Postcript: blogging and Blogspot in Syria

Another postscript to my posts of a couple of weeks ago on blogging and Blogspot in Syria (see my last post and the postscript before it): after uploading the posts below, I received loads of emails and tweets from around the world, from Syrians asking everything from why I couldn't go to an internet cafe where it's often possible to access Blogspot (sorry, we were working 16-hour days so the only time I had to email was early morning or late at night at our hotels) to foreign and local censorship/IT experts wanting me to provide them with a list of every hotel we stayed at and the hotel's proxy info (apologies again, but one of the things we were doing in Syria was reviewing hotels, so we were moving hotels every second day, and I had enough to do as it was). Based on my recent experience ('recent', because I've never had time to blog on previous trips to Syria), my advice to you is if you're planning to travel to Syria and blog regularly, do your research first but research widely: there are plenty of experts eager to share their opinions (indeed, some rather aggressively) and there is a lot of contradictory advice around (even among the self-proclaimed "experts") about blogging and Blogspot in Syria, from people both outside and within Syria. I found that rarely did opinions align and every expert was able to cite a wealth of research on the subject. Once again, I apologise for not having time to test out your theories and suggestions, but I'm a travel writer who also blogs, rather than a travel blogger who also publishes - and that's likely to stay that way until someone pays me as much to blog as I earn writing. The paid work - which one charming "expert" referred to as "travel fluff" (rest assured, I took her as seriously as she took me) has to take priority, I'm afraid. So, back to work... or writing nonsense?

Black White Silver

I like to wear outfits with black-white-silver; black-white-grey; black-white-metallic gunmetal. These are my favorite color combination because of giving a edgy look, a cool modern attitude.
I wore black MMMargiela top, white F21 tank underneath, old black pants, silver Burberry pumps.
F21 necklace. I really love this structure MMMargiela top. I could be wrapped in two different ways for two different shoulders looks as you see in those pictures above and the pictures below. The DIY fur cuff that I made it long ago, from left over of my Marni lamb fur jacket.
Last night, the weather in Dallas was very pleasant with beautiful breeze. It's a perfect night to seating outside in the balcony, having cigars and after-dinner drink. My hubby doesn't smoke cigarette but once in awhile he enjoys cigars. We don't usually go out on Sunday night, but last night was exception. We had sweet fun time. This picture just captured our great moment.
Wishing everyone have a pleasant day!!!! and thank you to you all for your time to visit my blog. I truly appreciate it as always.
Big hugs.....Hanh;-)
ps: In the last post, I wore Giorgio Armani sunglasses.

Romania/Hungary -- Getting Ready to Go to Radauti

Dohany St. Synagogue. Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber

By Ruth Ellen Gruber

I’m in Budapest this weekend, getting ready to head off to Radauti, Romania (the ancestral village on my father's side of the family) on Sept. 1 to carry out the photographic documentation for my (Candle)sticks on Stone project on representing the woman in Jewish tombstone art.

The annual Summer Jewish Culture Festival in Budapest starts tomorrow, and I hope I can catch some of the events. There will be celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the Dohany St. synagogue on Sept. 6, but I wont be able to attend because of the Romania trip. (They also are not listed, somehow, as part of the Festival...)

I also just found out that there will be some sort of ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the synagogue on Dozsa Gyorgy avenue -- designed by my hero, Lipot Baumhorn, built in 1908 and long used as a sports/fencing hall. But I so far have not been able to find out details...

A major part of the "Candlesticks" project is a photo documentation of the stones in the Radauti Jewish cemetery. (Alas, my good camera has broken, so I have to scramble to find a replacement...)

As I wrote for the web site I have set up for the project:

In Jewish tradition, Sabbath candles are a common, and potent, symbol on women’s tombs. That is because lighting the Sabbath candles is one of the three so-called “women’s commandments” carried out by female Jews: these also include observing the laws of Niddah separating men from women during their menstrual periods, and that of Challah, or burning a piece of dough when making bread.

The first time I saw a Jewish woman’s tombstone bearing a representation of candles was in 1978, when for the first time I visited Radauti, the small town in the far north of Romania near where my father’s parents were born. The tombstone in question was that of my great-grandmother, Ettel Gruber, who died in 1947 and in whose honor I received my middle name. Her gravestone is a very simple slab, with a five-branched menorah topping an epitaph.

Since then, and particularly over the past 20 years, I have visited scores if not hundreds of Jewish cemeteries in East-Central Europe, documenting them, photographing them, and writing about them in books and articles.

Carvings on Jewish tombstones include a wide range of symbols representing names, professions, personal attributes, or family lineage — as well as folk decoration. In northern Romania and parts of Poland and Ukraine in particular, cemeteries include a variety of wonderfully vivid motifs, and some stones still retain traces of the brightly colored painted decoration that once adorned them.

Candlesticks on women’s tombs are more or less a constant: sometimes they are very simple renditions, yet they can be extraordinarily vivid bas-relief sculptures. In some instances, broken candles represent death. And in some cemeteries, the carving is so distinctive that you can discern the hand of individual, if long forgotten, artists.

I won’t be going alone on the trip, as I had thought — three of my cousins are coming with me: Arthur, and Hugh and his son Asher. (I hope we all fit in the car!) So it will be a combination art trip and roots trip, with some family gossip and tourism thrown in. I look forward to re-visiting some of the painted monasteries in the region and also eating well...

In addition, as part of the trip — and also as part of the annual European Day of Jewish Culture — next weekend I’m to take part in two presentations of Simon Geissbuehler's new guidebook on Jewish cemeteries in the Bucovina region (now divided between Romania and Ukraine). One presentation is i Radauti, and the other, on Sunday, is in Chernivtsi — Czernowitz — Ukraine, just over the border.

Vacation In A Hotel In The Mill

В Гостинице На Мельнице

My friend from Czech Republic turned back from the 2-week vacation they passed in a mill. She sent me these photos and told with great delight about it. A young couple of owners decided to live in the way the millers lived some centuries ago.

В Гостинице На Мельнице

Probably they found the only right possibility to manage the property and are young enough to have great wish to play else.
Somebody said that the best teacher etc is that who is younger than 40 years because has the desire to play. Maybe it is not completely right, I think. But...

В Гостинице На Мельнице

В Гостинице На Мельнице

This couple offers not only many things to do to their guests. They live in a splendid place as you see.
They offer great in all senses plates to eat too.

В Гостинице На Мельнице

They, the owners, wear their "special" clothes not only to work with the guests during the day. Even in the morning they had clothes of the epoque.

В Гостинице На Мельнице

My friend has a 10 years old son and they were very happy when the owners offered a "strange" game to the children. They,children, had to look for a treasure in the night and found a "water spirit" under the bridge that asked them to give him a piece of cake.

В Гостинице На Мельнице

If you want to look at their site search for "Martinský mlýn". I could not open the site unfortunatelly. Maybe I'll add the address next days when my PC has more wish to collaborate.

FAQ

I wore Alaia top, Fallon necklace, Lanvin bag, spring09 Giuseppe limited edition shoes, F21 shorts.

My messy hair and the back details of the blouse. McQueen skull ring.

Karolinka has few questions for me, and I'd like to share my answers for all my fabulous fellow readers because I thought that you all might like to know something more about me.
  1. You wear a lot of open shoes, do you take care special way about your foots? Any favourite product or treatment? Answer: I usually don't go to nail salon get pedicure treatment. I like to do it by myself at home because I save a lot of time for that. I just clean them well at shower and apply Neutrogena Heel Moisturizing Treatment. I love this product.
  2. What is your favourite nail enamel colours? I've seen you wear black colour few times. Answer: I actually don't wear nail color polish everyday, just like to wear clear polish. I've been wearing black sometimes for fun and for pictures. Black is cool. To be honest, I'm simple and easy about wearing nail polish.
  3. I heard this coming season matt enamels (mainly grey color) are in fashion. What do you think about them, will you try them? Answer: I open for anything. I maybe try to wear them for fun. I'm easy and fine either way; wearing nail polish or not.

I hope you all enjoy the post. Thank you very much everyone for visit my blog and sweet comments. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!!!! Big hugs...Hanh ;-)

ps: my secret: when I wear sunglasses for picture that when I don't wear make-up, just lip stick. Please, do not tell anyone about my secret, sh!!!!!

Latvia -- Riga Synagogue Rededicated

The great synagogue in Riga, Latvia has been re-opened after a full restoration with a high-profile ceremony. The dedication is the first of ceremonies honoring three landmark synagogues in Europe in the space of a couple of weeks. Following the Riga ceremonies, there will be events marking the 150th anniversary of the Dohany St. Synagogue in Budapest on Sept. 6, followed by major events in Sofia, Bulgaria on Sept. 9 marking the 100th anniversary of the great synagogue there, and the completion of years of restoration work.

RIGA (Reuters) - Latvian Jews, the country's president and prime minister and other officials attended on Wednesday the ceremonial re-opening of the sole synagogue in the country's capital after a two-year renovation.

The synagogue, in the historic Old Town, was the only one in Riga to survive the Holocaust and was one of the only ones to continue to work in the territory of the former Soviet Union.

It was built in 1905 and the restoration, begun in 2007, aimed at restoring the dilapidated building to as close as possible to the original design.

Read full story

88Tees and CdG

This is what I wore for casual sushi dinner out with my hubby last night. It was Monday night, most the restaurants we like they close. I didn't cook because I still didn't feel great since I'm back home ( today, I feel much more normal..yah..;-). We had 911 babysitter came for our quick dinner. I had no time to think, just graped something to wear. This was it.
I bought the t-shirt on my Honolulu trip at 88Tees store, on Kalakaua avenue. I wore it with F21 shorts, Barney's Co-OP studded boots, Lanvin bag.This CdG dyed jacket is 100% cotton. I don't wear jacket outdoor in hot summer Dallas, but indoor such as stores, restaurants, grocery stores..ect..are super cold, to me. They like to turn on AC to maximum, and I always have jacket with me for those places.
I know, I know..I need to give some of you my answers. Please, give me sometime. ;-) Thank you very much!
Wishing all my fabulous fellow readers a wonderful day!!!! Big hugs...from Hanh!
Interview at Artsy-Fartsy.
(This is just added, after I posted this post yesterday)
Today is Wednesday, I just got email from Maria that my interview is on her blog. So, if you have extra time, please check it out to get to know me more at Artsy-Fartsy by Maria Anna Aurelia Kusch. Thank you Maria for the interview.

Bagno Vignoni


Bagno Vignoni is an ancient thermal village located at the South of the province of Siena, just a few kilometers away from the famous city of Pienza. Since the Old Times, Bagno Vignoni has been a thermal centre, where people from all social classes came to enjoy its warm waters rich in sulfur, which spring out naturally from the underground.

Nowadays Bagno Vignoni is a beautiful village, which still preserves its medieval aspect and counts with two very important thermal centers. The first one is housed at the Hotel la Posta. The entrance to the hot springs costs 9-10 Euros, and from the pools people can delight themselves with the spectacular landscape of the beautiful Tuscan hills.

On the other hand, the second thermal center is located at the brand new Luxurious 5 Star Hotel Adeler Termae. The entrance to this hot springs is more difficult as it requires prior reservations.

There is a third thermal pool (see picture at the left bottom corner) with free access, where the waters of the Hotel de la Posta fall into a suggestive natural pool 20 meters away from the hotel. This pool can only be used in the summer as the water loses its natural heat in the fall and as a result it can be quite cold. For those who can enjoy this place in the summer, I recommend to bathe in the natural pool, which is far less “fashion”, but much more original.

The village itself does not have much more to offer. However, I suggest visiting the old natural pool (see picture at the top right corner), located right in the heart of the village (where bathing is forbidden) and making a stop at a cute inn right behind the pool, where you can indulge into homemade bread with all types of cheeses and cold cuts accompanied with one of those good typical wines of the area.

I hope you find our recommendations useful.

I have uploaded a cute video, which will give you an idea of what the old village pool was like.


Sincerely,

Giovanni.

Take Cover

As you see, statement gloves and tall boots are super hot this F/W09 season. Love, love these Rick Owens jackets and gloves.
Left: Roberto Cavalli gloves. Right: Phi leather gloves.
Left: Marni gloves, Antonio Berardi shearling boots. Right: Phi leather gloves, Giuseppe Design platform boots.
Left: Carolina Amato rabbitand cashmere mitten,Prada rubber waders. Right: Undercover red-black gloves, Hussein Chalayan leather waders.
I'd love to say thank you everyone for your support and kind comments. I'm happy to receive a Award from Janettaylor (Janetteria)
And from Susan (NearlyStylish).
I'm also very pleasant to receive the Tag from Brigadeiro (Brigadeirochoc).
Thank you to you all for Awards and Tag.
I would love to pass these Awards to The Little Fashion Treasury, Mode Junkie, Modediktat, Phi Style, Mom and Son, We wear Things, Ninistyle,Heights of Fashion, ThumbelinaFashionista , Marian Kihigo
And this is the Tag, 10 true things about me:
  1. I love to eat Durian, anything with durian.
  2. I love dark chocolate.
  3. My kids swim better than me :-(
  4. I attended 1st grade when I was 5 years and 4 months old ;-)
  5. My parents have 11 kids and I'm the youngest one.
  6. Looking at cherry blossom makes me happy ;-)
  7. I love cooking.
  8. I'm addicted to my kids and vice versa.
  9. I enjoy skiing with my family.
  10. I'm usually the last one go to bed.
    I hope you all have a fantastic day!!!xoxo...Hanh ;-)

Egypt -- Restoration Work on Cairo Synagogue

This is a bit out of the region, but still... The Associated Press reports on restoration work at the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue in Cairo, putting it into political context.

The AP reports that the Egyptian head of antiquities, Zahi Hawass, denied the restoration was meant to assuage Jewish anger at Egyptian culture minister Hosni Farouk, "who outraged many Jews with his comments in April 2008 vowing to burn any Israeli books found in Egypt's famed Library of Alexandria."

"I believe these rumors were started to hurt Farouk Hosni's bid to become the next director general of UNESCO," said Hawass, who reports to the culture minister. "The Jewish monuments are Egyptian monuments ... they are part of us and part of our culture."

The synagogue was named after Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon, a famous physician, philosopher and Torah scholar who was born in Cordoba, Spain, in 1135 A.D. He eventually moved to Cairo, where he died in 1204 and was buried inside the synagogue. The remains of the rabbi, who is known in the West as Moses Maimonides, were later transferred to the Holy Land.

Read full article

Home Sweet Home!

Home sweet home!
After 17 days family vacation, it's very nice to be home and lay down on my own bed. It's so funny that I feel like I need post-vacation. Traveling with kids can become chaos, but we had a great fun time. In fact, it's a teamwork and that's great system. I'm very happy about it because we show them the teamwork and we've been building sweet memories for them.

Home sweet home!
I miss you all and miss visiting your blogs. I'm still recovering from jet lag and busy getting ready for my kids to go back to school. When things are loosening up, I'll find time to visit your blogs.

When I walked along Kalakaua street in Honolulu, I saw many performers on the street, and had one performer really get my attention because of his outfit made of newspaper, very cool. It's like a art that I want to have it for my closet decoration.

I also discovered a Japanese store that just sells T-shirts and jeans on Kalakaua avenue called 88 Tees, next to the Prada store. The store played very exciting music and was packed with young Japanese people.
This is the stairway leading to the store. It's very interesting and artistic. Inside the store.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!!!xoxo...Hanh ;-)

My latest Centropa.org column -- another take on Bielsko Biala

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Karol_korn.jpg

The Jewish architect Karol Korn, who designed some of the most important buildings in Bielsko-Biala.

In my latest column on centropa.org, I visit Bielsko-Biala, Poland and describe the Jewish sites there -- focusing, among other things, on the buildings designed by the architect Karol Korn.

Much of the town is still somewhat rundown, with sooty grime obscuring the facades of elegant buildings. But restoration work has begun on some of the architectural gems that in the latter part of the 19th century won the town the nickname "little Vienna."

A Jewish architect, Karl (or Karol) Korn, in fact, was instrumental in shaping the urban landscape we see today -- so much so that a street in town was even named in his honor.

Korn, who lived from 1852-1906, designed many of the sumptuous mansions and apartment buildings that still line the city's main boulevard, ul. 3 Maja, and near by streets. Some of them show art nouveau, or secessionist, features. His used Italian and neo-renaissance touched for his own mansion, built on ul. 3 Maja in 1883 -- it incorporates a sculptural representation of Korn's emblem above the entrance: an arrangement of the measuring tools and other instruments used by architects and builders.

Korn also designed other important buildings, such as the elegant President Hotel and the central Post Office, that are landmarks on the avenues that spread out from Bielsko's medieval core of 14th century castle and arcaded market square.

His most elaborate building, however, no longer exists. This was the opulent, Moorish-style synagogue that dominated ul. 3 Maja until the Nazis destroyed it in 1939.

It was an imposing structure with two big towers, lotus domes, decorated cupolas, arched windows and a red and orange striped façade -- old postcards, on sale at the local tourist office, demonstrate that it was one of the city's most prominent attractions.
Today, a contemporary art gallery stands on the spot -- ironically this is where the performance art festival I was attending took place. It is marked by a small memorial plaque on an outer wall.

Next door, a puppet theatre stands on the site of the one-time Jewish school, and across the street is the former Jewish Community building. I was told that the carved decoration represents the various fruits mentioned in the Torah.

Read full Article

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii, and the most popular city for a perfect beach vacation all year-round. You will see a lot of Japanese people here. It is like Tokyo on the tropical beach but much more beautiful and with much more character, to me..It's an exciting city with its beauty and energy.

Waikiki Beach
Waikiki beach is the world famous tourist destination in Hawaii with thousands of hotel rooms along the beach. The blue water, the blue skies and its energy make this beach a perfect summer vacation and that attracts millions of visitors a year. The fun and the energy of Waikiki beach.
The view of Waikiki beach from Kalakaua avenue.
The sunset of Waikiki beach.

Diamond Head
Diamond head is located on the south-east coast of O'ahu at the end of Waikiki overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It's the most famous volcanic crater in the world, has been extinct for 150,000 years. The crater is 3,520 feet in diameter with a 760 foot summit.
The view of Diamond head from Halekulani hotel with sunset light.
Happy hour at the veranda of Halekulani hotel with live Hawaiian music and Diamond head view.
This picture is from Google. I just want to show you how Diamond head looks like from the top.
Kalakaua Avenue
Kalakaua is the main street in Downtown Honolulu which runs parallel to the Waikiki beach. There are countless hotels, restaurants, local shops and high-end designer shops. It also has many street activities like the performers on the street in the evening. It's crowded, has a lot of energy and is a fun street. Here are some pictures, but the pictures don't do it justice of its energy and its fun.
At night, at the corner of Kalakaua avenue and Lewers street. Lewers street is another fun street to check out.
Banyan Tree
You'll see many Banyan trees with unique trunks around Honolulu, especially, at Kapiolani park, on the east end of Waikiki. It is the largest (300 acres) and oldest public park in Hawaii.

Hanauma Bay
Hanauma bay has the most colorful and exotic marine life in the world. It's a perfect places for snorkeling. We don't have plan to visit it on this trip, but we said we will visit it next time for sure. The bay is absolutely stunning. These pictures are from our last trip, and sorry for the quality of the pictures because I had a different camera back then.

I wore Tao by CdG cotton jacket, Eddie Borgo necklace, Hardy shoes,F21 tank and F21 shorts.
The back of the jacket.
I wore F21 necklace as a bracelet.
We're going back home tonight. I'll see you all in Dallas, and I hope everyone have a fabulous day!! xoxo...Hanh ;-)