Some quotes are just priceless

  "The first step doesn't bring you where you want to be, it takes you from where you are." Alejandro Jodorowsky *

*Alejandro Jodorowsky  - Chilean-born  French filmmaker and  writer

Small finds

Swing

A swing comes high
And then goes low
A perfect moment
To fly

Words, words, words

  A little bit of linguistic exploration brought in by my Qigong teacher. 

 I said in Italian, “Vorrei di fermare questo”. (I want to stop this) referring to my habit of negative thinking. 

 She corrected me, “No fermare – trasformare, c’e un differenza.” (Not stop – transform). 

It stayed with me not only as a beautiful observation but as a bit of linguistic magic as well. Simply by adding the prefix tras, she changed the only possible action into infinite possibilities: "fermare" into "trasformare". When we stay “stop” we evoke prohibition, and don’t leave any opportunity for discussion or a choice. When we transform something - an open endlessness comes into play, and there are multiple choices. So, I have been thinking about it and the little illustration in drawings was born… 

Note: Italian isn’t my first language – I just happen to live in Rome. Of course, English isn’t my native language either – I just happen to exist in it.

I dreamt../ И вот мне приснилось

 For several weeks now four lines from the  Russian poem come into my mind without any particular reason again and again. Not the whole poem, though it is lovely as most everything written by Nikolai Gumilev (1886-1921), but just four lines. So, to let that stanza travel to some other destination I felt compelled to do a very liberal translation along with an illustration... 

... И вот мне приснилось, что сердце моё не болитб Оно - колокольчик фарфоровый в желтом Китае На пагоде пестрой... висит и приветно звенит, В эмалевом небе дразня журавлинные стаи.

…I dreamt that my heart is a porcelain bell, It hangs, light and free, on a pagoda in faraway China. The whisper of wind makes it sing, And that song pulls attention of cranes, Passing by in the enameled heavens…

 

Copernicus was wrong

 A bit of healthy cynicism to start the day on a right note...

"Copernico si sbagliava: il mondo gira attorno ai soldi"

Copernicus was wrong: the world revolves around money.

Amore and an excercise in translation.

 

When the moon hits your eye as a big pizza pie, That’s amore When the world seems to shine like you’ve had too much wine That’s amore…

Quando la luna ti colpisce gli occhi Come una grossa pizza Questo è amore Quando il mondo sembra brillare Come se avessi bevuto troppo vino Questo è amore

  Never ever before have  I lived in the country when the word “amore”so freely spills in the everyday life. Mai prima d'ora ho vissuto in un paese dove la parola "amore" si riversa così liberamente nella vita qutidiana.

Here is a father talking to his toddler, "Dimmi, amore, cosa vuoi?"  There is a woman on a phone, “Cio, amore, a dopo”. A bit further a young man in the café asks his girlfriend, “Ma perche ti preoccupi, amore?” Ecco un padre che parla con il suo bambino, °Dimmi, amore, cosa vuoi?° C'è una donna al telefono, “Ciao, amore, a dopo”. Poco più  avanti un giovane al caffè chiede alla fidanzata: “Ma perche ti preoccupi, amore?”

 The little word jumps from street to street, bounces from the walls of the buildings, and soars into the air, creating a bit of an extra sparkle in its wake. La parolina salta di strada in strada, rimbalza dai muri degli edifici e si libra in aria, creando un po' di scintillio in più nella sua scia.

Of course “love “is used in English language in much similar manner, but one doesn’t hear it  being employed with such frequency and generosity. Naturalmente "love" è usato in lingua inglese in modo molto simile, ma non lo si sente impiegato con tale frequenza e generosità.

And in Russian? I am not sure that “love” is used in such liberal way in Russian language – it has a bit more private and serious connotation. E in russo? Non sono sicuro che "amore" sia usato in modo così liberale in lingua russa - ha una connotazione un po' più privata e seria.

Whether we use "amore" often or not, may we always give and receive it with kindness and gratitude. Sia che usiamo "amore" spesso o meno, possiamo sempre darlo e riceverlo con gentilezza e gratitudine.

Life is a bed of rosés

Attempt of a self-portrait.

 

October

 Every October seems like a start of my personal New Year. It carries with itself the date of my birth and the date of my mother's passing. The celebration tingled with sadness, pretty much how autumn itself. 

These past few years it also feels as if I am going through the process of re-birth. There is a new openness and fluidity in my body, the feeling of being light and tall - the lengthening of the spine. There is an acute sense that the old patterns are not quiet working, the previous wants don't carry an appeal - something new is emerging but hasn't yet taken full shape. There is also a  sense of  balance - fragile and stable at the same time. And when I loose it to the waves of fear or anxiety - I simply return to breathing, and drawing, and looking for the signs that all will be ok. The signs that I am searching for are cranes or egrets. Magically, they usually appear - either in real life or in signs, photographs, or books. And, if not? If not, I simply draw them myself..

 

"Found here and there"

"All will be well"

Know how to see

May we all feel like we are seen and may we all see clearly. 

 

When I get low...

On Sunday before the start of our lockdown a woman in the store had a rant after realizing that I was a foreigner. Nothing too terrible or incredibly personal, just general frustration spilling out.  It is  understandable - people are stressed these days. I understood where she was coming from but it did weighted on my mind. The memory was sitting there like a little needle, and spoiling the otherwise nice day. Until!  Until I listened to  Hot Sardines and their wonderful rendition of "When I get low, I get high." And so it is, a new version of tried and true "Accentuate the positive" was born, with a delightful double entendre if you wish....