Tag Archives: writing

Words of a Kaumātua: When you want a smile, give yours away

When you want a smile, give yours away When you want affection, you give affection When you help people, they help you When you want love, give your love Kua rongo ake au… Tuku whakamoemiti, āta haere ki te ākau Mā te wā koe e tiaki e manaaki e kākahu Ki ngā hua o ōuContinue reading “Words of a Kaumātua: When you want a smile, give yours away”

Quirky insights into lost worlds: Ex Libris book plates

Passionate devotees of books from throughout history share a common thread with all of us modern-day bibiophiles, they longed to celebrate their books and mark their ownership with an Ex Libris book plate. Ever since Pharaonic Egypt, marking one’s ownership of a book has been a thing. Ex Libris bookplates are more than the stamped or printed marks denoting ownership. They represent the taste, values of their owner, how they saw themselves and the aesthetic styles of the eras when they were made.

Travel: The Beautiful Terrace Windows of Triana, Sevilla

Back in 2010 during a particularly sweltering summer, I visited Andalucia and soaked in the beautiful architecture in Sevilla. The best way to see all of the charming neighbourhoods and historic monuments was going the tourist routes with an open-top bus. This also afforded me excellent views onto all of the terrace houses with theirContinue reading “Travel: The Beautiful Terrace Windows of Triana, Sevilla”

Beautiful maps & beautiful Welsh tales: The Mabinogion

The Mabinogion is a magical and mythical Celtic classic from the thirteenth century or earlier. It’s thoroughly Welsh and is considered a masterpiece of medieval literature. The Mabinogion has given rise to all of the stories by Tolkien, Le Guin, Martin and countless more. The stories are the very genesis of the Arthurian tales ofContinue reading “Beautiful maps & beautiful Welsh tales: The Mabinogion”

Wild woman quote: A Door

“The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door, if you have an old, old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door.” – Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Women Who Run with the Wolves.

Book Review: Dependency by Tove Ditlevsen

Dependency is the third and final volume of Tove Ditlevsen’s masterful Copenhagen Trilogy, a searing work of autofiction that chronicles a life marked by artistic ambition, potent writing talent, vulnerability and addiction. #fiction #memoir #addiction #writing #novel #book #bookreview #ToveDitlevsen

Poetry and music from the film ‘Wings of Desire’ (Der Himmel uber Berlin)

One of my favourite films of all time is the Wim Wenders film The Wings of Desire known in German as Der Himmel uber Berlin. It won the Best Film at Cannes in 1987. Some of the magic  of this film comes from the music (Nick Cave, U2), the acting (Bruno Ganz, Solveig Dommartin) andContinue reading “Poetry and music from the film ‘Wings of Desire’ (Der Himmel uber Berlin)”

Before Time Began: Latin Quotes on Ancient Sundials

Ancient sundials of Greece, Egypt and Babylon often featured provocative and emotional expressions in Latin. They were succinct and powerful calls to action which were designed to waken up the senses and peel back the blinkers on what really matters. These concise messages highlighted the passing of time, mortality, life, death and enjoying one’s briefContinue reading “Before Time Began: Latin Quotes on Ancient Sundials”

The Most Exquisite Tiny Books in the World

For all of the bookworms, here are some of the most exquisitely rendered miniature books in the world. As a warm up, here’s a picture of the bombed-out Holland House library in London during WW2. The message was loud and clear. Readers won’t be perturbed from doing what they love, no matter what else isContinue reading “The Most Exquisite Tiny Books in the World”

Mysterious Rongorongo Glyphs from Easter Island

A collection of 24 sacred wooden objects from Easter Island bear Rongorongo inscriptions, a system of glyphs that was discovered in the 19th Century and is still a mystery to historians. Numerous attempts at decyphering the proto-writing have been unsuccessful. These pieces of wood (a lot of it driftwood) are weathered, burned and damaged andContinue reading “Mysterious Rongorongo Glyphs from Easter Island”