Yes, I have gone quiet.
So much has going on since May.
And especially June when the Minister of Environment of my country decided to become a champion of financing an oil refinery.
So much so he would remove me from the climate delegation because of my criticisms by asking others to get me out of delegation and then plead that he did not know "anything" about my removal.
My website www.monica-araya.com has much more information.
I am now in Costa Rica.
I will continue writing in August.
Life is good and I will not let this toxic affair make me think otherwise.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
In Chile
I have been away. Again.
3 Weeks in Costa Rica and 1 week in Chile. I can´t complain!
You might think I am enjoying the tropical sun and getting a tan, right?
Wrong.
I have spent a majority of my time in front of the computer. Typing away. Thinking away. Plotting.
One of the highlights of the month was a panel in Chile where I had the priviledge to be a discussant in a conversation with Luis Miguel Galindo (ECLAC), Gregory Briner (OECD) and Ricardo Lagos - the charming former President of Chile.
If all the former Presidents were half as witty and engaged as Mr. Lagos!
3 Weeks in Costa Rica and 1 week in Chile. I can´t complain!
You might think I am enjoying the tropical sun and getting a tan, right?
Wrong.
I have spent a majority of my time in front of the computer. Typing away. Thinking away. Plotting.
One of the highlights of the month was a panel in Chile where I had the priviledge to be a discussant in a conversation with Luis Miguel Galindo (ECLAC), Gregory Briner (OECD) and Ricardo Lagos - the charming former President of Chile.
If all the former Presidents were half as witty and engaged as Mr. Lagos!
Friday, March 22, 2013
How much are Norwegian Women Worth?
I recently participated in the OECD Climate Change Expert Group (CCXG). Many OECD publications are spread throughout the building and I picked up the OECD Observer - the magazine.
As I read it later that night (with a glass of wine!) I learned new pieces of information. For instance, did you know that the first SMS message - ever - was sent in December 1992? It was interesting to remember the world where the concept of an instant message did not exist. It is only 20 years ago.
The also had an article about the origins of the World Wide Web. And I learned that someone starting thinking about it in the 1930s!
But the most fascinating fact I learned came from an article where the Norwegian Minister of Finance wrote about why and how Norway has supported women in the work force (making the country one of the best ones for women to work and live in). He wrote:
As I read it later that night (with a glass of wine!) I learned new pieces of information. For instance, did you know that the first SMS message - ever - was sent in December 1992? It was interesting to remember the world where the concept of an instant message did not exist. It is only 20 years ago.
The also had an article about the origins of the World Wide Web. And I learned that someone starting thinking about it in the 1930s!
But the most fascinating fact I learned came from an article where the Norwegian Minister of Finance wrote about why and how Norway has supported women in the work force (making the country one of the best ones for women to work and live in). He wrote:
"If the level of female participation in Norway
were to be reduced to the OECD average, Norway’s net national wealth
would, all other factors being equal, fall by a value equivalent to our
total petroleum wealth, including the value of assets held in the
Government Pension Fund-Global."
And extraordinatory point to make. And this is the minister of finance speaking.
And extraordinatory point to make. And this is the minister of finance speaking.
Here is the rest of the article "Women in Work: The Norwegian Experience".
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Insane winter terrace!
We all know that Norwegians are crazy about the sun. Today Oslo was sunny. True. But the city was officially cold: -7 degrees!
The sun made no difference. It was cold!
And yet.
People smiled, there was a summery feeling in the streets.
I even noticed a busy café terrace. Full of sun lovers, sipping their (frozen?!), their faces greeting the sunshine as if -7 degrees did not matter!
I had to stop and stare.
So I took this photo so that I can can confirm that I didn't imagine the sweet yet insane scene.
The sun seemed as surprised as I was.
The sun made no difference. It was cold!
And yet.
People smiled, there was a summery feeling in the streets.
I even noticed a busy café terrace. Full of sun lovers, sipping their (frozen?!), their faces greeting the sunshine as if -7 degrees did not matter!
I had to stop and stare.
So I took this photo so that I can can confirm that I didn't imagine the sweet yet insane scene.
The sun seemed as surprised as I was.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Ich Liebe Berlin
As I type that I love Berlin, I wonder if I will ever write that I love Oslo.
Perhaps. It is unfair to compare.
(And Oslo is growing on me. I just need to spend more time here. I am frequently somewhere else!)
Now, back to loving Berlin.
What a city! So much is going on! And much seem on its way. Everywhere I went, I notice the signs of change, signs of endless imagination and a certain aloofness that makes me, intrigued.
And then is Berlin's in-expensiveness. Bjørn figured that prices are about a third of what you pay in Oslo. Contrary to Oslo, the bills got me to smile - a full grin - each time.
I had to go to Berlin for work so it was a very short visit. We spent two days walking around in the most miserable weather - colder, wetter, darker than we deserved. And yet, I was happy to wonder around while thinking hard about the fateful city of Berlin, its historical footprint and the most inspiring re-invention.
Here are some colorful memories of this past Saturday. The wall you see below is a piece of that wall. . .
Perhaps. It is unfair to compare.
(And Oslo is growing on me. I just need to spend more time here. I am frequently somewhere else!)
Now, back to loving Berlin.
What a city! So much is going on! And much seem on its way. Everywhere I went, I notice the signs of change, signs of endless imagination and a certain aloofness that makes me, intrigued.
And then is Berlin's in-expensiveness. Bjørn figured that prices are about a third of what you pay in Oslo. Contrary to Oslo, the bills got me to smile - a full grin - each time.
I had to go to Berlin for work so it was a very short visit. We spent two days walking around in the most miserable weather - colder, wetter, darker than we deserved. And yet, I was happy to wonder around while thinking hard about the fateful city of Berlin, its historical footprint and the most inspiring re-invention.
Here are some colorful memories of this past Saturday. The wall you see below is a piece of that wall. . .
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| I leave it to your imagination |
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| No legs to bike. . . |
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| Looking forward |
Babylon in Berlin
Very few visits get me more energized than a visit to a Museum. And this Sunday, I had the good fortune to go to the Pergamon Museum - the building on a island in Berlin in 1909-1930.
If I close my eyes and think of the greatest moment of wonder, I think of Babylon´s Ishtar Gate, from the 6th century B.C. Yes, you are reading it right: 6th century B.C.
It was one of the city gates to Babylon (the region of modern Iraq) and ornamented in blue glazed bricks. It is a visual delight and I could have been there for hours, just contemplating. (Sadly, we were at bit in a hurry).
The gate was named after Ishtar, the goddess of love and war.
Part of the gate is original, but some bricks were reconstructed.
If I close my eyes and think of the greatest moment of wonder, I think of Babylon´s Ishtar Gate, from the 6th century B.C. Yes, you are reading it right: 6th century B.C.
It was one of the city gates to Babylon (the region of modern Iraq) and ornamented in blue glazed bricks. It is a visual delight and I could have been there for hours, just contemplating. (Sadly, we were at bit in a hurry).
The gate was named after Ishtar, the goddess of love and war.
Part of the gate is original, but some bricks were reconstructed.
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| A miniature helps you visualize the majestic structure... |
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| I have never seen a more beautiful gate. |
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Norwegian Magical Realism
I have never seen the Northern Lights.
And I really do not want to leave Norway - or this life - without seeing them.
The New York Times run a photo essay by the Norwegian writer, Karl Ove Knausgaard (See my previous entry about his controversial book "My Struggle").
The photos make me want to drop whatever you are doing, get a ticket with Norwegian Air and be there tonight...
But I can´t so here are the photos. And here is the article: The Magical Realism of Norwegian Lights.
Who said that Magical Realism only belong in think books?
This is a photograph I took of the New York Times article, I hope I will not get in trouble. I just want to make sure you do see the Photo Essay!
.JPG)
And I really do not want to leave Norway - or this life - without seeing them.
The New York Times run a photo essay by the Norwegian writer, Karl Ove Knausgaard (See my previous entry about his controversial book "My Struggle").
The photos make me want to drop whatever you are doing, get a ticket with Norwegian Air and be there tonight...
But I can´t so here are the photos. And here is the article: The Magical Realism of Norwegian Lights.
Who said that Magical Realism only belong in think books?
This is a photograph I took of the New York Times article, I hope I will not get in trouble. I just want to make sure you do see the Photo Essay!
.JPG)
Walking on Water!
This Sunday I walked on water for the first time in my life.
The blue liquid had frozen and invited us to walk on it. The experience was unusual nonetheless. For Norwegians it is normal. But for me, it was a distinct moment of loud wonder!
Like a child discovering the sea for the first time.
The water, its movement, its sound, had turned into a wide, white, quite floor. An endless platform for pedestrians in search for silence and peace.
Just by standing there I charged my batteries for a month.
The day before I had come back from Thailand, where I had been attending a conference. As I walked on the frozen water, my body felt confused but lucky: swimming in a warm pool a few hours earier, and now walking on a frozen water a few hours later...
And I confirmed that water is, no doubt, my element.
The blue liquid had frozen and invited us to walk on it. The experience was unusual nonetheless. For Norwegians it is normal. But for me, it was a distinct moment of loud wonder!
Like a child discovering the sea for the first time.
The water, its movement, its sound, had turned into a wide, white, quite floor. An endless platform for pedestrians in search for silence and peace.
Just by standing there I charged my batteries for a month.
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| Standing on the Frozen Waves!! |
The day before I had come back from Thailand, where I had been attending a conference. As I walked on the frozen water, my body felt confused but lucky: swimming in a warm pool a few hours earier, and now walking on a frozen water a few hours later...
And I confirmed that water is, no doubt, my element.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Turkish Delighted
I saw Istanbul this weekend.
First time.
What an alluring merger of Past and Future, The West and the Rest. That is how I remember that city, in Capital Letters. Nothing there seems small or temporary. Nothing seems to fit a small print. There I felt as if I were walking inside, not a city, but a thick and mystical history book. And that visit felt like a brief gaze over a brief paragraph. No time to even look at the next page.
When I close my eyes and think of Istanbul, the film that circulate inside my head is made of hundreds people, food of all kinds and colors, and the countless voices. The city felt as vibrant as I had imagined it. And yet. The city suprised me, no doubt. That stamina! That market! The bargaining. The agressiveness of a game that has been played each day for thousands of years.
Tell me, a merchant with piercing black eyes asked me, What can I do so you give me your money?
It was blunt. Wasn´t he being too harsh? But then I figured that there was no difference between his point and my daily encounter with the Western consumer society. Every year, every day, every hour someone is trying to get your money anyway. At least in the Istanbul grand bazaar you are enchanted by the magical atmosphere of a marketplace that is sharp and alive after thousands of years.
There is much more I could write. (How can one not linger on the Food, also to be written in capital letters!) But for now let´s stick to the unapologetic and yet charming transactional life that made a city into something know as Istanbul.
First time.
What an alluring merger of Past and Future, The West and the Rest. That is how I remember that city, in Capital Letters. Nothing there seems small or temporary. Nothing seems to fit a small print. There I felt as if I were walking inside, not a city, but a thick and mystical history book. And that visit felt like a brief gaze over a brief paragraph. No time to even look at the next page.
When I close my eyes and think of Istanbul, the film that circulate inside my head is made of hundreds people, food of all kinds and colors, and the countless voices. The city felt as vibrant as I had imagined it. And yet. The city suprised me, no doubt. That stamina! That market! The bargaining. The agressiveness of a game that has been played each day for thousands of years.
Tell me, a merchant with piercing black eyes asked me, What can I do so you give me your money?
It was blunt. Wasn´t he being too harsh? But then I figured that there was no difference between his point and my daily encounter with the Western consumer society. Every year, every day, every hour someone is trying to get your money anyway. At least in the Istanbul grand bazaar you are enchanted by the magical atmosphere of a marketplace that is sharp and alive after thousands of years.
There is much more I could write. (How can one not linger on the Food, also to be written in capital letters!) But for now let´s stick to the unapologetic and yet charming transactional life that made a city into something know as Istanbul.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
The Next Supermodel: Nordics!
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| From the cover of The Economist - 2 Feb 2013 |
According to The Economist Nordic countries have much to teach the world.
The question, I suppose, is whether the world will convince itself that Nordic lessons can be adopted outside Nordic nations.
Living in Oslo has made me appreciate the Nordic model even more. It feels confident without being arrogant. It has a sense of collective good that allows citizens to believe and exercise the power of collaboration. Norwegians, for example, can grasp with the global climate challenge. They don´t feel it is a conspiracy against their country. When I lived in the US, I noticed that "personal achievement" was at the core of their model. You must achieve, achieve, achieve. Even what you want to achieve will cost you everything (Yes, I am thinking of Lance Amstrong).
Perhaps the sentence in The Economist´s piece that surprised me was:
"And as the Asians introduce welfare states they too will look to the Nordics: Norway is a particular focus of the Chinese."
And why not some Latin American countries too? I am sure many smaller countries like mine would be happy to learn. Green taxes anyone?
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Freedom of Press
The world rankings of the Freedom of the Press are out for 2013.
The top three countries are Finland, Netherlands and Norway.
And happy to report that in Latin America - where there is inmense room for improvement - my country, Costa Rica has the highest score! Well done ticos! We are number 18 in the world (higher than Canada and US and ahead of some several EU countries including the UK and France). If you zoom in this map, you will see a white dot in the Americas, right in the middle (White color means: good situation).
And when we do have freedom of press, do we take it for granted?
This Index by "Reporters without Borders" is a sobering reminder that outrageous things are happening to brave journalists and "netizens" around the world (e.g political bloggers).
For people working on climate issues, like me, this index poses the heavy, almost asfixiting question: Can countries where change is imperative ever have an honest national debate on climate matters when these countries lack freedom of press?
In the meantime, let´s celebrate each time we are able to read a newspaper of our choosing by journalists and thinkers who are speaking their minds!
The top three countries are Finland, Netherlands and Norway.
And happy to report that in Latin America - where there is inmense room for improvement - my country, Costa Rica has the highest score! Well done ticos! We are number 18 in the world (higher than Canada and US and ahead of some several EU countries including the UK and France). If you zoom in this map, you will see a white dot in the Americas, right in the middle (White color means: good situation).
And when we do have freedom of press, do we take it for granted?
This Index by "Reporters without Borders" is a sobering reminder that outrageous things are happening to brave journalists and "netizens" around the world (e.g political bloggers).
For people working on climate issues, like me, this index poses the heavy, almost asfixiting question: Can countries where change is imperative ever have an honest national debate on climate matters when these countries lack freedom of press?
In the meantime, let´s celebrate each time we are able to read a newspaper of our choosing by journalists and thinkers who are speaking their minds!
Paul Auster & Siri Hustvedt in Oslo
What happy surprise it was to find this note posted at Bookshop's window in Oslo's main street:
And for a change, I was able to make it - instead of being somewhere else working!
The bookshop was packed and they improvised some readings that in the end turned out well.
I waited - with a big smile on my face - for about 1:30 hrs before I had the chance to get them to sign my books.
In the meantime I had the chance to talk to some lovely Norwegian ladies - who knew Paul Auster were there mostly because of his wife the novelist Siri Hustvedt (American of Norwegian decent).
In case you do not know, Paul Auster is one of my favorite writers, I would say top 3. And Book of Illusions has a spelling effect on me. I would be happy to read it again.
If you have not read it any of his books, this one or The Brookling Follies are good novels to enter the world of his imagination. As for Siri Hustvedt, "What I loved" or "The Shaking Woman o History of My Nerves."
He jokingly said that writers must ignore others say or write about them if they are to preserve their sanity. That dictum - I would argue - applies to us all!
And for a change, I was able to make it - instead of being somewhere else working!
The bookshop was packed and they improvised some readings that in the end turned out well.
I waited - with a big smile on my face - for about 1:30 hrs before I had the chance to get them to sign my books.
In the meantime I had the chance to talk to some lovely Norwegian ladies - who knew Paul Auster were there mostly because of his wife the novelist Siri Hustvedt (American of Norwegian decent).
In case you do not know, Paul Auster is one of my favorite writers, I would say top 3. And Book of Illusions has a spelling effect on me. I would be happy to read it again.
If you have not read it any of his books, this one or The Brookling Follies are good novels to enter the world of his imagination. As for Siri Hustvedt, "What I loved" or "The Shaking Woman o History of My Nerves."
He jokingly said that writers must ignore others say or write about them if they are to preserve their sanity. That dictum - I would argue - applies to us all!
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| We thought we only had to sign books! |
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| The line was about 2 hours long. . . |
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
The Visiting Snow
I love when the snow shows up for a visit.
You just don't know for how long it will stay.
And because I am not entirely used to seeing a city painted in such perfect white - every inch -, I celebrate its arrival with an warm enthusiasm that some locals might interpret as winter madness. (I just keep starring at the white blanket that seems to cover the sky).
And those majestic trees that stand so perfectly silver-sprayed they almost look photoshopped.
So I went for a walk at the Palace park. Here is a photo and you can tell: this is not Buckingham... You can almost get to the door and go in! There are no fences.
You just don't know for how long it will stay.
And because I am not entirely used to seeing a city painted in such perfect white - every inch -, I celebrate its arrival with an warm enthusiasm that some locals might interpret as winter madness. (I just keep starring at the white blanket that seems to cover the sky).
And those majestic trees that stand so perfectly silver-sprayed they almost look photoshopped.
So I went for a walk at the Palace park. Here is a photo and you can tell: this is not Buckingham... You can almost get to the door and go in! There are no fences.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Menos 15 grados bajo cero...
La canción "Cuando Calienta el Sol, aquí en la playa..." suena muy lejana.
Normalmente no me quejo del frío. Y no es que me queje hoy. Pero sí se siente el bajonazo de temperatura.
Y me llaman la atención los niños: No se quejan del frío. Y claro es que para ellos es parte de su ciclo natural de vida. El invierno es normal. Desde que son bebitos han vivido el frío como viven la leche o las canciones que les canta la abuela.
Le tomé una foto al bebé de una amiga de Bjørn. Y sí con ropa caliente, el bebito ni chistaba.
Y como dicen los noruegos: No es que hace frío, es que no se lleva la ropa correcta!
Normalmente no me quejo del frío. Y no es que me queje hoy. Pero sí se siente el bajonazo de temperatura.
Y me llaman la atención los niños: No se quejan del frío. Y claro es que para ellos es parte de su ciclo natural de vida. El invierno es normal. Desde que son bebitos han vivido el frío como viven la leche o las canciones que les canta la abuela.
Le tomé una foto al bebé de una amiga de Bjørn. Y sí con ropa caliente, el bebito ni chistaba.
Friday, January 18, 2013
The coolest metallic courtain
This must be the coolest Opera House curtain there is.
It looks metallic but it is not. It is painted! Just brilliant.
It looks metallic but it is not. It is painted! Just brilliant.
The show must go on...
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| Photo from the Opera House website |
It was in Norwegian and - so thanks to the translation I could understand the story (It is dreadful when you don't understand and you see the entire audience laughing...and you half pretend you laugh with them...).
The photo below is a reminder of the carnival of imaginative, mind-boggling costumes. The clothes stole the show. Or perhaps my viewing of the show. Once I catch something visual - vivid colors, beautiful shapes, or lights - my ears stop functioning.
Then the surprise.
Right in the middle of the play all lights of the Opera house went on. I thought that was part of the show, how fun! But is was not part of the show: the fire alarm had been activated and we had to fetch the coats, cover ourselves and go out.
After twenty minutes, we were asked to go back to our seats. Coats off again and up we went. The Opera continued as if nothing had happend. Nada. A graceful, reminder that it should not be the end of the world if things don't go according to plan.
The show must always go on.
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| This is the view outside the Opera while we waited for the non-existing fire to be extinguished |
Monday, January 14, 2013
Oslo ready to shine...
Today thhe New York Times run a piece about 46 places to Visit in 2013.
And guess?
Oslo is one of those places.
The spotlight is always on Copenhagen or Stockholm.
Well...watch out!
"With all the attention recently showered on its fellow Nordic capitals, it’s been easy to overlook Oslo. But no longer. In an effort to embrace the city’s proximity to the sea, the Fjord City development project is rejuvenating the city’s waterfront, most recently (and impressively) on Tjuvholmen, or Thief Island. This is where the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art reopened in September in a spectacular new Renzo Piano-designed structure featuring sloping, sail-shaped glass roofs that nearly dip into the water.
And I say: Remember my previous entries about this Museum?! Here and here.
Next door, the cutting-edge facade and art-strewn interiors of The Thief new Design Hotel set to open this month, should fit right in with the arty neighborhood. Tjuvholmen is now also home to a pack of top-notch galleries and a new sculpture park with works from Anish Kapoor and Ellsworth Kelly. Elsewhere in the city, the restaurant Maaemo caught the food world’s attention when, barely a year after opening, it earned two Michelin stars. More proof that Oslo is ready to shine."
And guess?
Oslo is one of those places.
The spotlight is always on Copenhagen or Stockholm.
Well...watch out!
"With all the attention recently showered on its fellow Nordic capitals, it’s been easy to overlook Oslo. But no longer. In an effort to embrace the city’s proximity to the sea, the Fjord City development project is rejuvenating the city’s waterfront, most recently (and impressively) on Tjuvholmen, or Thief Island. This is where the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art reopened in September in a spectacular new Renzo Piano-designed structure featuring sloping, sail-shaped glass roofs that nearly dip into the water.
And I say: Remember my previous entries about this Museum?! Here and here.
Next door, the cutting-edge facade and art-strewn interiors of The Thief new Design Hotel set to open this month, should fit right in with the arty neighborhood. Tjuvholmen is now also home to a pack of top-notch galleries and a new sculpture park with works from Anish Kapoor and Ellsworth Kelly. Elsewhere in the city, the restaurant Maaemo caught the food world’s attention when, barely a year after opening, it earned two Michelin stars. More proof that Oslo is ready to shine."
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| From the New York Times's article mentioned above |
I don't care much about about designer, super-fancy recommendations - they feel like a "cookie-cutter" import from other latitudes - but I am passionate about Art and cool urban ecosystems and I do sense Oslo´s wanting to becoming more cosmopolitan. The city is not there yet. But this decade should be one in which Oslo´s rapid internationalization will make it shine.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Encounters with the sky
The most spectacular winter gift Norway gives to those who pay attention are the lights around 5pm.
And it was around this time that we left the Henie-Onstad Art Center. There it was near the parking lot: the happy encounter with the magnificent lights. The moon stood right in the middle. Each time I discover these sunsets, I am surprised. I am not used to the colors. And I don´t want to get used to them either. I want them to surprise me each time.
The photos I made with my phone pay no justice to the handsome scenery (the pink was in the sky but not in the photo). And yet. Part of the happy moment was recorded.
It was about -11C. My nose felt so frozen I thought it would break anytime and fall to the ground.
And it was around this time that we left the Henie-Onstad Art Center. There it was near the parking lot: the happy encounter with the magnificent lights. The moon stood right in the middle. Each time I discover these sunsets, I am surprised. I am not used to the colors. And I don´t want to get used to them either. I want them to surprise me each time.
The photos I made with my phone pay no justice to the handsome scenery (the pink was in the sky but not in the photo). And yet. Part of the happy moment was recorded.
It was about -11C. My nose felt so frozen I thought it would break anytime and fall to the ground.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Ibsen's women
No female choice back then. When Ibsen wrote his plays the only legitimate role for Norwegian women was to be married ladies. And women had no power to decide whom to marry. (In the case of Ibsen's mother, her parents married her to Mr. Disaster!). So women who wanted something else were in trouble: Want to be a female artist? Forget it! Dream of being an actress? Scandalous! Wanting to be a vocal female writer? How dare she!
No wonder the man took his plays to other countries and lived away from Norway for 27 years... And he chose a progressive wife, Suzannah, who understood his quest and stood by him.
I very much enjoyed learning stories of individuals who persevere in adversity and finally make it in their lifetimes. Sadly for my own country, two of our best writers died outside Costa Rica (Yolanda O. and Eunice O.) and it was only after they were dead (and no longer a threat) that the country embraced their writing and celebrated their talent.
The Oslo establishment changed its mind about Ibsen in time for him to live his final 11 years in Norway (1895-1906). He was lucky to have felt his country's appreciation before he died.
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| His studio upstairs. He wrote his last two plays here. |
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| The exhibition downstairs. |
Given my Ibsen readings, I had to visit the Ibsen museum.
What a treat (and in great company: my mother!). We visited both his flat and the exhibition (with countless stories and personal belongings). The history of how they found them is here.
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| Some of his watches. |
Monday, January 7, 2013
When Vikings Ruled the World
One day I will take time to learn more about the Vikings.
I don´t about you, but in my case my high school did not teach me much about them... and if you are from my generation, then "Olafo, el Viking" left an enduring visual legacy, including the idea that Viking wives, such as Helga, always got their way. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hägar_the_Horrible (in English, Olafo was "Hagar the Horrible"...)
Stereotypes aside, the Vikings are a fascinating people. And where else could I learn more about them than in Scandinavia?
Yesterday, we took my mother to the Oslo´s Viking Ship Museum. http://www.khm.uio.no/besok-oss/vikingskipshuset/
The ship you see in the photo is nearly 1,200 years old.
Built around the year 820, it was used as burial ship for a powerful woman and her maid in 834. The dead would be put in the ship with burial gifts for use in the life hereafter...
The museum has other ships from the years 890 and 900 as well as precious artefacts, small and large, which give you a vivid image of their their way of life. I saw their jewerlry, shoes, buckets, knives, hair combs, their wagons, and some kitchen utensils.
In the photo you see the pot in which they boiled water.
They were active between the 9th and the 11th century as Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands.
Almost of all the popular sterotypes of Vikings - as barbarians - are misplaced, including the way they looked. I learned they did not even wear the horned helmets... As I said, I will take time - sooner or later - to learn the real story!
I don´t about you, but in my case my high school did not teach me much about them... and if you are from my generation, then "Olafo, el Viking" left an enduring visual legacy, including the idea that Viking wives, such as Helga, always got their way. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hägar_the_Horrible (in English, Olafo was "Hagar the Horrible"...)
Stereotypes aside, the Vikings are a fascinating people. And where else could I learn more about them than in Scandinavia?
Yesterday, we took my mother to the Oslo´s Viking Ship Museum. http://www.khm.uio.no/besok-oss/vikingskipshuset/
The ship you see in the photo is nearly 1,200 years old.
Built around the year 820, it was used as burial ship for a powerful woman and her maid in 834. The dead would be put in the ship with burial gifts for use in the life hereafter...
The museum has other ships from the years 890 and 900 as well as precious artefacts, small and large, which give you a vivid image of their their way of life. I saw their jewerlry, shoes, buckets, knives, hair combs, their wagons, and some kitchen utensils.
In the photo you see the pot in which they boiled water.
They were active between the 9th and the 11th century as Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands.
Almost of all the popular sterotypes of Vikings - as barbarians - are misplaced, including the way they looked. I learned they did not even wear the horned helmets... As I said, I will take time - sooner or later - to learn the real story!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
Munch Museum
I spent the day at the Munch Museum with my mother. It is always a sublime moment to have The Scream only a few centimeters away from one´s eyes.
Inevitably we left the museum with a mixed feeling of fascination on the one hand and sadness on the other. All the details we learned about his personal and professional life are so fiercely bitter. I had read his bio and yet today I was struck more than ever by the depth of his sorrow. (My previous Munch story is here)
Acceptance from Norway came "too late" as he said it himself. (But at least he did enjoy recognition at home in the two decades before he died).
It is interesting to note that from all the happy paintings of Norwegian landscapes and everyday life one finds in the Norway´s National Gallery, it was the tormented, emotional, expressive Norwegian artist that became this country´s most famous painter. His inner turmoil seems to have produced the kind of visual history that resonates with past, present and future generations, inside and outside Norway.
I found it interesting to think about how ultra-conservative, judgemental Norwegian society was when Munch was alive (1863-1944). He was the victim of his own people. If only he knew how much Norway would improve for the better in the years after his departure!
The museum is here munch.museum.no
Check out the Google Art Project with Munch´s paintings
googleartproject.com/artist/edvard-munch
Inevitably we left the museum with a mixed feeling of fascination on the one hand and sadness on the other. All the details we learned about his personal and professional life are so fiercely bitter. I had read his bio and yet today I was struck more than ever by the depth of his sorrow. (My previous Munch story is here)
Acceptance from Norway came "too late" as he said it himself. (But at least he did enjoy recognition at home in the two decades before he died).
It is interesting to note that from all the happy paintings of Norwegian landscapes and everyday life one finds in the Norway´s National Gallery, it was the tormented, emotional, expressive Norwegian artist that became this country´s most famous painter. His inner turmoil seems to have produced the kind of visual history that resonates with past, present and future generations, inside and outside Norway.
I found it interesting to think about how ultra-conservative, judgemental Norwegian society was when Munch was alive (1863-1944). He was the victim of his own people. If only he knew how much Norway would improve for the better in the years after his departure!
The museum is here munch.museum.no
 |
| Vampire, 1893-94 |
Check out the Google Art Project with Munch´s paintings
googleartproject.com/artist/edvard-munch
Thursday, January 3, 2013
The magic of a silver, sunless day
Today Oslo felt as if the Sun had decided to not show up for work...
And yet the city looked strong, spotless. White everywhere. The streets, the park, the port, everything. I felt sweet as if I were inside a maze, or a cake, showered in powder sugar. My favorite object? The tall trees who stand so perfectly naked, bearing the winter in silence and adding grace to the scenery - at least if one pays close attention - because of how they let the snow stay in their black branches.
I never saw the city so foggy. The weather must be tough on those who curse the winter. But I have never been in that category (And wouldn´t it be silly to be living in Norway and decide to dislike winters?).
It was a perfect day for making photographs outdoors and for a museum visit. So I went with my mother to the new Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art. Here are some photographs from the inside. There were so scandalous and at times disturbing pieces of art. I need to understand that visual language better. But that is another topic...
And yet the city looked strong, spotless. White everywhere. The streets, the park, the port, everything. I felt sweet as if I were inside a maze, or a cake, showered in powder sugar. My favorite object? The tall trees who stand so perfectly naked, bearing the winter in silence and adding grace to the scenery - at least if one pays close attention - because of how they let the snow stay in their black branches.
I never saw the city so foggy. The weather must be tough on those who curse the winter. But I have never been in that category (And wouldn´t it be silly to be living in Norway and decide to dislike winters?).
It was a perfect day for making photographs outdoors and for a museum visit. So I went with my mother to the new Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art. Here are some photographs from the inside. There were so scandalous and at times disturbing pieces of art. I need to understand that visual language better. But that is another topic...
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