Camus

I finished A. Camus' "The Fall". Really, human fall. But, interesting enough, it did not speak to me.

"You speaking to me?" it was. I liked Camus, some 20 years ago. Now, here, poor fellow seems to go into the rubbish bin of history. Simply, outdated.

And it would seem his writing is so eternal.

Peculiar feeling of this ... like saying 'goodbye' to dear friend after a longer illness. I suppose it is accelerated by this being in Asia, which is not the place where reflexion of any kind would stick longer, but,then, the feeling of lonelisness should speak volumes.

But it does not, probably lack of reflexion is killing it, haha.

Should one be sorry for such event? I do not know. Where do we go if such books go to history of human mind, to be forgotten, not to ache any more?

I wish luck, big luck, to all of us.

Left- ver. right-handed

Tell me CP-parity (left versus right spin particles) violation does not matter in the St. Reality!

I started an experiment out of sheer chance. I injured my right shoulder last year dragging too heavy backpack through half Europe, and it needed more than half year to heal. Obviously, it is not complete, as slight miscalculated move recently activated similar pain again.

I visited traditional medicine ambulance here in Hsinchu, and tried their methods, it was good chance to become acquainted with this aspect of life here, also. Who knows me, knows I do not like even homeopathy, not to speak about sorcerers ;-). But am not blind for the world around, and to trying above my personal limitations.
My back after the visit-my shoulder is embalmed with minth, after hot towel and extensive massage treatment:

2nd time there, I tried acupuncture:

It helps in the sense you really do not feel pain (or feel it less) when having these needles inside. No, it is not painful at all, needles are just pinged inside swiftly, I think tissue is just shifted by them, more than pierced.

Now about the experiment. As I could not type or move mouse with my right hand-yes, it hurted so much-I used my left hand. I started my life as left-handed person, then, back in 1976, wise teachers of old leftist school forced my move to right hand. Maybe this was the reason for some my problems later? For sure it WAS the problem for my handwriting, which never became readable for others. Well, except maybe sometimes, in certain circumstances of my psyche which I would not describe as 'normal'.

So, I noticed moving the mouse with my left hand goes quite well. I changed order of buttons in setup and it was even better. But I noticed my typing became different-as if it would not be me. As if using left hand for mouse would affect something in my brain, really affect. Obviously, brain felt the switch. And I felt it (Miki-mouse) GOOD.

So, I decided to pursue it further: what else will change in my brain, doing the switch? To which level such an old horse as myself, can switch back to the left-handed world?

Really, motivation is in strangeness of feeling my own moves, and kind of feeling in head, as if I'd be a bit detached from myself. Interesting. Let's see what other effects I will be able to notice. As for now the strange (but positive feeling in head, something of kind of re-arranging in my brain, really interesting, like if it would put the question 'hey, what's this now? Mmm, I see some corridors here which were in dark, not visited for a looong time! Let's see them. curious I am what is there...".

Another change I decided to do is to add the ergonomic chair for long time computer work, as I had in Germany, some new equipment in TIARA ;-) . Sitting approx 12 hours/day or more in front of the computer is not natural thing, so we should use all means to help ourselves. Using large (19'') screen and large font on it helps to preserve my sight, chair is equally important, I feel.

All this forced at least one interesting move: after a long long time I read my little green booklet with particle physics notes from Zagreb, to review what CP violation was about, exactly. Seeing these equations was like visiting old friend, really it is time to move from these low energies to high energies, again ;-)

Die Liebhaberinnen

Next book by E. Jelinek, it was written in 1975. No capital letters-I should check in original how she did it, as in German it is quite essential feature. Engl. translation is "Women as lovers" and, as usual, it is not possible to specify something so clear as in German.

It is wonderfully written sad story about austrian women. Any women. The fact of writing this in 1975 is stunning, much. Lady really deserved her Nobel.

It is about stereotypes, written completely non-stereotypic. 2 intertwined stories (only on paper, they do not mix in the reality of the book) about 2 fates of women, where Jelined chirurgically shows their actions, reasons and results. Pure science, and who then Viennese should do it so good. And so nice without ANY reference to highbrow psychology.

At the moments Jelinek is brutal to people...but so true. It reminded me on some pictures from Zagorje, my region in Northern Croatia, which is similar in psyche and ways with austrian ones.

Completely different than Marina Cvetajeva, Anais Nin or similar. More realistic? Certainly with much less artistic attitude (but achieving Art, nevertheless). It is almost Zolan Naturalism in its effects on one's guts.

My bow, Lady Jelinek.

The Piano Teacher

Elfriede Jelinek got Nobel in Literature recently. I saw the movie Piano Teacher, and liked it (weird piece of art),and now went for the book itself.

Weird one, really, movie is well done rendition of it. Go for it if you want to see what deviations can be produced by too strict rising up+Viennese bonton. Brrrr....

Typhoon passed, Wipho, it was a Typhoon day, free day because of it, so I finished Jelinek's book. Also in the stock I have some Camus, and Bernhard's 'Limeworks'.

Sounds as autumn coming? ;-)

Bookish ZMM

After some time here, I feel URGE to meet some literature in my life...not to live it, as I usually do.

Fortunately, I had some hints of bookish conversations recently, and a book taken to read by chance, 'Daddy-Long-Legs' by Jean Webster, funny best-seller from 1912 took me by surprise.

Also ChiC, my Taiwan hippie Lady, took me by surprise showing me this nice piece:

The Road Not Taken
(Robert Frost, 1874-1963)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth；

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear；
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
*********

Some melancholic mood for the end of the summer? Maybe. Well, why not?

Hot days. Hommage to Istanbul.

When you drive the streets at 10PM and it is 32 cels, it means HOT. 24h/day temperature does not go below 30 cels last week. Add pollution and crowd...and Hsinchu is not so bad, compared to larger cities.

Working weekend. In fact here and in Greece I learend to appreciate freedom of these hot days, at work. Air conditioned space a must, there is no better place than work (not to have to pay for AC).

A bit about my recent reading. It is as travel there.
Orhan Pamuk's "Istanbul" is certainly not great literature, but surprises by outbursts of originality sometimes. To add something new to Constantinople is not easy, but Pamuk managed, brava.
Here some pics from my last short visit there. The Church. I had this nice opportunity to see Athens, Istanbul and Rome close in time, and understand what it meant last 1500 years, and why the impact is so big. Of all the monumental buildings, Hagia Sophia has the simplicity equal maybe only with... St.Sulpice in Paris, surprisingly, this is the association pushing to my brain. That Jesuite mind was so close to Orthodox and Islamic purity of space...I am surprised to find, but it is true.

Me, small inside it, as should be.

Waters of Bosphorus.

Yes, Istanbul is place to go. Highly recommended. The City, definitely. I am proud on this one, it was no easy to find the place to make it.

One and last here, "very funny".

Summer 2007

I was in Kolan first half of July. This will be all for this year, I think.

I did not speak with many people there this time, too hectic a time with 3 kids and 2 ladies there ;-)
Fela became constant there, with next generation ofher ubiquitous kids, she is a breeding machine and good, really good matrone mother, although she is still so young. Curious I am why it is so, genetics, or our handling her to be hard one, when she was yooung?

But some of my reflexions: stone is source of peace for me, as is the night sky-but they polluted the sky, too many lights, really! And of the worst kind, white balls, without upper cover, so they give half light to Aliens. Stupid, they should put a shield inside, above the bulb, to prevent spreading of the light upwards, or simply paint this part of the cover black.

We visited also Rijeka & Opatija - thanks to TurboDijana which is there now for good, and hosted us for an afternoon. Nice to meet finally on some of our sites, the 1st time we had such chance :-)

In Croatia now it seems to be better, some light for young people-credits are given with normal interest rates so it is possible to buy apartments, build house or buy a car. This third is very much visible, cars are better than few years ago,not so many old ones around. It seems Croatia is, finally, on the course to become normal european country.

Prices are moderate or low-but I might be biased by recent visits to Italy, which is double if not more expensive for touristic eye.

Except Croatia, I visited Poland and Azores, Portugal, more on this on mikidtaiwan blog.

Donkeys: TWO in Kolan, it seems. I saw ONE, in one garden closeby school. Poor times for donkeys.

On the beaches no changes, fortunately.Only in camping "Simuni" they moved with sites a bit eastward, what is worrying, but they do not seem to hurry much, so our usual places are safe for now. There were many sea-urchins which were-surprise for them, I am sure-eaten by my Han ladies.

Novalja naguzvana kao i obicno,Pag nesto manje, ali isto podosta.Dojam na cestama ipak da nematih turista bas toliko-ali bili smo prije top-sezone, jos stignu doci