Half-birthday...

Hmmm... I'm 22 and a half today, half a milestone, something to think about.

I might celebrate it with further reading of Anne's House of Dreams, it's so wonderful. While Anne of Windy Poplars seemed more like a patchwork quilt, made of multiple coloured pieces (indeed, some stories there were humorous, some sad, some romantic, and overall it felt like a collection of stories, reminding me somewhat of Chronicles of Avonlea), this one has a different feel about it, something of quiet romance and serenity, tenderness, mild sea misty misteriousness (is there such a word?). Oh, I love the atmosphere of the seashore settlement, I have some of sailor's blood in my veins, indeed!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The weather keeps snowy like in this beautiful folk nursery rhyme illustration by Y. Vasnetsov (I had a whole book thus beautifully illustrated when a child and bought a new one now - because it's so lovely - my excuse is that it will eventually be for my children if I have any...)

It's Winter!

It's so clear, white and frosty! It's wonderful!

Some shots I took on the way to and from grandma. The sunset she said made her feel like in Paradise. But the photos do not render the beauty completely (it might depend on the photographer I think!)

That's not all, but pictures won't load again! I'll try to update soon (the sunset to come!)

Yesterday morning

Yesterday was the first day of "real" winter with frost and at least a bit of snow. And - at last - the pure clear sky and - sunlight!

The sun made even our gloomy office interior so sweet and fairy-tale-like

~>0<~

And today it was a lovely snow-storming day turning into a blizzardy evening. Blizzard is such a lovely word, it has all the sparkling and glistening in it, the light dancing of the powdery snow chrystals in the wind. (It makes me think of a German word too - Der Schnee blitzelt). The pavement finally under a fresh feathery snow cover which was so lovely and soft to be treading upon. I thoroughly enjoyed my twilight walk home from the office today!

New Drawings

This is supposed to be Anne Shirley revelling in the beauty of Prince Edward Island. I finished Anne of Windy Poplars yesterday
And here's just a funny mouse with a piece of cheese

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's an exibition of British book illustrations planned in our city in February, and a British illustrator will hold master-classes on the 2nd and the 3d ! I'm really excited about the event and I'll surely be there!!! The British council library is also going to announce a contest for a best book illustration and a best designed bookmark for a book by British authors. How about a Jane Austen-themed bookmark with something like "a lady should constantly improve her mind by extensive reading"?

A Poem by Edith Nesbit

The Kiss

The snow is white on wood and wold,
The wind is in the firs,
So dead my heart is with the cold,
No pulse within it stirs,
Even to see your face, my dear,
Your face that was my sun;
There is no spring this bitter year,
And summer's dreams are done.

The snakes that lie about my heart
Are in their wintry sleep;
Their fangs no more deal sting and smart,
No more they curl and creep.
Love with the summer ceased to be;
The frost is firm and fast.
God keep the summer far from me,
And let the snakes' sleep last!

Touch of your hand could not suffice
To waken them once more;
Nor could the sunshine of your eyes
A ruined spring restore.
But ah-your lips! You know the rest:
The snows are summer rain,
My eyes are wet, and in my breast
The snakes' fangs meet again.

Edith Nesbit

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I always thought that Edith Nesbit wrote just children's books, but here's what I came across today.
I read several other of her poems and they were also good and really heart-wrenching... passing to somewhat melancholy mood that wrapped me this afternoon coming in a sudden wave.
I'll be fishing out several books of poetry today as soon as I come home, that's for sure! Or probably Anne Shirley will make the world bright and sparkling and sunny again?

In and around another restaurant

It was pre-Chrismas time ... besides, a wedding party was held there... interesting to see that

~~~~~~~~
Well, cannot go on downloading anymore - work is waiting for me - die Arbeit ruft!

(This is also a bit of the rstaurant exterior)

Sky-scrapers

Taken from the 21st floor in the Guangzhou Downtown.

Just amazing, don't you think?

The Hotel

Let's look into the hall:

Well, you can see it was rather luxurious... decorated in Italian style.

One more outside view, all lighted-up at night

Chinese fishes

Kept both outside in a pool (above) and inside in an aquarim (below)

Today's sketches

Today I fished out the Chinese pad again, looked out of the window, noticed a tiny kitten lying on the thin layer of snow that fell after yesterday's perfectly autumn weather. The kitten did not want to be drawn apparently, ran towards the trees from the road and turned his back to me

Then I turned to the mirror ... and did a self portrait. I think it's the best I ever managed - I feel as if I am looking at myself in the mirror when looking at this, really

And, to conclude the gallery, the Chinese pad cover!

Es Regnet (!!!)

Hmmm... Would you ever expect you need an umbrella in the middle of January when it should be below zero (especially when it's Epiphany, when one expects frost)? The fact is, that umbrellas and more or less wintercoats are a great combination for this season (which does not look like winter at all).
The strangest thing is that I do not trouble over it much though I love snow with all my heart... With this type of weather I love brown hues and tints all around , the wet tree branches, which glisten glossily in orange streetlight on dark wet mornings, this somewhat romantic gloom... Even though I feel sometimes that I need at least a glimplse of sunshine on my face

On such weather you can sit cosily with a cup of tea, thinking of all the "romantic gloom" outside ... with a book of poems or listening to "Es regnet" by Nena non-stop to enchance the rainy romantic feeling, or, otherwise, wonder around the town, enjoing the peculiar rainy light from outside, all those brouwn and grey hues and tints on the wet buildings, wet trees, wet pavement, wet louds on the wet sky...quoting something that passes to the moment...

When I was returning to the office after lunchtime I quoted "The Raven" by E.A. Poe (still remember the shortened version by heart!), aloud, (crazy me!) hiding under the old black umbrella (lost the pink pretty one this autumn :(() if I noticed someone too near to hear my crazy mublings. Otherwise I wouldn't have reached the office, too much rain and too little sunlight are too weakening combined with sitting at the computer all day long!

Following my rule "no post without a picture" I attach this one, because it passes in its colours to what is outside... Sleeping Beauty by Burn-Jones it is. And this rain does work a bit slumbery.

Heute regnets schon seit StundenHeute regnets ganzen TagHeute gehts den Rinnstein runterHeute geht es schwer bergabIch fahr den Rinnstein runterin einem Schiff aus Zeitungspapierund mein Zinnsoldat, der keine Trne weintsteht neben mirHeute wird die Welt gewaschenHeute wird die Erde nassAus den Tropfen werden TrnenAus den Trnen wird ein BachIch fahr den Rinnstein runterin einem Schiff aus Zeitungspapierund mein Zinnsoldat, der keine Trne weintsteht neben mirHeute geht es zu den GrtenHeute gehts in den KanalDabei bin ich eine PrinzessinAber das ist ganz egalIch fahr den Rinnstein runterin einem Schiff aus Zeitungspapierund mein Zinnsoldat, der keine Trne weintsteht neben mirIch fahr den Rinnstein runterin einem Schiff aus Zeitungspapierund mein Zinnsoldat, der keine Trne weintsteht neben mirIch fahr den Rinnstein runterin einem Schiff aus Zeitungspapierund mein Zinnsoldat, der keine Trne weintsteht neben mirIch fahr den Rinnstein runterin einem Schiff aus Zeitungspapierund mein Zinnsoldat, der keine Trne weintsteht neben mir

And again I feel too lazy to format the pasted songtext...

My Chinese experience. Part 1: A restaurant on water

A Chinese restaurant interior. Each wooden house is a house with a table for a separate company, all of them was connected by bridgelets (is there such a word for a small bridge?) and, the most amazing thing, some waters were riding roller skates on those! Overall, one feels rather serene and quiet in these surroundings, it was my first experience in such a place and I loved it.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I cannot update the old post so I'm posting anew. There are much more photoos, but they just won't be downloaded! maybe, I should make a new, separate post?

Yes, it won't work indeed, so all my Chinese experiences will go by separate posts, arranged by a common theme.

Yesterday's Sketches

Yesterday I felt a bit creative and made several drawings in the notebook with a Chinese-style cover. Yan, if you are reading this, look what I am using your gift for :))