Half Way There...

Simple Pleasures...

Leaving the first week of July behind, I am exactly half way into my ordeal. Thinking back over the past two months, I have mixed opinions about the speed with which they have progressed - some days flew by, while some felt endless.

It has gotten easier though, to be alone, however unimaginable I though that would be. Or rather, to be without the man that I love, as I am perfectly capable to be on my own - lets face it,  I have had decades of practice.

In any case, I have settled into and accepted my new reality, developing new routines, trying to find positive aspects of my involuntary solitude. The fact that it takes very little effort on my part to find allure in the mundane helps a great deal and I do fill my life with a multitude of simple pleasures. After all, it is my experience that happiness is made out of short beautiful moments and we are the ones who create them.

I have made a new friend and meeting this delightful woman has made me realize how much I have missed a close girl friend. Due to my cosmopolitan lifestyle, I have not had one for over a decade - not counting some beautiful friendships I made online. Still, there is nothing like being able to physically spend time with someone who lives just a block away and who genuinely enjoys my company. It has been endlessly therapeutic to have another woman to talk to - preferably over a glass of good wine.

My New Friend...

She has made me laugh, cry and contemplate and amazingly 

I am finding novel avenues of thinking thanks to this encounter, learning so much about myself. 

This reinforces my perpetual belief in the importance of seemingly random encounters we make in life and the sensitivity with which we should always approach the people we meet. They all have a part to play in our life and if we give them a chance, vital lessons await to be learned.

I miss my white house much less currently, if at all. Suddenly the returning recollections of marvelous skies and sunsets do not occupy my thinking any longer. I have realized that I love the uncertainty of my future. There have been times in my past, when life seemed so predictable and indefinitely planned. Living in my white house, I knew there was not much new that awaited to be experienced, if I did not choose to make it happen - an idea which filled me on many occasions with a sense of panic.

Today this is no longer the case. I can still feel the rise of panic within me, but that has to do with fear for the safety of the man I love or the need for his presence. At times I curse the profession he holds and the fact that a separation like the current one will be a continuous occurrence in our life. Yet, simultaneously I realize that I love the very essence that his absence will provide. It gives rise to the unexpected, fueling my life with endless possibilities, preventing it from growing mundane and leaving the future open and free. Additionally, I feel endlessly proud to be loved by and to be in love with a courageous man, whose reality is defined by honor, duty, chivalry and competence.

The Celestine Prophecy

Most of my possessions are still in storage and in my solitude I find myself missing some of them, mostly old photo albums and my books. Luckily though, I did take some books with me and the other day I randomly picked up one. When I read The Celestine Prophecy for the first time those eighteen years ago, it was one of the most profound books I ever came across. Today I know it shifted something within my perception and when I return to my own writing, I realize how much it has inspired me in the way I live my life. It will be endlessly exhilarating to read it again - I wonder whether it will still move me in the same way as it did when I was a young, naive woman.

Yes, I am half way there - in my solitude, but also when it comes to the bigger picture - my life. I read recently on the news that I find myself in most depressive stage in it, with the respect to my age. Those younger or older are infinitely more happy.
We are all familiar with the curse of the midlife crises and of course, I too feel its effects occasionally. I do know that certain dreams I have had will never come true, yet I also hold the power to shift my dreams and make new ones.

Looking back I am content with my past and hold no regrets - thus I only dismiss these kind of surveys with a smile. After all, I have always lived my life as an exception to the rule and believe that happiness is a state of our mind, not the state of our age.

My New Stunning Evening Skies...

Love Letters.

Love, that foolish, yet transcending emotion, that makes us feel invincible and so endlessly fragile, simultaneously.

Love is such a universal feeling, one that connects us all, as we are all familiar with its bittersweet allure, one that leaves us with the sense of flight as well as fall...

This powerful emotion has been described so many times, in so many ways, with enticing words on paper, creating unforgettable works of art.
I am sure I speak for many of us, when I claim to posses at least one manifestation of emotions, written by a lovers hand in a letter, to be forever immortalized and revisited by the eyes they were meant for.

Not long ago, I stumbled upon a delightful little collection of love letters at a flea market. They are bound into a book, entitled "Love Letters Of Great Men", compiled by Ursula Doyle. Almost every evening, I get lost in a sea of affection, as expressed by great minds of the past, reading through the candid lines of their desire, learning about their inner most emotions of often unrequited love, aimed at Ladies that won their hearts.

The ones that captured my senses more than any other are letters by Ludwig Van Beethoven, the talented composer, written to his "Immortal Beloved". Three such passionate letters were found after his death and the identity of the recipient was never conclusively established. This adds greatly to the uncanny enchantment that envelops every reader of the emotionally charged sentences, as the passion is so very palpable in every word...

Excerpts from "To Immortal Beloved, Good Morning, on 7 July"

O God, why must one go away from what one loves so... You made me the happiest and unhappiest at the same time.

What longing in tears for you - You - my Life - my All - farewell. Oh, go on loving me - never doubt the faithfullest heart
Of your beloved
L
Ever Thine
Ever Mine
Ever Ours.



Note: I was not the only one enthralled by the passion hidden within the love letters. Indeed, Bernard Rose directed a film entitled "Immortal Beloved" in the 90's. Filmed in Prague and in the Czech country side, it is deliciously melancholic, as the plot circles around the pursuit of unveiling the identity of the secret love of Beethoven... A beautiful piece of cinematography in vision and sound, highly recommended for all the fellow hopeless romantics out there...

Halls Of Books.

What can be more timeless, than the written word? What can fuel our imagination, what can inspire us, educate us, comfort us, relax us and be our true companion more powerfully than a book?

I have always loved books, as long as I can remember. Second to drawing, submerging myself in a book was a wonderful timescape for me since childhood. I frequented the libraries in every city I lived in and I recall with amusement today, how I used to bribe my little sister with a bag of potato chips (she was crazy about them!), to make her come with me to the library, when I was about nine years old.
When we moved to Sweden, I recall the library being my very best friend. The books helped me to learn a foreign language and to become familiar with the spoken word in my new country.

The other day I thought about the libraries of the world. There must be so many, but which are the the absolutely most astounding? Curious Expeditions lists twenty most beautiful ones. Among these is the Strahov Monastery Library in Prague, truly one of a kind.

Unfortunately, closed to the public today, one can still visit the monastery itself and stand in the entrance to the library halls, casting a glance at the vastness of space filled with ancient script. Everything takes ones breath away, not just the books, but the rooms themselves. Such as the the Theological Hall, with its intricate and beautifully painted baroque vaulted ceiling. My father recalls, that shortly after the velvet revolution, the library was freely accessible, and he marveled over the opulence of the rooms.
I have visited the library only once, but the impression is everlasting.

The Strahov Monastery was founded in 1140 by bishop Jindrich Zdik and Prince Vladislav II. Strahov can translate into something similar to Guarded. This name comes most likely from the fact that the monastery was build close to a guarded road in the vicinity of the Prague Castle. The library houses within its walls priceless scripts. Over the course of centuries, the monks inhabiting the monastery collected and kept one of the world's most beautifully preserved collections of philosophical and theological texts, including illuminated manuscripts and first editions. The collections consist of about 200 000 old prints (mostly from the period between the 16th through 18th century), around 3000 manuscripts and 1500 first prints. One of the most precious items is the Strahov Evangeliary from the 9th century. The library displays two opulently decorated halls: the Theological Hall and the Philosophical Hall.

Today, the monastery itself is still a home to Premonstratensian monks, a scholarly order closely related to the Jesuits.

Island In The Air.

More snow has fallen over night during a somewhat severe snowstorm. As I sit here, looking out over the winter landscape, the image below - and foremost the location - seem very exotic and somewhat unreal.

Throughout the course of this year I have been sharing with you pictures from a beautiful book of mine, entitled Astronomy 365 days.
It was given to me as a Christmas gift and considering that the year 2009 was the year of Astronomy, I shared here once in a while some of the beautiful pictures depicted in my book.

The picture for today, the 17th of December, is the last one I am posting from this book in this year. Entitled "Lenticular Cloud Over Hawaii", it is taken by Peter Michaud, although I could swear it was taken by my friend Tom, who is an astronomer and takes stunning pictures of the amazing sky over the island of Hawaii, posting those on his beautiful blog "A Pacific View".

The cloud in the picture here apparently consists of several layers of clouds - to me it looks nothing like a cloud at all. More like a giant object in the sky, an island of steam and vapor. Or a futuristic castle in the air, in constant state of change and movement. Never the same, just like the tides of time...

Note: Just to clear up a misunderstanding; this is NOT my last post in this year.:)

The Aurora(s).

Once in a while I post pictures from a favorite book of mine called "Astronomy, 365 days". It was given to me as a Christmas gift last year and I love the fact that it displays astronomy pictures for each day of the year.

For the 4th of November the picture in the book depicts a fish-eye view of a colourful auroral corona near Quebec, Canada. The reds and green are absolutely vivid and create an abstract painting in the night sky.

The Auroras, or also called the Northern Lights are spectacular light shows that can be observed in the nights sky near to polar regions. They are most frequent around the equinoxes; that means from March to April and September to October. In northern latitudes, the effect is known as the aurora borealis, named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for north wind, Boreas, by Pierre Gassendi in 1621. The auroras, both surrounding the north magnetic pole (aurora borealis) and south magnetic pole (aurora australis) occur when highly charged electrons from the solar wind interact with elements in the earth's atmosphere.
As the electrons enter the earth's upper atmosphere, they will encounter atoms of oxygen and nitrogen at altitudes from 20 to 200 miles above the earth's surface. The color of the aurora depends on which atom is struck, and the altitude of the meeting.

* Green - oxygen, up to 150 miles in altitude
* Red - oxygen, above 150 miles in altitude
* Blue - nitrogen, up to 60 miles in altitude
* Purple/violet - nitrogen, above 60 miles in altitude

Although I live in the north, I have yet to experience the magic of Northern Lights. The only Aurora I was familiar with as a child was oddly enough a ship. Or rather a Russian cruiser that became a symbol for the Russian Revolution, as it was taught to us in school in the former communist bloc. On the 7th of November 1917 (25th October 1917 in Julian calendar), the refusal of an order for the Aurora to take to sea sparked the October Revolution. At 9.45 p.m. on that date, a blank shot from her forecastle gun signaled the start of the assault on the Winter Palace, which was to be the last episode of the revolution.

Two Awards And A Tag.

I must thank two lovely ladies that so kindly showed their appreciation of this place by granting me two lovely awards.

The first one I received from the very kind and gentle Sprinkles and it is just so cute. "You are so special" award seems to be as cute as it is colourful.

The second one came from my young and hip friend MelRoXx. Entitled "Bookworm Award", it seems to fit me well as I love books.

Thank you ladies. I find it always so surprising and equally exciting each time any of you think I deserve such an attention.

On the same note, I have also been tagged by the very talented gaelikaa with an interesting book tag. I am suppose to list the fifth sentence on page 161 of the the book that is nearest to me.

Lets see; I am sitting in my red sofa and the books that are nearest to me are right behind me on a book shelf. As they are all in the same proximity, I guess I will follow the numbering in the tag and chose the fifth book in first the row.

This book is entitled "The Celestine Prophecy" and is written by James Redfield. It is one of my favorite books and I am sure most of you are familiar with it, as it was a best seller in the mid 90's. When I read it in my mid twenties, it was full of revelations that clarified a deeper meaning of life for me.
The book is written as an adventure story, but describes the perception of a more spiritual world, forcing us to focus on the eluding question dealing with the meaning behind our existence, in an unusually optimistic way. One can take from it as much as one pleases, believing in the thoughts presented within the pages or dismissing them as New Age hype; still it is a well written book and the adventurous plot is very enjoyable.

The fifth sentence on page 161 reads:

"Anxious thoughts filled my mind."

Short, but a somewhat ominous sentence I must say.There you have it. Anyone who would like to do this tag, please as always, be my guests.

Stardust.

Ever so often I post beautiful images from an intriguing book, entitled Astronomy, 365 Days. This work contains 365 photographs, all linked to our universe. One for each day of the year. I received it as a gift and considering that this year is the International Year Of Astronomy, I find it fitting to share some of the most stunning images with you.

For the 20th of August, the image couldn't be more appropriate and appealing to the painter in me. Entitled "Elements Of The Swan Nebula", also called Omega Nebula, it depicts clouds and dust, the very elements from which new stars are born. The colours each represents known chemical components; red indicates emission from sulfur, green from hydrogen and blue from oxygen.
A talented painter could have not created a more formidable masterpiece...

Stars In Motion.

I do not know if anyone recalls, that one of the lovely Christmas gifts I received this past year from the Irishman was a book filled with stunning pictures of the stars and other celestial objects. Entitled "Astronomy, 365 Days", it depicts a year with images from the endless universe.
I like to look through it once in a while and often get intrigued by the photographs of our earth and the skies above. Considering that this year is the "International Year Of Astronomy", I like to continue to share with you some of the images that move me.

For the 8th of July, the image in my book depicts the most famous constellation in night sky; Crux, the Southern Cross. Taken with a tripod positioned camera where the shutter is left open, the image created is a stunning one, depicting stars in motion. A true cosmic art, painted with natural colours on a canvas of black velvet, the night sky.

Preston & Child.

I used to be an avid book reader. Any spare moment was spend with a book. Particularly the weekends and holidays. Vacations spend on the beach were perfect for reading. I do not read that much anymore, as lot of my spare time is spend blogging and writing instead. These days I mostly like being read to by the Irishman. He has an amazing voice. There is nothing that I love more than hearing it late at night, when the world is still, just before I fall asleep.

My favorite authors of all time are a duo, who write suspense novels; Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I will never forget how I found their first book, by a sheer coincidence. It was a paperback on a sale about 14 years ago in a bookstore at a mall in North Carolina. I think it was the big poster that caught my attention, advertising for the upcoming movie that was based on this book, "The Relic". The title and the link to the supernatural stirred my curiosity and so I bought it. I think I read in in a course of couple of days, which is VERY unusual for me. I loved it! More than any book ever before. Very quickly I learned that their new book was out already, a sequel to their first, entitled "Reliquary" and so I bought it in hardcover this time around.

Today I own all their books (except the newest one) in hardcover. The first book I still only have in paperback - but in some way the paper cover, bearing signs of use brings me back in time and reminds me of a moment of discovery. That fleeting second in time when we make encounter with a new very best friend. Even if it is just a book.

"First" Meme.

The other day I became very curious about the origins of tags and memes. I have been tagged a few times and even "memed", if one can say so. I have even copied and "officially" stolen memes. But until now I never really understood the origins of the word nor the game itself. Being a scientist, I am very curious by nature and so of course I set on a hunt for knowledge.

So where do memes (or tags) come from?

First of all, I realized that I have been mispronouncing the word "meme" the whole time in my head. As I have never heard it being said out loud, I always just read it as it was written. Something to the extend of repeating "me", as in reference to my person, two times. That is however an error. Meme is pronounced more like "meem", riming with "dream". Another version is a short "mem", as a in "memory".

According to the Wikipedia, a definition of meme is (direct quote):
"...a postulated unit or element of cultural ideas, symbols or practices that gets transmitted from one mind to another through speech, gestures, rituals, or other imitable phenomena. The etymology of the term relates to the Greek word mimema for "something imitated".

The word meme originated in a book by Richard Dawkins from 1976, called The Selfish Gene. Here he initially defined meme as a noun which "conveys the idea of a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation". In the book he presents a very interesting theory on the spread of information and ideas through "memes". Comparing them to natural "genes", he hypotheses, that just like these evolve by natural selection, even "memes" will undergo changes while they are passed on through the processes of variation, mutation, competition and inheritance. In simple words; any information that is passed on might have been chosen, changed and survived for its content.

Interestingly for me, this all gave rise to the science of "Memetics", which I have stumbled upon in my work as well.

But back to our Internet Memes. These are in theory; a quiz, a list, a joke, a clip, an animation or a story that is spread through the cyberspace via email, blog, internet forums or IM. These memes can stay the same or evolve and the rate in which they spread is depending on a natural selection due to their popularity.

So there you have it, a short history on the origins and function of meme's.

While doing my research, I stumbled upon a tag here. I liked it so much I decided to copy it and post it in order to contribute to the spreading of the meme information. Anyone who is up for a game, please feel free to play along.;)

1. Who was your FIRST prom date?
Prom doesn't exist in Scandinavian school system. Fortunately.

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?
No. It is a statue of a prince and I have never said a word to him.

3. What was your 1st alcoholic drink?
Czech Beer.

4. What was your FIRST job?
Delivering commercials in the weekends with my sister.

5. What was your FIRST car?
Red ‘77 T-bird.

6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?
My telephone company.

7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?
The Irishman.

8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?
It was a sweet old lady, but I do not remember her name.

9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?
To Italy.

10. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk?
A girl I went to school with in Slovakia - and yes, I am still in touch with her.

11. Where was your FIRST sleep over?
I never had one. As a child that is.

12. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?
Someone at the lab.

13. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time?
Hmm, I remember the wedding, but not whose it was. I think the couple were friends of my parents, I might have been around seven years old.

14. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?
Hugged Batcat.

15. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to?
Eric Clapton.

16. FIRST tattoo?
I do not have one.

17. First piercing?
First and last; my earlobes when I was about a month old. That is customary in my culture; all the little girls wear tiny, golden earrings since they are toddlers.

18. First foreign country you’ve been to?
Hungary.

19. FIRST movie you remember seeing?
Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). I must have been around 4 or 5 and I remember falling on the way from the cinema and ruining my beautiful coat.

20. When was your FIRST detention?
Never.

21. What was the first state you lived in?
Czechoslovakia.

22. Who was your FIRST roommate?
A cat called Gypsy.

The Little Mermaid.

I am sure everyone is familiar with the famous Hans Christian Andersen fable about the little mermaid, that fell in love with a prince and chose to become human, with grave consequences. It has been made into many animated movies and is known by kids and adults all over the world.

H.C Andersen was a Danish poet and author, who had a wonderful gift in writing stories and fairytales, that were entertaining, but always with a little twist. He managed to expose the weakness and problems in mankind and in societies, which can be adequately transferred to any era in human history. Many of his fairytales are world renowned and cited and many additional stories have been spun on the same themes, such as "The Emperor's New Clothes" and "The Ugly Duckling".

Andersen is beloved by the Danes and a statue of the little mermaid is one of the main tourist attractions in Copenhagen. The statue was commissioned in 1909 by Carl Jacobsen, son of the founder of Carlsberg and created by the sculptor Edvard Eriksen. It was unveiled on 23 August 1913 and has ever since been sitting atop a big rock at the harbour, gazing with longing across the ocean.
I have seen the little mermaid only once almost thirty years ago. Strange but true; every time I make plans to go and see it again, they somehow fall through.
I was a child at that time and to me it appeared just like any statue, but many tourists claim to be surprised about how small it is in reality.

The statue of the mermaid has endured decades of vandalism, I am sorry to say. It has lost arms on numerous occasions, it has lost its head, have been painted pink and even been blown of its rock, most likely using dynamite. Interestingly, this defacement started first in the sixties and have only intensified in time.

The statue has been making headlines recently, as it will soon embark on a long travel following a somewhat controversial decision by the Copenhagen City Council, to move the statue to Shanghai for the duration of the Expo 2010.

I decided to post two different youtube clips of the attraction; the first one seem to be more professional, taken by the economic expert Jim Rogers and his wife, one one of their travels.

The other clip was simply so funny, I had to post it as well. It is taken, as far as I understand by two Erasmus exchange students. Judging by the language, they are Italian and judging from the clip, they are laughing with great irony at the terrible late March weather with sleet, cold wind and about 3C (around 37F). Surely, this is a very strange climate to anyone who is at home around the Mediterranean, where March is summer-like, to say the least. I do not speak Italian - I can catch a word or two about the weather - but to those who do; in a case some profane language is used, I deeply appologize.;)
Still, I love the sincere, unpretentious humour in the short clip, hope you will too.

In Dreams.

I always dream in the night. Sometimes, I can not recall the dream any longer in the day, but I always remember it in the moments after I wake up.

I dream in colour only and I am never aware of the fact that I am dreaming. To me everything is very vivid and very real. I love my dreams, no matter how graphically terrible they can be at times. I have been falling and flying, I have been trapped and been hunted by evil, while experiencing terror and fear. But I have also woken up from dreams that transcends anything, that leave me feeling invigorated and powerful. I have dreamed of encounters that were so authentic, that in the moments of the awakening the borderline between reality and fantasy was difficult to define. I have felt invincible and beautiful, with the ability to turn time around and to live in parallel worlds or experience alternate lives.

I have many books on the subject of dreams. No one really knows what happens to us when we sleep. It is known that all animals require sleep and many dream as well.
Some people have claimed to see future incidents in dreams, while others have solved problems, scientific dilemmas or mathematical equations while asleep. I have family members that have found lost items in dreams.

Well I have never solved any of the big problems while asleep. I know I need to sleep a lot, or my mood is melancholic, bordering on dark and my reactions are slow, my brain numb.
To me each night holds a promise of adventure, excitement and suspense. After a night full of exquisite dreams I very well understand the meaning behind the term "dreams come true".

Astronomy Picture Of The Day.

I have always been fascinated by the night sky. At no time am I aware of the vastness of space more, then when looking at stars on a clear night. During the day, the blue atmosphere above us feels almost as a blanket, or a lid confiding us here. However, on a cloudless night, thousand of stars on the jet-black sky make me aware of the immense dimensions of the universe. In that moment it becomes very obvious that our planet is truly suspended in space.

This Christmas I received a fantastic book as a Christmas gift. It contains different pictures related to astronomy, one for each day in a year.
Today’s beautiful photograph is called "Big Dipper Castle". It depicts a castle in the Swabia Albs in Southern Germany, on a clear night, with the constellation of Big Dipper above on the velvet blue sky. I think that is the only constellation that almost everyone recognizes. It goes by many names, for example in Swedish and Danish it is called "Karl's Wagon" and in Slovak and Czech, "The Big Wagon".

On a warm summer night when I sit outside on my terrace, this well known assemblage of stars is clearly visible. It looks the same it has always looked, ever since I was a child. Gazing at it makes me feel as if time stands still.

Prince Bruncvík.

The tale of Bruncvík was one of my favourite ones, when I was a young girl. It had all the elements that appealed to my then naive, romantic mindset.

Bruncvík was an adventurous, passionate Prince, who left his young wife in Prague and embarked on travels of the world. He can be perceived as the Slavic Odysseus, as his journey took him away from his home for almost a decade, while he crossed exotic lands and foreign oceans. His experiences are countless and amazing, anything from surviving raging storms and being shipwrecked to fighting monsters with his magic sword, side by side of a mighty lion, who later became his life long friend and companion.

Eventually, Bruncvík returned home, filled with satisfaction, carrying unique, unbelievable memories. He won back the love of his wife, who was to marry another, believing him dead and lived happily until old age, with the lion, his friend, by his side.

The legend states, that his magic sword disappeared with him. It is believed, that it lays buried in the structure of the Charles Bridge. Once the Czech nation is in great need, St Wenceslaus will rise from the dead, draw Bruncvík's sword and summon the Knights of Blaník, to lead the Czechs to victory. This legend shows striking similarities with the famous tale of Excalibur.

I was completely enthralled by the story of Prince Bruncvík, when I became familiar with his legend after reading a book during my childhood stays in Prague. The depiction of him fueled my romantic fantasies. I often visited his statue during that time, one which to this day can be seen on the side of Charles Bridge. It depicts the young Knight with his magic, golden sword, his shield and his loyal friend, the Lion.

Even today, a visit to Prague is never complete, unless I walk down the bridge, close to sunset and gaze upon the eternally young face of Prince Bruncvík.

International Year Of Astronomy.

2009 has been selected as the international year of Astronomy. Partly due to the fact that it is 400 years ago (1609) since Galileo gazed at the night skies through the first, primitive telescope, making significant observations.

To the scientist in me this is an intriguing prospect, appreciating the fact that a man in my distant past was driven by the knowledge for the unknown. I like the thought of the existence of such men or women, who dedicate their lives to be different, in order to move the frontiers of science, even if it is ever so slightly.
The skies, the stars and the cosmos have always intrigued me. The mystery of our past and our place in the universe is ultimately an enigma. The never-ending questions of whether we are alone or not. Where do we come from and why are we here?

Sometimes I like to look at the big picture. I have heard that many astronauts change their view of the Earth and their own lives on it, once they have been in space. Seeing it from such a distance, they claim to undergo an almost spiritual experience. They see this small, beautifully coloured object in the jet black sky, realizing suddenly their own – and all ours - insignificance, forgetting all about the drawn borders, conflicts and differences. They see Earth, the whole planet, as their home.

And we might be alone. Or at least separated from other intelligent life through such vast distances, we truly can just as well say we are alone. Not to mention that other intelligent life might look nothing like us. This notion should be significant enough for us to try to appreciate that, which connects us all, not focusing one what makes us different. I often think about this and other subjects, such as the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 spacecrafts, which are hurdling through the space as we speak. They are the longest travelled, man-made object ever; carrying information about us, engraved in plaques and disks. One of them is just about to leave our solar system. Pioneer 10 is destined for the star Aldebaran, which it will reach in 2 million years.

I have received another gift from - you know who, right? It is filled with wonderful pictures of space and our planet, one picture for each day of the year. I will try to post the most alluring ones here, during the course of the this year, "the year of Astronomy".

Favourite Books Tag.

Recently I got encouraged by Diane to list one favorite book in 4 different categories; Fiction, Non-fiction, Autobiography and Any genre. I should also explain why I do like these in 30 words.

The thing is, I do not read that much anymore. Well, I do read, but in comparison to others, it appears I do not read at all. My handsome Irishman seem to be able to read a book a day and can even be reading several books at a time, which is completely impossible for me, as I would just mix the plots up. Additionally, he reads to me every evening and I love to share this experience with him.
Well, I on the other hand get through a book just like when I enjoy a lawish meal; I take my time. Unless it is of course a really crappy meal/book, then I take my time too, but for completely different reasons.

I used to read a lot as young girl. But then life happened and there is way to little time in it for books. Nevertheless, I still enjoy curling up with a good book in the weekends and on summer vacations.

But back to the book meme.
Here are my nominations:


Fiction:
"Reliquary" by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
This is the best book ever written by my two favourite authors of all time. I own all their books, but this is by far their best work. A mix of science, fiction and the supernatural, or MY KIND of mix.

Non-fiction:
"A Brief History of Time" by Stephen W. Hawkin
One doesn’t have to be a scientist to be captivated by this subject; his writing, although perhaps complicated is still a wonderful take on the universe.

Autobiography:
"Dneska už se tomu směju" by Adina Mandlová
Yes, it is in Czech.:) I am sorry, but this is by far the best autobiography I ever read.
Translation: "Today it makes me laugh" by Adina Mandlová
I read this when I was a teenager and enjoyed it immensely; I loved the lightness in the writing, even if the subjects were very grave. Written by a Czech actress, it depicts her life in Czech republic in the 1930's.


Any genre:
"The Lady and The Unicorn" by Tracy Chevalier
I choose here fiction story based partly on facts, depicting real occurrences and real subjects.
It is a wonderful book describing the making of exquisite tapestries in 15th century France. I was very captivated by this work and still today I keep at times thinking about the people involved in the creation of these magnificent pieces of art.

Please, any of you reading this, feel free to list your favourite books in these 4 genres, should you wish to do so.;)

My Oldest Book.

During my childhood summers, I spend several weeks with my grandparents in Prague. Those were the times in which I grew to love that city and that love has remained with me till this day. The particular atmosphere I remember is by long gone, but inside my heart and my mind, I carry all the precious memories that connect me to a specific time and place, that I will always cherish.
While staying in the old apartment with my grandparents, I was allowed to read a very special book. It was very unique to me, as it was a book with the tales of Prague, the city. I loved that book and perceived it to be very significant, as it was so heavy and large in my small hands. The cover captivated me; it depicts a man astride on a white horse, jumping of a cliff. One can sense clearly the feeling of resolution and determination not just in the posture of this man, but also in his face.

The man is called Horymir and he is riding his bellowed horse Semik (I often wondered whether Tolkien was inspired by some of the Slavic legends and used similar names for his heroes). This picture, painted by a famous Czech artist Mikolas Ales, is inspired by a legend, where Horymir, imprisoned in the Vysehrad castle asks for one last wish before his execution. He requests to be permitted a final ride on his horse around the castle yard. His wish is granted and after circling the yard a few times, the loyal horse obeys his master’s order and jumps over the castle wall and into the Vltava (Moldau) river below, bringing his master into safety. The king is so impressed by this courage, he grants Horymir his freedom.
It was one of my favorite stories of all.

After my grandparents passed away, this book was given to my parents, who later gave to me, knowing how much I loved reading it as a child. Today is not just the most treasured book I own, but being printed in 1937, also the oldest one.

The Prophet.

I remember seeing this printed as a poster long time ago and I have always liked the meaning behind these words. Not having any children of my own, I can not say if this is indeed true, but I like the following excerpt from "The Prophet", by Kahlil Gibran:

-Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday...-

Vintage Stores and BookCrossing.

I have never been much for shopping at second hand stores. I always found them a bit creepy. The thought of wearing clothes that others have worn or even handling items that someone else has used was very distant to me. However, this all changed, when I met a book loving Irishman that introduced me to a new way of living, where recycling is an every day occurrence. He recently brought my attention to a delightful site perfect for anyone that loves books, called BookCrossing. Here members can share books freely, by leaving them at particular points in a city where they live, or in a foreign city to which they travel, for that matter, for someone else to pick them up. Making connection with people all over the world through books is such a very captivating idea.
Therefore today, anything vintage is intriguing to me. Of course, I have a somewhat romantic and very bohemian style, which makes it a bit easier. But nevertheless, I cannot wait to visit flea markets or any kind of stores dealing with re-used merchandise. Re-cycling things seems now so rewarding to me. Instead of throwing something away, I like the thought of it becoming useful in someone's hands or home.

Winnetou.

Long before I lived in the "wild west", I had my own romantic fantasies about what it looked and "felt" like. They were all based on the idealistic depictions of the west by the German author Karl May. The books were describing the adventures of Apache Winnetou, his sister Nscho-tschi and his "blood brother" Old Shatterand. I was 9 years old and read the thick book late at nights, with a flash light under the blanket. (Maybe that is why I am nearsighted today.) This book was magical to me and followed the cowboys as they crossed the Mississippi and the Rio Grande, both such a very exotic sounding names to me. I knew nothing of these far away lands, but they seem very exciting and dreamy to a young girl. In the years that followed, I have forgotten all about this hero of my youth, until I recently stumbled upon the Winnetou movie on one of the German channels on my cable TV. Although the movie felt outdated, silly and at times naive, it did bring back sentimental memories of my childhood, when imagination had no limits and everything was possible.