Baile Beag

I am reading a book.

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 00:08:00 +0000

"My Life with Mozart” by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt for the second time and it moves me and inspires me so much more. It is complex yet simple. True and beautiful. Musicians, writers, or photographers - why do we create? What source does our inspiration come from? Last but not least - what is our driving force and what does our art tell about this world?

I read a book...

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 22:33:00 +0000

... "Travels in the Scriptorium" by Paul Auster, and my mind was left reeling after I finished ... What an ending!! The more I think about it the more I like it.

A child's view.

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 04:21:00 +0000

Outside macro challenge.

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 11:48:00 +0000

For this week's challenge;
a main photo:

and two extras:

Point, shoot, post.

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 21:26:00 +0000

Not so long ago I started wandering around my town looking for things to photograph. I came across a lot of places / things that offered something interesting, unusual, or unexpected just around the corner. So here is the one photo I picked for this week's challenge. I took it in nearby Cloughoula.

Weekly photo challenge - motion blur.

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 09:54:00 +0000

What do you think?

Weekly photo challenge - Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 12:53:00 +0000

I came across some lost property when out walking last week. I think it could well illustrate this week's challenge...

Weekly challenge - the alphabet.

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 22:39:00 +0000

Study mode today. I am doing this post in a hurry now, being late already. Ehh...

4/52 challenge - nursery rhymes.

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 00:30:00 +0000

Well, I skipped two challenges already this year ... for ice cold, I had a few ideas and I may do this challenge just for myself later; as for skin tone: that would be full of chickenpox marks on three little faces - it was not a great week for taking photos.

Back with nursery rhymes challenge then.
I liked it and here is my modern version of this classic:

Mary had a little lamb,

Its fleece was white as snow;

And everywhere that Mary went

The lamb was sure to go.

Photo challenge 1/52

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 01:08:00 +0000

Envy ...
Below is a photo of a gift I got for Christmas, a brilliant book on Cartier-Bresson. I must say, I love it. So what do I envy? What do I want so badly?
Leica...
I don't like being envious but here I can't help it, I am - of people who have Leica cameras. Like Bresson used to have.
Especially the newest model... M9.
Hopefully I will get it one day. I have a plan forming in my head but for now, I need to enjoy what I have.

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 01:02:00 +0000

I was looking for something to photograph for the last week's photo challenge. I did not find much to photograph at home for this but I found something when window shopping in Killarney. Here it comes so. A bit late again but I want to post it nevertheless. I liked it and I think it was the best thing of the whole Christmas window display.

Routine / scheduled

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 00:26:00 +0000

I have been thinking so about our routines - school, homework, housework. Tooth brushing would be the big one on the list. Some scheduled things came to my mind - like watching the long awaited Late Late Toy show last Friday night. Somehow those routines though were hard to capture though, especially when my model kids are moving with speed of light. I could take a photo of them sleeping ... sweet ... but it is a bit too dark then!

The photo I am putting up tonight is of a routine which is like a ritual - having coffee in Butlers Chocolate nearly every time I am in Cork. It always goes together with complimentary chocolate praline. Well, this time I tried a macaron too...
Short and sweet challenge :-)

Symmetric shapes photo challenge

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 21:31:00 +0000

With this week's theme, no luck really. I could not find any interesting symmetrical shapes. Repeating patterns, yes, plentiful, but I did not have more time to hunt for symmetry. What's more I lost count of days and missed the deadline! Well, here come the images anyway.
I took the one with bikes in Cork on Sunday. The one in black and white I took in October.

Fighting the battle

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 16:40:00 +0000

Last week, to stay motivated, I decided to take on the weekly photographic challenges, as described here. So, I am not sure yet how I will go about "gunpowder, treason, and plot" challenge. However, for "fighting the battle" one I came across a photo when in Cork yesterday.
On South Mall, there is the First World War memorial and every November one can find lots of wreaths there. So when I saw the monument with the wreaths around and crosses, I knew it going to be the image I had been looking for. Here it is:

Shoot like Bert Hardy ...

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 18:56:00 +0000

So, after long time, the moment has come to revive my old blog. It is mainly for my newly rediscovered passion for photography. From time to time I will be posting my photos from our my outings or for photographic daily / weekly challenges. First photos to go are from a recent trip to Cork for street shooting. Our inspiration for November meeting was Bert Hardy but it was very hard to capture social interaction and humane condition so well recorded in his work.
So here it comes: my first serious attempt at street photography!

Back from holidays.

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:18:00 +0000

Long time no post... Maybe it will change but I have been busy lately and have not been much into blogging. Now it may be a more relaxed time of the year with Christmas and family time coming.
By the way, I am just back from Tenerife. They definitely are in the Christmas mood over there but somehow the strong sun and Christmas lights are a strange combination to me! It is so, so cold now in Ireland - about 3 degrees.

treasures, treasures

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:39:00 +0000

walking on a lovely Sunday afternoon with the our baby boy, we saw this rainbow just over our hill. apparently, there is a pot of gold hidden somewhere there but we didn't look for it... we had 5 kgs of our little precious to carry.

new arrival

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:08:00 +0000

oh, it has been a long time since my last post and a lot has changed with the arrival of our tiny bundle of joy ... well, maybe not so tiny at 9 lbs 1 oz (4120 g) ... but all went well and our little baby boy has been with us since Sept 13th

so now he is in the centre of attention

other news ... hmmm ... IMI exams were passed and I am waiting for my diploma to arrive ... application for the work as a Garda successful but the thing must be postponed for some time ... obviously i am no longer commuting to M to see my M as we live together now ... on the literature scene, Olga Tokarczuk, the author of "Bieguni", has won the NIKE prize ... at the moment I am trying to finish Pawel Huelle's "Ostatnia Wieczerza" ... altogether I have little or no time to browse the Internet or do some other things at the moment but more updates may follow soon ... now it is time to go again though ...

Sunday for study

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sun, 04 May 2008 12:39:00 +0000

Spathiphyllium, the daughter, has recently moved to M. This is her new corner, nice and cosy. I hear she is well looked after by M :)
The mother is still staying here for the moment but is to change her whereabouts pretty soon.
She may get a new pot on this occassion too!
***
It is a sunny, warm and lazy Sunday here and I am trying to study for my final exams. I remember studying in April and May last year and it was not easy. It is not easy now either but then my exams are this Tue and Wed and then there will be no more. Hopefully it will go well. I am going on holidays soon after to recuperate from all the brain damage caused by "excessive studying" ;)

And now all you've been waiting for ...

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:04:00 +0000

Hmmm I was asked for an update by my faithful (two) readers so here it goes...
Just a quick thing for now as it is late and later there will be more posts (hopefully).

Anyway, a long time has passed since I put away Asne Seierstad's "The Bookseller of Kabul". Since then, I have started reading a few books and now they are queuing on the shelves and waiting to be finished.

1. "Bieguni" by Olga Tokarczuk. Her newest, long-awaited novel on journey and people who travel. Here is the link to some short summary in English.
I must stay I like those stories; some are short and some long, there are a lot of references to various cultures and different people. Now I wonder though: when am I going to finish it?

The same goes for:

2. Asne Seierstad's "With their backs to the world: Portraits from Serbia"
I read a few chapters but I have lost my heart after a while. I don't find this book as compelling as "The Bookseller of Kabul" and I suppose this book must wait for a better moment now.
3. Then I don't even want to mention Steve Jones' "Y: The Descent of Men" (here goes one review) I feel ashamed now; I know I mentioned this book before in my blog but I don't even remember when.

So that is it. My college book gathers dust as well and waits to be opened. This must happen soon as I have my two final exams coming and looming large...

In the meantime, I work as usual (though shorter hours), I sleep more than usual !!! and am starting yoga classes this Monday.

The bookseller of Kabul.

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:46:00 +0000

Over the Christmas time I read the book by Asne Seierstad - The Bookseller of Kabul. I read it on my way back from PL and unfortunately left it on the plane (with the Christmas card from M. as a bookmark :-( While I got a new copy of the book soon after I landed , I could not get the card back. M gave me then a post-Christmas card with the same image but I am still sorry I lost the first one I had got. Painting is by Sassoferrato (Giovanni Battista Salvi))
... to go back to the book, I did enjoy it because it was about a culture different to ours and also because it was about the women and their life. The portrait drawn by Anne is both intimate and moving. You can read a short review of the book here.

Then I found an interesting article on this book by Ann Marlow. I recommend reading it as it explains more of the culture behind the book and pinpoints inconsistencies in the novel itself.

The bookseller himself, ShahMuhammad Rais, took action against Anne Seierstad for libelling his family.

"Shah Muhammad Rais, owner of the bookshop at the Intercontinental Hotel and another near the Mustafa Hotel, is taking legal action against Norwegian journalist and author Asne Seierstad for her best selling book “The Bookseller of Kabul.” [source]

A bit more on the book can be found here.

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 16:21:00 +0000

Maybe it is a bit late but after all we are only in the first week of 2008. HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone, may it bring whatever it is you are looking or waiting for.
All the best -
nightskyspy

Ride on ... See you

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:10:00 +0000

Tonight I had my usual Tuesday riding lesson. I do enjoy going there straight after work and relaxing during this fast -flying hour. I was on Blu this time again. He had a break last week and was back in shape tonight so I was happy to have him.
I feel I have made big progress since I rode on him in June (when the picture was taken). I canter better, I jump better, I sit better in the saddle, I am stronger on a horse and enjoying riding more and more. I also notice it all comes naturally to me, which is also a change.

While I was driving from work to my riding school, the following song was on the radio. I found it really suiting the moment! I liked it a lot too and I think the version by Christy Moore played then on the radio is better than the one by Cruachan. I liked it better anyway.

Ride On

True you ride the finest horse
I've ever seen;
Standing Sixteen one or two
with eyes wild and green.
And you ride the horse so well,
hands light to the touch,
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to

Ride on, see you
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
Ride on, see you
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
[ http://www.rare-lyrics.com ]

When you ride into the night
without a trace behind,
run your claw along my gut, one last time.
I turn to face an empty space, where you use to lie,
and look for the spark
that lights the night
through a teardrop in my eye

Ride on, see you
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
Ride on, see you
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to

lyrics taken from here.

Spathiphylium II

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:57:00 +0000

small plant, small problem.
big plant, big problem.
Since I replanted my Spathiphylium in August, it has been growing like mad and had a second big flower bloom. It is really growing so quickly and is a beautiful plant now. I will have to get a very big pot for her next spring; way bigger than this one.

I am happy to see her grow like this though.

driving to M

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:01:00 +0000

so i am back ...

back from another interpreting job in a hospital, back from another horse riding lesson

[it was great today. i was on a horse i had never ridden before and oh isn't he fast and lovely, and strong. Thierry may be called a grumpy old man, but there is no better horse to canter and to jump; he is really soft and easy going]

and soon leaving for M, a little town in west Cork to see M :)

it is not necessary to drive to M all night but here it goes, maybe a good song to hum while driving.

her voice is so powerful, even more so in this acapella version.