The Lady of the south bank

Part of our life at the moment is relaxing, strolling around, shopping and recharging batteries. The Lady of the house at Paseo de Maritim with her new exclusive bag,
Posing in front of the luxury boats in the marina,or finding cover from the burning sun in the shadow under the palm trees.

Singapore Havoc - Breaking News

BREAKING NEWS:
According to Singapore Straits Times this morning,

almost 100 mm of rain fell within a two-hour period from about 9 am to 11 am. 'The amount of rainfall is approximately more than 60 per cent of the average monthly rainfall for June'.
The worst-hit area was the Orchard Road and Scotts Road intersection, with large stretches from Paterson Road - where Ion Orchard and Wheelock Towers are - to Ngee Ann City submerged in nearly half a metre of flood waters.

This photo is from the top of Orchard Road at Cafe Flora taken 15 years ago. This morning we would have been sitting in the middle of a devastating river.
Thinking of our friends in Singapore (DNV employees and Susie with family) we share one of the great moment from the wonderful time we had in Asia Pacific.. From the East cost eating pepper crabs, chili prawns, drunken prawns, fish cantonese style, "flied lice", lemon chicken and all the other fantastic dishes. Yes, we will return once more if possible.
But dry up your streets first.

Princess Hedda Emilie and some other kids

The observant visitor may have noticed the development of our youngest grandchildren through a continuously updating of photos on the right side of my blog. Today "Princess Hedda Emilie" is presented in a new dress.
Gorgeous!
Yesterday night we met two boys from Vestby in Norway here at the hotel. Cannot wait until we receive photos from our own children´s holidays with their kids playing.
Hopefully the colors were easy to remove before bedtime. If not change of linnen must be prioritized in their apartment.

Communication now and then

This sculpture reminded me of the development in distance communication from carrier pigeon (The Egyptians and the Persians first used carrier pigeons 3,000 years ago.) to ultra modern Iphone 4. From Wikipedia I copy:

Messenger pigeons were used as early as 1150 in Baghdad and also later by Genghis Khan. The Republic of Genoa equipped their system of watch towers in the Mediterranean Sea with pigeon posts. Tipu Sultan used carrier pigeons. They returned to the Jamia Masjid mosque in Srirangapatna, which was his headquarters. The pigeon holes may be seen in the mosque's minarets to this day. In 1860, Paul Reuter, who later founded Reuters press agency, used a fleet of over 45 pigeons to deliver news and stock prices between Brussels and Aachen, the terminals of early telegraph lines. The outcome of the Battle of Waterloo was also first delivered by a pigeon to England. During the Franco-Prussian War pigeons were used to carry mail between besieged Paris and the French unoccupied territory. Possibly the first regular air mail service in the world was Mr. Howie's Pigeon-Post service from the Auckland New Zealand suburb of Newton to Great Barrier Island, starting in 1896. Certainly the world’s first 'airmail' stamps were issued for the Great Barrier Pigeon-Gram Service from 1898 to 1908. Homing pigeons were still employed in the 21st century by certain remote police departments in Orissa state in eastern India to provide emergency communication services following natural disasters. In March 2002, it was announced that India's Police Pigeon Service messenger system in Orissa was to be retired, due to the expanded use of the Internet.

Although the interesting iPad, I cannot wait until the iPhone 4 will arrive. Face time communication and all the other spectacular functions and apps.

Iceland - the spectacular island

We have all been influenced by the Eyjafjallajøkull Volcano and the challenging consequences from the Ash-clouds.
On the web you can now find a collection of videos and images shot in the period 6th to 11th May.
It is probably too late to spend your holiday at Iceland for a personal view, but a click on the link above will bring you very close to nature at this spectacular island.

Flowers and Celebration

Bougainvillas

Petunias

Cacti

And the 135 years celebration of Gerd and Arne in "Restaurante El Puerto" at CaboPino. They are born on the same day, married on the same day, and continue to live together after more than 40 years. This week my sister Brit hosted a dinner for them although the birthday was ab. 4 months ago. Better late than always.Dinner? Sea Bass baked in Salt Crust and everything that fits to a dish like that, including Chardonnay

Summer here and there

Summer can take place at various locations. During my blogging experience I have taken my visitors to Asia, Australia, Europe and Scandinavia. I have never been to America and Africa so no reports can be sent from these areas.I have also got some of my friends to submit photos from locations where they have stayed on holidays for long or short.Anne Katharina has just returned from a cruise in the Mediterranean and sent me this photo from Istanbul and the BosphorusAsbjørn is at his island "Øya". Hopefully will his shoulder surgery give a positive result and his recovery make him ready for the Jacuzzi.In front of the figure of Humphrey Bogart I will spend some weeks in Andalusia and the warm Costa del Sol, and in connection with the opening of this year's Apple developer conference WWDC, Steve Jobs introduced : New iPhone 4G is coming.

Where would you want to be?

Web Group Solvang 4 in action

Two weeks ago I posted a blog about my activity as member of the working group (Helge, Sjur, Lars and Arne) preparing for and producing the new Homepage for Solvang 4
Yesterday we met again and published our first version of the website.

Solvang Gardens section 4 was started in 1930 and currently consists of 93 plots.
Are you one of those who enjoy being with people and find satisfaction in taking part in social community activities? Are you also among those that can give up "daily luxury" (for a short time) and experience the charm and joy of living in some tiny square feet? (< 40sqm) At top of Solvang field above Nordberg Road, you will find Solvang 4, with 93 small, cozy cabins surrounded by green lawns, fruit trees, berry bushes and kitchen gardens.
In April, the plots wake up from winter rest and the above painting is my expression of Tullarbo in June / July / August.

People of all ages, from singles to families with children, are eager to plan the year's activities and to meet "neighbors" from before the snow has gone and all the way between April and October.They can hardly wait to get started with the planting of new flowers or other plants. It is a place for green fingers in urban life.

The lost opportunity - Bad judgement by Biden

In an interview US Vice President Joe Biden destroyed President Obamas opportunity to show the world that there was at least a small value of hope in receiving the Nobel Peace prize. But the following quotes:

Israel has an absolute right to deal with its security interest.

Israel has a right to know

So what's the big deal here? What's the big deal of insisting it go straight to Gaza?

it's legitimate for Israel to say, "I don't know what's on that ship

an investigation run by the Israelis, but we're open to international participation

destroyed our hope that this provocation from Israel in International sea could lead to a legitimate reaction from USA. Now that train has left the station. It is USA and Israel against the rest of the world. Sorry.

Sorry USA and Thorbjørn Jagland, the reputation of the Nobel Peace Prize 2009 has sunk even lower this week.

It is Summer

It is Summer in Oslo. Our first BBQ this year at Tullarbo together with this year inhabitants: Rikke, Tor Marius and Maja.
The apple flowers are opening their face against the warm sun, and at this paradise the troublesome situation for the Palestinian people is hard to imagine.Maja har got a new favorite meal, Lompe with ketchup. Potetlefse (potato lefse) is often used in place of a hot-dog bun and can be used to roll up sausages. This is also known as pølse med lompe in Norway, lompe being the "smaller-cousin" of the potato lefse.

Illegal and totally unacceptable

According to Professor Geir Ulfstein Aftenposten and most of the world Israel armed forces had no right whatsoever to attack the Freedom Flotilla in International sea.
I support 100% that statement and do not understand why USA and the Israeli continue to support the present leaders of the country.

Sunday strolling along Oslo quayside

Our walk this Sunday, from home to Frognerkilen, along Oslo Quayside to the Operahouse and returning up Karl Johan´s Street (including Coffee Americano and a Croissant at United Bakeries) to the Royal Castle and beyond, has resulted in some nice photos, a water blister under my right foot and this blogpost.A lot of ships (including the Color Magic bound for Kiel) can be found at the quayside.
My first ship is Christian Radich. The full rigged ship, named after a Norwegian shipowner, is anchored under the Akershus Fortress, and is Oslo´s pride.
At Vippetangen we can see Danskebåten, while a Russian school ship can be visited at Revierkaia. The white marble at the Operahouse looks good in the nice weather.
While resting at the beautiful white marble, the spectacular sculpture in Bjørvika needs more description.
The Water sculpture (335 tons heavy and 12 meter high) by Italian Monica Bonvicini (45), resident in Berlin, is a three-dimensional version of Caspar David Friedrich's painting "Arctic Ocean". He is considered among the foremost artists of European romanticism, studied in Copenhagen, lived from 1798 in Dresden and was friends with Norwegian JC Dahl.
Click on the photos to see them larger / better.

Spain second chance

Viva Espana!!!
The man with a red cap entered the scene and disturbed Spain during their performance in the EBU Song Contest tonight. Spain can sing once more at the end of the show. Break a leg, Spain.

The man in the red cap is Jaume Marquet Cot. Learn more about his interruptions by clicking on the name link.

iPad, New RAV4 - or only a new Painting

Yesterday I posted a blog about the new iPad my daughter Trine (and her family members) started to use. Maybe I will get one here too when Apple decide to open the sales in Norway. I thought the promotion made by our Prime Minister during the Ash-problems would give us a better rating, but we are not on the primary distribution list for this summer.That´s why I start to evaluate the possibilities around using money on a new car instead. Toyota has presented the new RAV4 on show at Skøyen today, and why not use money to swap my 2005 RAV4 to this new delighted SUV.
Times will show. A visit to the shop and possible try the car may be included in this weekend plans.
However, in the meantime I have finished this painting, acrylic on canvas 54 x 70. Title?
The painting season 2010 (summertime) has started.

The first iPad in the family

Living in UK, the Berry branch of the family became the first owner of an iPad in our familly. (not surprisingly)
The photo shows David act like a Formula-1 test-driver using the iPad, while Hedda is sleeping on his shoulder. If you want to watch the test, click on the video.

A playing tool for big children? or a useful IT-tool.

Recommended video speech on TED

My recommendation from TED today is Johanna Blakley: Lessons from fashion's free culture

Copyright law's grip on film, music and software barely touches the fashion industry ... and fashion benefits in both innovation and sales, says Johanna Blakley. At TEDxUSC 2010, she talks about what all creative industries can learn from fashion's free culture.

"Who owns the Look?"

That is one of the questions put forward in this interesting speech on video on TED. While we all are regulated by the copyright laws concerning downloading of music and films, there is almost no regulation in the big businesses like foods-, automobiles- and fashion-industries. You are free to make your own shoes based upon an original Dior shoe if you don´t put the false brand name on it. In literature or music, however, there is immediately a debate if you "copy" a sentence or tone (plagiarize) from another writer / composer without referring to the original.
Why is the gross sales in free industries huge and for those copyrighted industries comparably low? Is there something to learn from fashion?In fashion they even copy themselves to let their product be sold to lower prizes for common people.

I remember Picasso once said: "Good artists copy. Great artists steal."
Wes George, writer for The Mac Observer and financial Mac nut, has interpreted the quote to: "Picasso implied that great artists don't get caught stealing because what they appropriate they transform so thoroughly into their own persona, that everyone ends up thinking the great idea was theirs in the first place."
Albert Einstein has said: “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”
Have a creative time out there.

When the chestnuts are blooming in Bygdø Avenue

Når kastanjene blomstrer i Bygdøy Alle is one of the most famous Oslo songs. Click on the link and listen to Jens Book-Jenssen´s evergreen.
This photo is from Skovveien at Frogner, and the chestnut trees are blooming there too.Some are not praising the spring in Oslo. They have other more important things to do. Arne Johan swimming on the beach at Calahonda, Andalusia.Anne Katharina at Bari, Puglia. Maybe they are longing for the Scandinavian Spring while spending their time along the Mediterranean. The spring flowers at King Haakon 7 Square in Oslo can be Whit greetings to those expatriate friends.

Sunday strolling and Sky watching

Our Sunday strolling around Frogner Park made it possible to catch some photos on my iPhone this morning. Weather still nice, but rain squalls are coming in from north-east.In the westernmost part of the park, with Smestad just around the corner, we can see the new Holmenkollen Ski Jump in the hillside towards the Oslo SkiResort Winter Park
Sky Watching from this part of Oslo in eastern direction with the Monolith at the top of Vigeland Sculpture Park and tower of Uranienborg Church.

Saturday before Whit

Saturday lunch at Aker Brygge.
D/S Louise and Moules frites for the Gentleman and Caesar Salad for the lady. But sharing a Chardonnay when looking at the summer people in Oslo.

Preparing for Midsummer Bonfire in Ålesund

Bonfires on Mid-summer has been a longstanding tradition in Ålesund. This year Slinningen bonfire builders want to get a new world record. They will try to beat the old record from 1993, when a competitive group of builders of Skjerva fire, reached 37,84 meters.

- This year we have prepared ourselves for a bonfire over 38 meters. we will be very happy if we succeed, said Nikolai Hovland and Ruben Barstad (bonfire managers) according to the NewsPaper Sunmørsposten

- If one is to achieve something, there is much that must be in place, said police officers Arild Helland and Eli Bente Skarbøvik. The most important thing now is Euro Pallets, not scrap pallets, a new floating dock to transport the material, a trailer or possibly a truck, a first aid case and climbing harnesses. If anyone can support the builders with any of these, it would be fantastic for the fire builders. The police is very concerned on safety.Just to show you the dimensions of the fundament, and the how the building process will progress in the coming month.
- We light the Bonfire on Friday 25 June. It has almost become a tradition for us the last few years to put the ignition to the nearest weekend, "said Hovland.