia. So, old album already. The only reason why I am mentioning it is because I think is just one of the best albums released on the last years.

Here are some extracts of the album review done by Mike Schiller, from Popmatters.com:

"Camille makes nearly all of the sounds on her album with her voice, and manages to create something texturally interesting and incredibly accessible. It’s no small feat, to be sure, and you’ll find yourself listening over and over again just trying to figure out the inspiration, not to mention the methods, behind some of these arrangements."

So I suggest you should stop reading and give her a try. This is the opening song of the album:

If you like it, there is more to enjoy her. Actually, I don't think that listening to her gives you the full experience, so I suggest you should also see her. This video corresponds to the song Ta douleur, and I am sure it will give you a good idea of who are we talking about:

Finally, if you are really into her and you would like to go on enjoying her style, watch this absolutely amazing performance of Au Port:

Forbidden project - Part 2

2007-07-30T09:47:00.001+02:00

Back to forbidden things to do or bring while entering shops in Ljubljana.

I've doing some research around the city, with very interesting results. I was not sure how to publish this. Should I do a statistical count of forbidden things? Should I just focus on some outstanding cases? Well, let's see, I am not sure yet.

Generally speaking, it is forbidden to smoke inside places. This, we could say, it's the common rule. You won't find a place that forbids to enter walking upside down with your hands, without also forbidding to smoke. So, remember, don't smoke, even on cigar shops!!

Second general rule: Dogs. You can have a dog, that's not a problem. But you cannot bring it into places. You can be with him only at your house, or in the street.

Let's say you come back from work and you want to award your dog with a nice walk. Let's also say that, while your dog is doing his thing under a tree, you notice that wonderful shirt that you wanted to buy on the shop window across the street, with a nice discount on the price. So, you pull the dog's lead and run with him to the shop, to buy the shirt. Here, my friend, is when you have to stop and think. This is "the" crucial moment. Even though you're all excited about the discount, and you get anxious because they might run out of shirts for your size in any second, you have to calm down and carefully watch the shop's door before entering. Look thoroughly. Are you 100% compliant with the rules? Do you have any cigarette lighted in your hand maybe? Or maybe a dog? Do you have a dog with you? Ok! Let's get rid of him, because he cannot come in with you! Unless, of course, you want to push yourself into a violent situation with the employees.
Let's be honest. This rule does not apply only for Ljubljana, it's common to find it in many other cities, specially in food places like bars or restaurants.

But in any case, if you have a shop and find yourself needing to forbid dog's entering on it, would you use this sign?:

Besides the pipe and the roller blade, you have a beautiful little puppet with a red forbidden sign on it. That's not just a dog. It's a little puppet. And if you look closer, you'll see that he's moving his tail. This is mean!! It doesn't just imply that you cannot enter with dogs. They want to emphasize that, even if you have an innocent small, super cute baby puppet willing to play and make new friends, it is FORBIDDEN to let him in. Doesn't matter how cute he is. Yes, that's cruel and, of course, mean.

Same applies to this one:

Again, look at the dog. What does it mean? Does this apply for all dogs? Or they have specifically something against fox terriers? (well, it seems like a fox terrier to me!) It's not clear at all.

But let's put dogs on the side for a moment, and let's focus on other dangerous things that are more specific to Ljubljana. Roller blades, for example.

You will find it's forbidden to enter roller blades almost everywhere. So, why roller blades and not ostentatious multi colored Nike boots, for example? Well, because they are not forbidden based on fashion horrors (although they should be). Since the city has reserved paths, it's common to see people using them everywhere to move around. Everywhere, but on shops. I mean, the idea is great. You want to go to the grocery store, so you put your roller blades on, use the designed path and get there in a couple of minutes. Once there, you have to take them off to enter the shop.
The basic message would be: You can hurt yourself, hurt anybody else or break anything while using them on the street, but don't even think about creating any kind of problems inside my shop. So, even I know it's very uncomfortable for you, if you want to enter, take them off!!
Very impolite, don't you think?

So, up to now, no smoking, no dogs, no roller blades. Anything else? Yes, still a few things to take care of before entering a shop. One of them it's also very common in Ljubljana and if you are into details, you may have noticed a couple of them on previous pictures. Yes, we are talking about ice creams.

I have an explanation. Maybe it's not the right one, but let's give it a try. For what I've seen, people in Ljubljana like ice cream very much. They eat lots of ice cream. During hot season you can buy it everywhere, almost in every corner. Of course, that's only during the hot season. Since here in Ljubljana hot season doesn't last for long, they need to satisfy their need for ice cream in a short period of time.
Why is that a problem? I guess that the problem is not related with people eating ice cream, but with people having ice cream in their hands, but not eating it. It basically melts. And melted ice cream is known to be dangerous.

So, if you want to stay safe, DON'T enter with ice creams!!

Finally, a couple of additional things. Let's say it's ok to have some common rules to avoid problems. But what happens when you get picky?

At the end, you need a tutorial book to enter each place. Sounds a little bit rude. Why being so specific? What do you have against hot dogs or plastic cups? And mobile phones?

Last, but not least, people has its own judgment about what is the right or wrong thing to do in certain places. This was found on the street:

That's it for today!!

Ljubljana rain

2007-07-27T15:11:00.001+02:00

It could have been a simple, unpretentious rainy moment.

But instead it was a shiny, bright, delightful rainy moment in Ljubljana, city of wonders.
That's how things get done here.

Prešernov trg

2007-07-26T14:35:00.000+02:00

It's highly probable that you have no idea what I am talking about. Of course, that's only if you don't speak Slovenian.

Prešernov trg, or Prešeren Square, is the main square in Ljubljana. It's also the heart of the city, and where most social events happens. This is the most common meeting point when you go out with friends, and also the place where you find the biggest number of tourists. If you have not seen Prešernov trg, you have never been in Ljubljana.

The square's name is a tribute to France Prešeren, considered the most important poet in the history of Slovenia and one of the most important european poets that followed the Romantic school. To complete the tribute, a huge statue with his figure stands erected below his inspirational muse at one of the sides of the square.

Besides Prešeren statue, the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation stands as an icon in front of the square, flooding it with its eclectic character, a mix of solemnity coming from its baroque architecture, and informality provided by its pinkish color.

Other important buildings, like the Central Pharmacy and the first department store of Ljubljana complete the architecture of the square on the east side. On the south side, the Ljubljanica river shapes the other end of the square, crowned by three bridges that connects it with the old town.

Natural High: Sainkho Namtchylak

2007-07-25T12:52:00.000+02:00

There is music, and there are many other things.
Among these many other things, there is Sainkho.

First experience with her is far beyond what could be called a musical one. Natural reaction while hearing her songs is a mixed baggage of astonishment, amusement and joy. Her music is in the border, sometimes difficult to hear, sometimes wonderful. All in the same song. You could be loving her for what you hear in one second, and wanting to cover your ears with your hands in the next one, just because it's too much.

Let's start from the beginning. Sainkho was born in Tuva, an autonomous Russian republic north of Mongolia and south of Siberia. That's far away, from an occidental perspective. You could say that literally and metaphorically. Tuva is not famous worldwide for many things, although they are known as one of the main regions where throat singing is more popular. That was the influence that marked her musical roots and set the base for her singing and composition style.

While studying in Moscow, and also after graduation, she was influenced by other music forms, like jazz and classical, that helped her to craft the blend of styles she has shown later on each one of her multiple albums.
She lives actually in Vienna, and periodically releases new records which normally have two things in common: her tuvan roots and an unclassifiable mix of styles both in her singing and in her compositions.

"Stepmother city", released in 2002, is probably her most accessible (easy to listen) album. "Dance of eagle", as its opening song (after a short instrumental introduction) is a good example of how listening to her can show you that not everything has been written yet when we talk about music styles.
Pay attention to the rather "strange" sounds you hear along the song. This is Sainkho doing her well known throat singing.

Enjoy!

Self criticism

2007-07-24T16:26:00.000+02:00

Ok, I admit it. The last one was not the best post ever. Far from it. Let's say it was not good.

Let's be honest. It was terrible. I mean, what was I thinking???? A cooked fish and a salad???? Is this the worst post ever in the history of all the blogs or am I wrong?

I feel so bad. Soooooooo bad. It was about pictures, mainly. I have lost my track. I know. So early and I am lost already.

Give me some room for improvement. Please. Good things will come soon. Believe me. This was nothing to write home about. I know. But it will get better.

In the meantime, let me make it up to you. Is this a better fish? I am sure it is!! Sorry for the last one:

See you soon!

In the mood for: Fish & Chips (??)

2007-07-24T13:45:00.001+02:00

Well, not quite right. Fish & chips may be the best exponent of fine british cuisine, but not the best option when trying to stay healthy.

I couldn't reach Pula on the weekend. I was pissed off, and tired. So the mood was not the best after spending more than four hours driving to get as far as the starting point. I needed to do something to spoil myself and get me back into the right mood. That's normally solved with food. Good food. So, in order to forget about the heat and the bad experience, I decided to cook myself a good piece of fish, with a very tasty side salad.

First of all, there is a physical need to have a fish to cook, and some vegetables in order to prepare the salad. In Ljubljana this can be easily solved, as in most of the the cities in the world, by going to the supermarket, a grocery store nearby or, if you are lucky enough, to the local market place. I was lucky enough. Ljubljana has one of the nicest markets I have seen so far (I'll come back to this on a future post). So I was able to buy fine products to put on my dish.

Back to the kitchen, I started with the fish. A nice piece of Orada (Golden Fish) that grew and was captured in the ocean, end up in my oven, filled with fresh rosemary, coriander and lemongrass.

This is how it looked when coming out of the oven:

Yummy!!!
Salad was still pending, but fortunately I've managed to do it while the Orada was getting its "tanning". That was easy. Just mix arugula, lettuce, radiccio, tomato, coriander, basil, olives, bitter sweet cucumbers, some capers, fresh cheese (locally made in the market!!) and maybe some other ingredients that I don't remember now. It looked like this:

Again: Yummy!!

Now we are talking! Buy the time the food was done and ready to be eaten, the heat was gone, and the mood was starting to be the right one again. I was ready for dinner:

Good treatment... don't you think?

On my way to Pula (or not!!)

2007-07-23T21:27:00.001+02:00

These are definitively hot days in all eastern Europe. Very hot. So hot that it's difficult to live without any type of refreshment. Air conditioner, ventilator, swimming pool, beach... any of these are necessary to survive during the daylight.

At the office the situation it's not easy at all. Since the heat only last for few days, nobody worries much about having a good air conditioner system. It's ok while it's not hot. But it's terrible when it is. So the only thing you can think about while sweating like a pig at work, it's how you're going to enjoy your weekend at a relaxed beach in Croatia. It's close (little more than two hours distance by car), and seems like a perfect solution to cool down.

The idea was to spend saturday and sunday on the beach at Pula. Unfortunately, it stayed only as an idea. I could never reach Pula. As you see it seems that I was not the only one thinking about cooling down for a bit. A few other thousands were thinking just the same. Germans, dutchs, austrians and italians (among others), use this same route to go down to Croatia and spend their holidays at the beach. After my fourth hour in the car, and being unable to see how far away I was from the border, I turned the car back home.

Next time maybe...

Damn hot chilli: Héctor Buitrago

2007-07-23T09:34:00.001+02:00

Let's go back to some music.

Héctor Buitrago is a bassist and head musician of one of colombian most famous bands abroad, Aterciopelados. During 2006, he took some time off to record his own album, Conector (A game of words in spanish that means both connector and "Con Héctor", literally "with Héctor"). Taking some time off is a way of saying, because the other musicians involved in his "solo" project were mainly the ones from his own band, including a wide participation of Andrea Echeverri, the other head of the band.

The original idea was to record an instrumental album, "connecting" typical latin american music styles with electric sounds. Only after hearing the first results of the recording Héctor decided that instruments were not enough to emphasize the type of sounds he wanted to hear, so he began to add some lyrics and voices.

The result is an album that mixes a broad range of music styles, like pop music, latin american folk and even some mantras in a very original way. The result is a blend of styles that may not have been born to be together, but played by Héctor fit perfectly well.

Julieta Venegas, Andrea Echeverri and Alex Ubago are, among others, the musicians that help to create, with their voices, one of the most personal and sensible work up to date for this latin american pop star.

As a sample, you can hear "Fruto Real", one of the best songs in the album, and a perfect tribute to the act of eating "hot chilli peppers":

Deconstructing sky

2007-07-23T08:45:00.001+02:00

Bible says that Moses opened Red Sea waters... But that's just a saying. I saw Red Sky wide open, showing me the way of destiny. Or maybe what I saw were a couple of clouds illuminated by the sunset light, your choice!

In the mood for some music: Aga Zaryan

2007-07-20T10:36:00.000+02:00

Yes, it was about pictures. But then I changed my mind.

Working on a multicultural environment has some advantages. You get to know people from all over the world, and if the mood is good, you begin to share things with them.

Exchanging few tips on learning how to insult in other languages is among the first thing you normally do. As time passes and confidence settles down, other things may come up while exchanging stories about personal live experiences. Sometimes, somebody will cook its local delights for the rest of us. On other occasions the name of a rarely known local movie that we shouldn't miss comes up to illuminate our knowledge.

In this case, I was illuminated by a polish jazz singer named Aga Zaryan. I came to know her on one of this cultural exchanges with a polish friend. He passed to me a vast amount of information about polish and eastern European music, so much that I still couldn't hear all of them although a couple of months has long gone by.

So, back to Aga. As I said, she is a polish jazz singer, and she is fantastic. Her voice gets your attention easily, as she slides it through the eclectic instruments that completes its compact and talented group. A little bit about her biography, as it is stated in her own web site:

"Graduated with honors from the Fryderyk Chopin Public School of Music on Bednarska St. in Warsaw, where she also completed the post-graduate Jazz Studies program under the tutelage of legendary Polish jazz vocalist Ewa Bem.

In 1998 she was awarded First Prize at the International Jazz Vocalists' Competition in Zamość. As a two-time recipient of international study grants, Aga travelled to the United States to participate in the Stanford Jazz Workshop and Jazz Camp West programs, which gave her the opportunity to hone her talents under the direction of world-renowned vocalists like Rebecca Paris and Madeline Eastman, among others. In 1997 she performed at the Warsaw Fall Festival of Modern Music with an orchestra conducted by Jacek Kasprzyk, and appeared with a string quartet at the “Passage” Panorama of 20th Century Music festival the following year. In 2000, she returned to the United States, performing a jazz repertoire with pianist Michał Tokaj.

March 2002 saw the release of Aga's debut recording “My Lullaby”, on which was accompanied by Tomasz Szukalski, Darek Oleszkiewicz, Michał Tokaj and Łukasz Żyta. The CD received excellent reviews in Poland, as well as in Japan, where it is officially distributed. “My Lullaby” was also nominated for the Polish Phonographic Academy's “Fryderyk” award.

Since that time, Aga has appeared at a large number of clubs and festivals in Poland, the UK, the USA, Isreal and the Czech Republic. In Jazz Forum Magazine's annual Jazz Top Readers' Poll she was recognized as one of Poland's leading jazz vocalists in 2004 and 2005. In 2004 she became a licentiate of the Department of Musical Therapy at the Academy of Music in Łódź, where her work focused on the incorporation of certain elements of jazz music into the process of musical therapy and teaching music to children and youths. In 2006, she received an award at the “Jazz Struggle” International Jazz Vocalists' Competition. "

Here you have a sample of her last disc, "Picking up the pieces". The song is called "Woman's work", and it was composed by her bassist, Darek Oles. Enjoy it!

20 Favorites

2007-07-19T11:48:00.000+02:00

I do have a space in Flickr. Of course, I am cool and modern. I keep my balance between trends, fashion and personal taste.

Now, back to reality.

There a couple of cool tools around, and I have managed to combine them in order to get this slide show: My 20 favorites pictures in Flickr. That means, the 20 pictures out of 1000 that I have uploaded up to the moment, that have been more commented, favorited (does this word exist?) or viewed.

This will be updated daily, so I recommend you to come back and check for changes.

Secret gathering over Ljubljana

2007-07-19T10:34:00.001+02:00

This is the view I get from my office.

Below, the Tivoli Park rarely changes its form or color througout the time.

Above, well, that's a different story.

I do some programming at work. IT programming. That means that I give instructions for things to behave on a certain, controlled way. And that's basically all I can control. Or maybe not even that.

Everything else is on hands of chance. As it is the sky on the picture above. Impossible to control, and impossible to know when it will happen. So, a picture like this is the result of a baggage of facts:

1. things are happening
2. I watch them happening
3. I realise that they are happening and that I should register that moment
4. I have a camera with me
5. Batteries, memory card, etc. are in place
6. I am willing to take the picture
7. I am lucky enough to set up a nice composition, exposure, etc.
8. I do want to work this picture in order to show it in Internet.

Enjoy the hard work.

Forbidden project - Part I

2007-07-18T19:34:00.001+02:00

Ljubljana is a friendly city. Very friendly, in fact.
Everything is prepared for you to enjoy: bike and roller paths are all over the place, bars around Ljubljanica river are wonderful to be around, Tivoli Park is a forest that invites you to get lost just a few meters next to the center, and a freedom feeling is in the air wherever you go. You can even feel that in the mood of the people; everything seems very relaxed. Everything but just one thing: Rules for entering shops, museums, houses and any kind of building.

Julio Cortazar, one of the most prestigious argentine writers, wrote a short story called "Vietato introdurre biciclette", about how these rules seem to be nothing more than a discrimination. Of the infinite possible actions a person could be doing while entering a place, only a few of them are specifically forbidden. Why? In this case, Cortazar speaks about entering places with a bike. Here is a short extract, in spanish:

“En los bancos y casas de comercio de este mundo a nadie le importa un pito que alguien entre con un repollo bajo el brazo, o con un tucán, o soltando de la boca como un piolincito las canciones que me enseñó mi madre, o llevando de la mano un chimpancé con tricota a rayas. Pero apenas una persona entra con una bicicleta se produce un revuelo excesivo, y el vehículo es expulsado con violencia a la calle mientras su propietario recibe admoniciones vehementes de los empleados de la casa.

Para una bicicleta, ente dócil y de conducta modesta, constituye una humillación y una befa la presencia de carteles que la detienen altaneros delante de las bellas puertas de cristales de la ciudad. Se sabe que las bicicletas han tratado por todos los medios de remediar su triste condición social. Pero en absolutamente todos los países de la tierra está prohibido entrar con bicicletas. Algunas agregan: "y perros", lo cual duplica en las bicicletas y en los canes su complejo de inferioridad."

Shop owners and other kind of administrators in Ljubljana seem to have a clear idea of what they don't want to see in their places. These series of posts will document the wonderful list of things that could lead you into trouble. Take note.

What a forecast!!!

2007-07-18T14:13:00.000+02:00

It's a very hot week in Ljubljana. Maybe in all eastern side of Europe. Even the weather forecast bar in my navigator is extra shiny, as you can see:

Difficult to think about a rainy weekend, isn't it?

Mestni trg

2007-07-18T13:37:00.001+02:00

A little more about Ljubljana.

Now we know it's the capital city of Slovenia. We should also know that this is not a crowded country. In fact, estimated population is a little bit over 2 million persons for Slovenia, and over a quarter million of them live in Ljubljana. Counting also that the biggest university (University of Ljubljana) is in town, the approximately 60.000 students enrolled on it help to bring the average age of the city inhabitants to one of the youngest ones in Europe. Facts translated: lots of bars and night entertainment for young people can be found easily.

But lets focus on the picture. I took it in Mestni trg, which is the old center of Ljubljana. In front, you can see the Fountain, which is a brand new duplicate of the original one, and behind it it's possible to see the towers of the main Cathedral.

This is what the official site of Ljubljana has to say about Mestni trg:

"Since the 12th century, the Mestni trg square (Town Square) was one of the centres of medieval Ljubljana. A large number of medieval buildings destroyed in the earthquake of 1511 were replaced by Renaissance and later Baroque buildings, which still give a special character to the square. The best known among them is the Town Hall building (Magistrat) with the famous Fountain of the Three Carniolan Rivers in front of it, built by Francesco Robba between 1743 and 1751. The Town Hall complex also includes the flanking buildings, which were purchased by the municipal government in the 17th and 18th centuries. The building located at 2 Mestni trg square used to belong to the distinguished Dolničar family. Its façade was redesigned around the year 1780.

Giving a special character to the Mestni trg square are also a whole range of other buildings, including Haman House (Hamanova hiša), which presently houses the Municipal Gallery (Mestna galerija), Lichtenberg House (Lichtenbergova hiša) with a façade which was in 1540 decorated with reliefs by the sculptor Osbalt Kittl and a staircase dating from the 18th century, Skoberne House (Skobernetova hiša) with a façade dating from the same period, Rakovec and Obrez Houses, which were built by architect Matija Persky, and, the highest of all the buildings in the square, Souvan House with an Empire style façade. The reliefs decorating this façade, which was designed by Francesco Coconi in the 17th century, represent art, trade and agriculture."

This is the exact location of Mestni trg on the map:

Back to: Basics - Where am I?

2007-07-18T11:43:00.000+02:00

First comes first.

I am based in Ljubljana. Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia.

Enough? Maybe not.

Slovenia is not Slovakia. This is the first mistake that people do.
Slovenia was a former Yugoslavia state, actually the first one to be declared independent, back in 1991. It's limited up north by Austria, east by Croatia and Hungary and west by
Italy.

Let me show you in the map:

So, I am based in Ljubljana. But I am from Argentina. I am assigned here only for a short term, so everything I learn from this wonderful country will be shared on this blog as soon as I get it.
Now, let's continue with more pictures and info.

My idea of heaven is heaven

2007-07-17T12:03:00.001+02:00

So, first official post.

Eye catching situation on a plane from Ljubljana to Madrid. Impossible to avoid taking the camera out and trying the best shot.

This is exactly the idea I had from heaven. Something is going on in there, I am sure...

The beginning, or a light definition of what to expect

2007-07-17T10:18:00.000+02:00

Let's say one entry per day. Not much effort, just to keep it going with the feeling of something new coming every day.

Let's say it's about pictures, mainly. Not all, but mainly about pictures. And that's it for definitions. Let's roll.