Teacher Friends: I think this would make a very creative prompt for writing, drawing, or discussion. Show the students this image, and then an image of Rodin's Thinker. Then, ask them to choose another famous statue or sculpture, and switch it up a little. What sculpture would you choose?
I took this pic of Thinker on a Rock by Welsh sculptor, Barry Flanagan, during my first visit to Utrecht in November 2013. At the time, I thought, "What's up with the rabbit?" I took hundreds of photos during that trip, so never found out who, what, or why! Just yesterday, when walking past the statue for about the hundredth time since I moved here in August 2014, I asked a friend, "What's up with the rabbit?" She didn't know either, so today, I decided to investigate. According to the Des Moines Public Art Foundation, Flanagan is well known for his sculptures of hares, and this 'Thinker' is one of three; the others are in Iowa, and Washington, D.C.
Teacher Friends: I think this would make a very creative prompt for writing, drawing, or discussion. Show the students this image, and then an image of Rodin's Thinker. Then, ask them to choose another famous statue or sculpture, and switch it up a little. What sculpture would you choose?
0 Comments
I recently finished reading All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. The majority of this easy-to-read novel takes place in 1944 in Saint-Malo, France, with several references to Fort National (image above), built in the 17th century to protect Saint-Malo's port. One of the main characters of the book, Marie-Laure, is blind, but that doesn't stop her from being an astute observer. Throughout the novel, the other main character, Werner, recalls a line from a radio program, "Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever" (p. 58). Since I had visited Saint-Malo in 2010... In the U.S., today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a federal holiday held on the third Monday of January each year to commemorate his birthday, which is January 15th. Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech from 1963 is well known, and he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. His words are powerful. In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech in Sweden, he stated,
"Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love....there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow." In July 2012, my husband and I enjoyed a beautiful sunset on our way back to Rafina from the island of Andros in Greece. It was so peaceful on the outside deck of the car ferry. We had both taken ferries numerous times in the past, and when possible, prefer the ferry over a plane. This was two years before the April 2014 ferry tragedy in South Korea, where more than 300 passengers perished. At the end of 2014, just three days after Christmas, another ferry encountered problems in rough weather, off the coasts of Italy and Greece. No form of transport is without accidents. We can all take...
Throwback Thursday, theme is transportation! I remember first hearing about a Smart car when I read The Da Vinci Code in 2004 by Dan Brown. When I first observed one that year on vacation in Athens, I couldn't imagine anyone driving a car so small (this from the woman who rode a motorcycle when she lived in Greece for four years)! Then, six years later in Paris (image at left), I discovered its huge advantage! Oh my goodness! Now, whenever we take our non-Smart car and are searching for a parking space forever, I remember the Smart car's ability to fit in the tiniest spots by parking perpendicular to the curb! I would definitely own one if I had to parallel park everyday! Though I emphasized other modes of transportation when traveling, sometimes you just need a car. My husband and I only have one while in Utrecht; I miss my Miata! If you could rent for free any car in the world for a day, what would it be? It's a "Where Oh Where Wednesday," and in keeping with this week's theme of transportation, my two images today showcase some highly used forms of transport in Europe. Try to guess where the pics were taken, then check on Instagram or Twitter to see if you're correct! Haven't joined those apps yet? Sign up, and follow me--remember, I'm @travelwithmrst! Check out the writing on the tram in the image on the left--SEF. Wonder what that stands for? My husband and I had an interesting conversation about how the unabbreviated name seemed too long, but I remarked how that name is such an appropriate one. We saw a volleyball game there, summer of 2004. Hope these hints are enough to help you guess where the pic was taken! But, can you guess what SEF stands for and then translate it? I'll have the answer on Twitter and Instagram! From dune buggies on the island of Kos in Greece (I wouldn't pick up the hitchhiking goat though) to red double-decker buses in London, ditch the car, and find a plethora of possible alternative modes of transportation, whether you're traveling in Europe or the United States. My tips right now are limited to those two places, since I haven't visited any others...yet! Spiritual Sundays are about helping you find time to be at peace with yourself, and all that is going on in your life, both personally and globally. Each Spiritual Sunday will include an image of a bench with a peaceful view, or a sunset from a place I've visited (or, if you're lucky, a sunrise--I'm not a morning person!) The images are meant to help put you in a peaceful place, to jump start you to a sense of awe. In his video, The Science of Awe and Beauty, Dacher Keltner of The Greater Good Science Center, defines awe as: "The feeling of being in the presence of something vast and greater than the self, that exceeds current knowledge structures" (slide 1). What's the most daring thing you've ever done? For my first Throwback Thursday, I spent 4 hours creating a fabulous video (if I do say so myself) entitled 4 Minutes of Fearless! It featured my daughter and her best friend taking a ride in an inflatable contraption AKA the Flying Fish on a beautiful sunny day in July 2006 in Rhodes, Greece. The girls held on for dear life in the sparkling blue waters of Faliraki Bay, as the Flying Fish was propelled from horizontal to vertical, about 4 feet above the water, by a small motor boat that pulled the huge yellow inflatable. I was so glad that I was NOT in that scream-inducing machine! Three years later, the girls tried another daring adventure and went parasailing in Key West, Florida (image below). Welcome to the first Where Oh Where Wednesday! Each week I'll post at least one image (probably more) both here and on Instagram. The images are all mine, or if I'm in the picture, taken by someone with my camera! Here, I'll only post the image, and give you time to guess! On Instagram, I'll include a description of where and what! Teachers: Create an Instagram account for your professional use, follow me, and then project my images on a TV or ... |
AuthorMrs. T.--lifelong learner, traveler, teacher, voracious reader, and food, wine and chocolate lover! Archives
July 2016
Categories
All
|