Carl Larsson

Carl Larsson (May 28, 1853 – January 22, 1919) was a Swedish painter and interior designer, representative of the Arts and Crafts Movement. His many paintings include oils, watercolors, and frescoes. He considered his finest work to be Midvinterblot (Midwinter Sacrifice), a large wall mural now displayed inside the Swedish National Museum of Fine Arts. This interesting card with a self-portrait by the famous Carl Larsson, with his daughter Brita was painted in 1895. My friend Ella sent it to me.

Aniva Lighthouse, Sakhalin, Sea of Okhotsk

The Japanese built the Aniva lighthouse in 1939, on a chunk of rock off the southern coast of Sakhalin, a thin 950 km long island situated just east of Russia, between the Sea of Japan and Russia’s Sea of Okhotsk. Aniva Lighthouse is a nuclear powered lighthouse and it's one of 132 nuclear powered lighthouses on Russian North coast! The view - yes true "amazing", but I don't recommend a visit to this lighthouses or similar lighthouses on Russia’s Northern coast, because of high radiation levels inside and in the vicinity! They have been abandoned a long time ago!

These nuclear powered lighthouses were built by the Soviet Union as un-manned lighthouses in the very difficult and un-inhabitable environment of Northern Russia. These lighthoses were programmed to run by themselves. However, these lighthouses began collapsing following the collapse of the USSR. Looters broke into these lighthouses unmindful of the dangers and destroyed the equipment there. In the summer of 2001, two people received radioactive doses after they attempted to dismantle the lighthouse near Kandalaksha in Murmansk region. They tried to extract lead from the lighthouse in order to sell it later as scrap metal. They were not aware of the fact that there was a strong radiation source inside the lighthouse.

This very attractive card with lovely stamps on them, was sent to me by my friend Masha in Moscow.

Melukat: Ritual to cleanse your body and soul

‘Melukat’ is part of the Manusa Yadnya (holy sacrifice which dedicated to human being) ceremony . Melukat aims to cleanse and purify the human body and soul in order to preventing from havoc, bad luck and sickness. The havoc caused by acquired activities and sins, whether originating from the remainder of the previous acts (in the past life / sancita karmaphala) or from acts in his life now (prarabda karmaphala).

The Tirta Empul Temple includes the traditional Balinese split gate along with shrines to Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Mt. Batur, and Indra. There is also a large open pavilion in the main courtyard, useful for relaxing in the shade.But the main attraction here is a long rectangular pool carved of stone, filled with koi and fed by the sacred spring via 12 fountains. Worshippers first make an offering at the temple, then climb into the main pool to bathe and pray. Many collect the holy water in bottles to take home. Nearby there are two smaller pools fed by the spring. Overlooking the temple on a hill above is a suprisingly modern building: the Government Palace, built in 1954. Originally a residence for Dutch officials, it was later used by former President Soekarno during his frequent trips to Bali. Pura Tirta Empul is located in the village of Tampak Siring, accessible by public transportation from Ubud. The rituals were introduced by the original Hindu settlers in Bali, Indonesia.

This pretty card was sent to me by my friends Munu and Rich.

The Titanic Tragedy

The RMS Titanic was a passenger liner that struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, and sank on 15 April 1912, resulting in the deaths of 1,517 people in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. Today it is One Hundred Years since that Great Maritime Tragedy.

The largest passenger steamship in the world at the time, the Olympic-class Royal Mail Ship RMS Titanic was owned by the White Star Line and constructed at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland, UK. After setting sail for New York City on 10 April 1912 with 2,223 people on board, she hit an iceberg four days into the crossing, at 11:40 pm on 14 April 1912, and sank at 2:20 am on the morning of 15 April. The high casualty rate resulting from the sinking was due in part to the fact that, although complying with the regulations of the time, the ship carried lifeboats for only 1,178 people. A disproportionate number of men died due to the “women and children first” protocol that was enforced by the ship’s crew. Experienced engineers, using some of the most advanced technologies and extensive safety features of the time, designed Titanic. The sinking of a passenger liner on her maiden voyage, the high loss of life and media frenzy over Titanic’s famous victims, the legends about the sinking, the resulting changes in maritime law, and the discovery of the wreck have all contributed to the enduring interest in the Titanic.

April 15 2012 marks Titanic’s 100th anniversary. The sinking of the RMS Titanic is one of the largest peacetime maritime tragedies in history. My friend Hemant sent me this remarkable picture postcard. This is the only known postcard issued by the White Star Line to celebrate both of their new liners entering service. The image portrays OLYMPIC westbound for Queenstown as TITANIC makes her way to Southampton on the 2^nd April 1912.

As an aside I’d like to mention that, while I was in Singapore in January this year, I had the opportunity to see an extremely interesting exhibition on the Titanic. The exhibition was being held at the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands. The theme of the exhibition was “TITANIC The Artifact Exhibition – 100^th Anniversary”. As the name suggests the exhibition featured about 275 recovered artifacts – 14 of which have never been seen before – along with realistic re-creations and personal stories, each highlighting a different chapter in the compelling story of the Titanic’s maiden voyage.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost Generation" of the 1920s. He finished four novels: This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, Tender is the Night, and his most famous, The Great Gatsby. A fifth, unfinished novel, The Love of the Last Tycoon, was published posthumously. Fitzgerald also wrote many short stories that treat themes of youth and promise along with despair and age. Novels such as The Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night were made into films, and in 1958 his life from 1937–1940 was dramatized in Beloved Infidel. Novels such as The Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night were made into films, and in 1958 his life from 1937–1940 was dramatized in Beloved Infidel.

Tender Is the Night is celebrated on the card displayed, which was sent to me by Viv from Holland. Tender Is the Night. It was Fitzgerald’s fourth and final completed novel, and was first published in Scribner's Magazine between January-April, 1934 in four issues. John Keats takes the title from the poem “Ode to a Nightingale”.

In 1932, Fitzgerald's wife Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald was hospitalized for schizophrenia in Baltimore, Maryland. The author rented the "la Paix" estate in the suburb of Towson to work on this book, the story of the rise and fall of Dick Diver, a promising young psychoanalyst and his wife, Nicole, who is also one of his patients. It was Fitzgerald's first novel in nine years, and the last that he would complete. While working on the book he several times ran out of cash and had to borrow from his editor and agent, and write short stories for commercial magazines. The early 1930s, when Fitzgerald was conceiving and working on the book, were certainly the darkest years of his life, and accordingly, the novel has its bleak elements.

Two versions of this novel are in print. The first version, published in 1934, uses flashbacks while the second revised version, prepared by Fitzgerald's friend and noted critic Malcolm Cowley on the basis of notes for a revision left by Fitzgerald, is ordered chronologically; this version was first published posthumously in 1951. Critics have suggested that Cowley's revision was undertaken due to negative reviews of the temporal structure of the book on its first release. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Tender Is the Night 28th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

The Sun-Moon Lake

Sun Moon Lake is the largest body of water in Taiwan as well as a tourist attraction. Situated in Yuchi, Nantou, the area around the Sun Moon Lake is home to the Thao tribe, one of aboriginal tribes in Taiwan. Sun Moon Lake surrounds a tiny island called Lalu. The east side of the lake resembles a sun while the west side resembles a moon, hence the name. Sun Moon Lake is located 748 m (2,454 ft) above sea level. It is 27 m (89 ft) deep and has a surface area of approximately 7.93 km² (3.06 sq mi). The area surrounding the lake has many trails for hiking.

While swimming in Sun Moon Lake is usually not permitted, there is an annual 3-km race called the Swimming Carnival of Sun Moon Lake held around the Mid-Autumn Festival each year. In recent years the participants have numbered in the tens of thousands. Other festivities held at the same time include fireworks, laser shows, and concerts. The lake and its surrounding countryside have been designated one of thirteen National scenic areas in Taiwan. Wen Wu Temple was built after rising water levels from building a dam forced several smaller temples to be removed. Ci En Pagoda was built by late President Chiang Kai-shek in 1971 in memory of his mother. Other temples of note include Jianjing Temple, Syuentzang Temple, and Syuanguang Temple. This extremely pretty card was sent to me by Chiang.

Suomenlinna – The Sea Fortress

An aerial view of the Sea Fortress off Helsinki in Finland.