NORWEGIAN ROSEMALING , DECORATIVE PAINTING & FOLK ART by AMANDA 的日志

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10月24日

Smilla's and others types of snow

as the bookclub is reading Smilla's feeling for snow, I investigated the meaning of the various terms, and find there is a world of snow categories out there. Here are some from wiki:
Columns: A class of snowflakes that is shaped like a six sided column. One of the 4 classes of snowflakes. Take me back to Lillehammer, this is where you will find these.
Dendrites: A class of snowflakes that has 6 points, making it somewhat star shaped. The classic snowflake shape. One of the 4 classes of snowflakes.
Graupel: Precipitation formed when freezing fog condenses on a snowflake, forming a ball of rime ice. Also known as snow pellets. Experienced this in Rejkjavik
Ground blizzard: Occurs when a strong wind drives already fallen snow to create drifts and whiteouts.
Lake-effect snow: Produced when cold winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water, picking up water vapor which freezes and is deposited on the lake's shores.
Needles: A class of snowflakes that are acicular in shape (their length is much longer than their diameter, like a needle). One of the 4 classes of snowflakes.
Rimed snow: Snowflakes that are partially or completely coated in tiny frozen water droplets called rime. Rime forms on a snowflake when it passes through a super-cooled cloud. One of the 4 classes of snowflakes.
Sleet: In Canada and Britain, rain mixed with snow; Some Americans also refer to this as sleet, while others refer to sleet as ice pellets formed when snowflakes pass through a layer of warm air, partially or completely thaw, then refreeze upon passing through sufficiently cold air during further descent.

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10月21日

Modern zen teachings

Zen Teachings

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me for the path is narrow.. In fact, just piss off and leave me alone.

2. Sex is like air. It's not that important unless you aren't getting any.

3. No one is listening until you fart.

4. Always remember you're unique. Just like everyone else.

5. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

6. If you think nobody cares whether you're alive or dead, try missing a couple of mortgage payments.

7. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

8. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

9. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

10. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably well worth it..

11. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

12. Some days you are the bug; some days you are the wind screen.

13. Don't worry; it only seems kinky the first time.

14. Good judgment comes from bad experience ... and most of that comes from bad judgment.

15. A closed mouth gathers no foot.

16. There are two excellent theories for arguing with women. Neither one works.

17. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

18. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

19. We are born naked, wet and hungry, and get slapped on our ass ... then things just keep getting worse.

20. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

10:54 | 添加评论 | 固定链接 | 写入日志 | Health and wellness

10月13日

Talking about YouTube - Five - Keep on Movin'

It does help if you are feeling down to listen to the fatalistic positive message in this song.

sorry embedding has been disabled. you will have to open youtube.

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YouTube - Five - Keep on Movin'
I woke up today with this feelingThat better things are coming my way (way)And if the sunshine has a meaningTelling me not to let things get in my wayWhen the rainy days are dyingGotta keep on, keep on tryingAll the bees and birds are flying (ahh ahh ahh)Never let go, gotta hold on inNon-stop 'til the break of dawnin'Keep on ...

11:41 | 添加评论 | 固定链接 | 写入日志 | Music

9月1日

Scandinavian crime blog -

Found this link on the net this morning. I also just discovered the first of Camilla 's books and therefore her top 10 is a pertinent read. Just finished her pick for No7 and No 9. Both are rivetting stuff.

Scandinavian crime novels are taking over. The Top 10

Stieg Larsson was named one of the bestselling fiction authors in the world last year, being rivled only by Khaled Hosseini, Ken Follett and John Grisham for world wide acclaim last year. Based on that company its no real secret that his sucess has generated some interest in his fellow Scandinavians.

The Guardian had one of these afformentioned fellow writers, Camilla Läckberg, list some of her favourites, and they are as follows.

1. The Mind’s Eye by Håkan Nesser
Nesser sets his stories in a fictional country that’s not quite Sweden, but the people in them are very, very real. He used to be a school teacher before becoming a writer, and it shows in the meticulous way he handles his texts. But yet his writing never feels cold or static – there’s heart in everything he writes and you find yourself understanding and sympathising with some real villains.

2. Blackwater by Kerstin Ekman
Loosely based on a true story, this is dark, sinister and wonderfully written. It’s been a hugely popular book for many years in Sweden, with an appeal that extends to readers who don’t usually touch thrillers. A real classic.

3. Missing by Karin Alvtegen
Karin Alvtegen is the master at psychological suspense, and her plots unfold themselves naturally from the character studies. No one does this better than Alvtegen, and her homeless murder suspect, Sybilla, is one of crime fiction’s most memorable characters.

4. Sun Storm by Åsa Larsson
Northern Sweden holds a special kind of magic. It’s cold, lonely, and the people are tough and silent, or so the stereotype says. This is Åsa Larsson’s home turf and I find as much joy in reading her closely observed descriptions of the environment, as in following her intriguing plots. And I love the fact that the heroine in her books is a tax attorney.

5. The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell
Inspector Wallander has become a household name along with the little town of Ystad where he pursues most of his cases. But Mankell’s range is far from parochial. Drawing on his own experience living both in Sweden and in Africa, this tale of a serial killer takes us around Congo as well as Ystad.

6. Unseen by Mari Jungstedt
Emma and Johan, the intriguing couple caught up in this murderous plot, are characters to really fall in love with, and combined with the picturesque environment of Gotland, and a great plot, you’ve got a book to cherish. Mari is also not only a colleague but a close friend of mine, and we love talking about murder methods, forensics and criminal psychology over dinner.

7. Shame by Karin Alvtegen
Another winner from Alvtegen, this book really touched me. She often has a theme based on human nature and shortcomings in her books - and this book is a searing portrait of someone bearing the shame of being unloved.

8. Echoes from the Dead by Johan Theorin
Johan is a relative newcomer to crime fiction, but has already really carved out his own niche, which blends the murder mystery with the ghost story. It’s so spooky, I could never read this one at night!

9. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Fiction like nothing else, Larsson’s books offer the unusual experience of serious, character-driven writing that also provides helter skelter action. Buckle up before you start reading!

10. Midvinterblod by Mons Kallentoft (not yet translated)
Mons came to crime fiction relatively late, after three other books including Food Noir, a collection of groundbreaking essays on food and travel. As well as a terrific plot, this book also has one of the best-realised female heroines I’ve read by a male writer. It’s not yet translated into English, but it really should be.

10:44 | 添加评论 | 固定链接 | 写入日志 | Books

8月4日

Talking about YouTube - The Script - Breakeven

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YouTube - The Script - Breakeven
The Script Breakeven from the album Breakeven(C) 2008 Sony BMG Music Entertainment (UK) Limited

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6月26日

This is what we should live by

"Survival depends on the total cooperation of all men, whether their world is a raft, a village, a country or a planet" - Vital Alsar

10:51 | 添加评论 | 固定链接 | 写入日志 | News and politics

5月14日

A Latvian Lunch ( Midsummer jani celebrations)

Lunch - Latvian style

As representative of the Norwegian club committee and Craft group, I was recently invited to attend the Latvian club here in Brisbane, and meet with some of its members.

First I should explain a little about Latvia:

It is one of the Baltic countries, three small nations along the Baltic Sea, between Germany, the Slavic peoples to the east, Scandinavia and the plains of central Europe. Latvians saw a lot of traffic and heartache during the twentieth century, as they moved from Russian domination, to a brief flowering of independence following World War I, to German occupation during World War II, then becoming a Cold War republic of the Soviet Union, to an eventual, ecstatic return to independence after the collapse of the USSR. Many Latvians fled to the west as refugees when their country was overrun by the Soviets at the end of World War II. Sometimes after years in western European resettlement camps, they came to the United States (settling in predominantly norwegian areas like the midwest) but also Canada, and Australia.

The Latvian club in Queensland is located at Buranda and have a beautifully equipped clubhouse with an extensive library and shop where you can borrow videos and books or buy Latvian jewellery and handicrafts. In addition, they have a monthly lunch on the second Tuesday of each month which includes a morning tea, film and guest speaker. I had the privilege to attend the May lunch with around fifty other Latvian members.

As well as delicious lemon flavoured Latvian muffins and fruit cake for morning tea, we watched the latest Latvian film "Rigas Sargi" (subtitled for my benefit) which details the struggles of the Latvian population against the Russian and German armies during the war.

During my short visit, I also had the opportunity to browse in their shop and see beautiful traditional amber jewellery, weaving, timber tankards, cards and other items from Latvia. I particularly noted the similarity in motifs used in their weaving crafts and belts for their national costumes. I have seen similar motifs in Norwegian weaving motifs in terms of colour and pattern. So it seems that Norway has a common link with Latvia in the development of traditional handicrafts. You will see some examples in the photographs attached.

Prior to lunch of frikadeller and rhubarb/plum fruit soup, (also similar to Norsk mat), I spoke to the group about the Norwegian club and its progress over recent years. They were particularly interested in hearing about how the Norwegian club was addressing the issue of an ageing club membership, as well as the state of Norway today and the various connections that exist or have existed between Scandinavian countries and the Baltic states, particularly Latvia. One Latvian lady fondly remembered it was the Norwegians who were the first boats to sail into the Latvia harbours with cargo hulls full of Herring, on the day when Latvia won its difficult battle for independence.

It seems both Latvia and Scandinavia both hold the traditional Midsummer festival with bonfires and feasts and the Latvian club in Brisbane continue this tradition today with "Jani" and have invited the Norwegian club to participate. I have included some information on the Latvian tradition below so you can compare it to Scandinavian celebrations of Sankt Hans aften.

Celebrating Midsummer Eve the Latvian Way - "Jani"

Latvia's Midsummer night celebration (June 23rd) is called Jāņi in Latvian, and it is the one night of the year that you must never sleep. Most activities are outside and centre around a huge bonfire. Farms are bedecked with garlands of oak and birch branches and meadow flowers. Girls pick meadow flowers to make wreaths for their hair, while men named Jānis get a bushy crown of oak leaves around their heads. Janis is the most popular male name in Latvia and comparable to 'John'.

Traditionally, people in the countryside made their own special cheese and beer for the festivities and went from home to home, sharing their goodies and singing traditional songs. They'd gather around the bonfire to sing special songs, that can only be sung on this night and all ending with the same word, "ligo," meaning good cheer or to make merry. And they dance the whole night long.

Although the sun sets briefly, it doesn't get dark and everyone must be awake to greet the rising sun in the morning. Young couples like to go into the forest and search for the legendary fern blossom (a mythical white flower that blooms only on this night). Even if the flower isn't found, the search is reportedly sure to be enjoyable! And when you greet the morning sun, you have to wash your face in the grass's morning dew, which on Jāņi morning is said to have particularly beneficial properties. The mens's tradition is to leap over the bonfire in order to bring luck with the women all year long!

As the Baltic countries were never a part of the ancient Roman Empire, many folk customs and pagan beliefs were perpetuated through songs and celebrations in their native language. Important deities included Dievs, the sky god; Mara, goddess of earth and water; Laima, the goddess representing destiny or fate -- and Janis (John), son of Dievs, the fertility god of the summer solstice!

I wish to thank the Latvian club for its wonderful hospitality on the day and look forward to closer communication between the two clubs in the future.

Amanda