tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22827616893421319482024-03-13T01:22:34.363+02:00Daughter of the jaded eraGoth Subculture, Art, Book Reviews, Party Tricks and Occasional DIYJadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-88506953898609599832017-09-04T16:10:00.000+03:002017-09-04T16:10:05.358+03:00Gothic Art in Spotlight: mythological creature of Finnish folkloreAfter this post I shall be taking a one month pause from blogging. It's because of two reasons; Firstly, I already know that September will be very busy for me. Secondly, I need to rethink the concept of my art posts. Evidently the pieces I've lately introduced are not really goth-y.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUr55Rlt8HDpurUsuHlSkARvP1s_TaEyoTq61eJ_ALNK8IzCyIKdjeRNlNcgf7Ur1U31zS7CVqN1-9g7R0Ca2-KIZC8GFpdtTeGz5sLqVz2deq8ANuyqEMa0-9EkIqhGQBuIgbWlVvhfNY/s1600/window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A photo of a town, seen through a window" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUr55Rlt8HDpurUsuHlSkARvP1s_TaEyoTq61eJ_ALNK8IzCyIKdjeRNlNcgf7Ur1U31zS7CVqN1-9g7R0Ca2-KIZC8GFpdtTeGz5sLqVz2deq8ANuyqEMa0-9EkIqhGQBuIgbWlVvhfNY/s400/window.jpg" title="" width="325" /></a></div>
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So, for the next month, I'm not writing myself, but I will still read other people's blogs, though!</div>
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The piece I shall now introduce is a sculpture. The subject is <i>Ilmatar</i>, which is a mythological creature (often like a sort of minor deity) of the old Finnish folklore. <i>Ilmatar </i>means a female spirit of the air. As you can see, the figure is very slender and she has feathers instead of arms.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNMoIuD-O9O1uUoAwVHYEUPPUPUhi-jIgBe9LbRF0Omfw7V-2yCIP7Jkk-40dQ_Sft1b9h9jiA7qMP_2lKuIb3fyOew4uIECcvK9brCmCop2CemGAcC1y90SrmcUeRI_UycQ3VIXTLIBb/s1600/Ilmatar-feathers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Statue of a mythical creature called Ilmatar, close-up" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1046" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNMoIuD-O9O1uUoAwVHYEUPPUPUhi-jIgBe9LbRF0Omfw7V-2yCIP7Jkk-40dQ_Sft1b9h9jiA7qMP_2lKuIb3fyOew4uIECcvK9brCmCop2CemGAcC1y90SrmcUeRI_UycQ3VIXTLIBb/s400/Ilmatar-feathers.jpg" title="" width="261" /></a></div>
Sculptor Kaj Lindgård made the figure and artist & novelist Katariina Souri made the mosaics.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTA1ksUFKhYinvzEJqzKDzgySJnPSzhYS5GNKBp2viUiynnCf3xG1zlr0kzhlyMepCulagNZb0VK4Efz7dcOz4PMLue8fGANl0qY8LPjdzlWJE1G_mas2OlEzJ3_XwsPX8q2EZQW8bQVtZ/s1600/Ilmatar-front-view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Statue of a mythical creature called Ilmatar, front view" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTA1ksUFKhYinvzEJqzKDzgySJnPSzhYS5GNKBp2viUiynnCf3xG1zlr0kzhlyMepCulagNZb0VK4Efz7dcOz4PMLue8fGANl0qY8LPjdzlWJE1G_mas2OlEzJ3_XwsPX8q2EZQW8bQVtZ/s400/Ilmatar-front-view.jpg" title="" width="266" /></a></div>
What appeals to me is how this statue balances between being human and being alien. It is like a very <b>cute version of some of HR Giger's alien female characters</b>.<br />
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I also think that the position of this work in the gallery was well thought. It would not look the same if it was against a white gallery wall, right?<br />
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Cultural background of Ilmatar</h4>
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Now, prehistoric Finnish folklore <b>did not have a strict dogma</b>; the geographical are which is now called Finland was populated sparsely and different villages had slightly <b>different beliefs</b>. Some villages had certain stories and the other villages some other stories. It's a bit like Ancient Greece where there was no 'one collection' of the mythical stories and beliefs before Homer and his <i>Iliad </i>and <i>Odyssey</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQiGnc6dTTcpw7_zfZCMS1QnZd1oE4WSf-HtSzxmXkULv5hSZTy9tLSU-iKhZQ5AE1aQ6awvR_ej49NqngaPQpTjjEA59KwByHNomxTMFpyT8QWM06jwGql18i4ZOxHE5_V1DZGXJby7t_/s1600/Ilmatar-back-view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQiGnc6dTTcpw7_zfZCMS1QnZd1oE4WSf-HtSzxmXkULv5hSZTy9tLSU-iKhZQ5AE1aQ6awvR_ej49NqngaPQpTjjEA59KwByHNomxTMFpyT8QWM06jwGql18i4ZOxHE5_V1DZGXJby7t_/s320/Ilmatar-back-view.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
In Finland, the majority of the old folktales were not in the written form but they were always <b>sang</b> and learned by the ear. In the 19th century, when European culture came more popular in the north, old Finnish folk poems started to disappear.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4SLNQzXYBaG1UHGrhcCo4VVWN9FSYVXlAP6vlDN55ou94TRhMMWRK4oXSjcqv57kGEtwV2F3OII1TCt9Wm246wrvCEhS0otr3HJOj-hQBFBj_AnbTmUE2cSmlO8p90-LZAmbrKKlFi2F/s1600/Ilmatar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Statue of a mythical creature called Ilmatar, close-up" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4SLNQzXYBaG1UHGrhcCo4VVWN9FSYVXlAP6vlDN55ou94TRhMMWRK4oXSjcqv57kGEtwV2F3OII1TCt9Wm246wrvCEhS0otr3HJOj-hQBFBj_AnbTmUE2cSmlO8p90-LZAmbrKKlFi2F/s320/Ilmatar.jpg" title="" width="180" /></a></div>
This worried some people and so people <b>started to record</b> (in written form) these folk songs. The most famous of these is <i>Kalevala </i>by Elias Lönnrot (1835). <i>Kalevala</i> <b>inspired J.R.R. Tolkien</b> when he was creating the folktales of the Middle Earth, by the way. The language of the elves even resembles Finnish.<br />
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Now, <i>Kalevala</i>, like <i>Iliad </i>and <i>Odyssey</i>, is <b>a one man's edition</b> of all those stories from all those areas. Lönnrot chose certain versions and put them into a time order. And: he used mainly the stories of one or two singers. This means that we have a very<b> narrow scope</b> to the old tales.<br />
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In <i>Kalevala</i>, the spirits of the air are not heroic adventures but they are mostly beautiful creatures that are sometimes associated with the maidens of the North (who are mostly prizes for heroes). Which actually is an interesting <b>parallel for this sculpture</b> by Lindgård and Souri; it is a beautiful object we ogle. </div>
Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-52633163914672572232017-08-21T16:05:00.000+03:002017-08-21T16:05:09.774+03:00Gothic Art in Spotlight: Uncanny insect statuesI haven't seen goth-y art lately, and that is the main reason why I haven't posted for a while. These sculptures I am now introducing are not that goth either, but they did appeal to my taste.<br />
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I saw these works in an exhibition at <a href="http://konstoform.fi/en/in-english/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Gallery Gumbostrand Konst & Form</span></a>. They are made by <a href="http://www.kristianvenalainen.com/en/index.php" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Kristian Venäläinen</span></a>. His works are often sculptures, but his technique varies a lot.<br />
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These statues resemble a dragonfly, who for some reason is digging itself into the groud. They are odd, and most people do not like insects that much. Insects are thought to look a bit too alien, I guess.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZExjS2wtpYliDeKpc11W9PzruMsI-rmjK2G595daz6LdQKdew3my3cbxZB6ahqTT7m1zKxRD58MdzuyZywA2QOQ_kM9GIAEYXUu32PNWOkt5kIPcw17JA_jWoRGhLT5jf67fcpC6ZF9cN/s1600/20170820_114553%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="A statue that looks a bit like a dragonfly" border="0" data-original-height="993" data-original-width="1600" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZExjS2wtpYliDeKpc11W9PzruMsI-rmjK2G595daz6LdQKdew3my3cbxZB6ahqTT7m1zKxRD58MdzuyZywA2QOQ_kM9GIAEYXUu32PNWOkt5kIPcw17JA_jWoRGhLT5jf67fcpC6ZF9cN/s400/20170820_114553%257E2.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
Resembling an insect is not the most off-putting quality of these sculptures. The unnerving part is that if they are insects, there is something wrong with their structure. The wings seem to be pointing the wrong way.<br />
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Especially in this large sculpture the form is uncanny. The wooden wings are huge and spiky. And to me it looks like they are pointing to the wrong direction. But maybe it's just me?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwpyyV1vIaRjZbtqx5hMXAK7bk2dJjFX0EG1H7rzSmtHeOQfOqdt0DtyyBMGzoUBSKN2WKJzR3wjZ5i1SDzJ5de_F4yBD96SVHKzuDHI7esV1gjQX5PAo4DSfnrqo0JKLQkJb1BB4WgN8/s1600/20170820_114246%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A photo of a sculpture with wooden wings." border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwpyyV1vIaRjZbtqx5hMXAK7bk2dJjFX0EG1H7rzSmtHeOQfOqdt0DtyyBMGzoUBSKN2WKJzR3wjZ5i1SDzJ5de_F4yBD96SVHKzuDHI7esV1gjQX5PAo4DSfnrqo0JKLQkJb1BB4WgN8/s400/20170820_114246%257E2.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
What do you think? I think the way the wooden part is attached is very intriguing. It looks a bit like a helmet, doesn't it?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWfsPtdu6hFLUAuNUij_mCaw8_u-pJmgMlk5OGvkdn6YXf6wg7pw4hzvNfMLOUoTF4zrWk-fduY-v1U-qV9mzhyphenhyphend6r_0Z_c9wNqoFpVM1qVsL8fZdpbeS7FJhqKTYl-spspqRJx3ww9Ii/s1600/20170820_114420%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A statue with wooden wings, photographed from another direction." border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWfsPtdu6hFLUAuNUij_mCaw8_u-pJmgMlk5OGvkdn6YXf6wg7pw4hzvNfMLOUoTF4zrWk-fduY-v1U-qV9mzhyphenhyphend6r_0Z_c9wNqoFpVM1qVsL8fZdpbeS7FJhqKTYl-spspqRJx3ww9Ii/s320/20170820_114420%257E2.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
Venäläinen says he is inspired by the randomness of nature and that is very visible in these works. Their names are <i>Evo</i> as in the word <i>evolution</i>, <i>Otus</i> and <i>Olio</i> (both can be translated as 'a creature') or <i>Elo</i> which means 'to live' or 'living'. There were several statues, so their full names were <i>Evo IV</i>, and so on.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAG8iKs80Dq2WPFAJFqd5JPQIW1hrO2QcJgudn-YThyphenhyphenqYGRs1xspvu0It8apeg0hhL902G-gOU9CYkHKZBrE-xb9BkHrWhK5eY5TaX5J6dM-w-fnDk-B3NrhnIt5nxzwFEDDKJ7Wo5kw_D/s1600/20170820_114503%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Three sculputers and a man standing close to them." border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAG8iKs80Dq2WPFAJFqd5JPQIW1hrO2QcJgudn-YThyphenhyphenqYGRs1xspvu0It8apeg0hhL902G-gOU9CYkHKZBrE-xb9BkHrWhK5eY5TaX5J6dM-w-fnDk-B3NrhnIt5nxzwFEDDKJ7Wo5kw_D/s400/20170820_114503%257E2.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In this photo I used a random person as a measuring stick for the statues.</td></tr>
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The smaller sculptures are constructed of metal and black clay. The big ones are made of some other clay for which I do not know the translation. But its consistancy is suitable for making huge objects.<br />
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<i>The next post will be out in two weeks and it will feature another statue I saw on my vacation. It's not necessarily goth but it certainly is a bit odd.</i>Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-85727206678028341432017-07-03T22:06:00.001+03:002017-07-03T22:06:44.908+03:00Goth tourist in Switzerland: HR Giger and Mary ShelleyIn Switzerland, there are two main attractions for goths: the <b>HR Giger Museum</b> in Gruyères and all things related to <b>Mary Shelley</b>, the author of <i>The Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus</i>.<br />
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For those who are sporty, hiking and walking around is a way to get to admire the sublime and <b>a bit scary scenery</b> of this country. When we were there, temperatures were really high (34 degrees of Celsius / 92 Fahrenheit) so we did not take too long walks.<br />
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This statue of the Creature of Frankenstein is very near the center of Geneva. As you can see, we had an amiable stroll. Compared to the Creature <a href="https://daughter-of-jaded-era.blogspot.fi/2017/03/goth-tourist-in-edinburgh.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">I saw in Edinburgh</span></a>, this fellow was more into holding hands.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo taken by my lovely travel companion.</td></tr>
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Villa Diodati</h4>
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Villa Diodati was the place where Lord Byron, John Polidori, Percy Shelley, Mary Godwin (future Mrs. Shelley) and Mary's half sister Jane Clairmont spent the summer of 1816. Well, Percy, Mary and Jane did have another residence rented, but they spent a lot of time in villa Diodati and that is the place where this small company had their little contest of writing <b>a ghastly ghost story</b>.<br />
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Mary Godwin wrote <b>the first version of <i>Frankenstein</i></b> and John Polidori made his first version of his short novel <i>Vampyre</i>, the first modern vampire story. Mary Godwin was only 18 when she wrote one of the most famous Gothic novels and 20 when it was published. Makes one think, doesn't it?<br />
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Nowadays, Villa Diodati is <b>a private residence</b> and one cannot trespass. But they do have a sign on their wall stating the history of the house and next to their garden is a small park where one can have <b>a picnic</b>.<br />
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And of course you get to have sly glimpses of Villa Diodati's garden when you walk past it. They have high fences, so it is not exactly peeping; you just see some treetops and the roof of their lovely <b>old greenhouse</b>.<br />
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If you are visiting Villa Diodati's surroundings (and it is summer!) take <b>a bathing suit</b> with you. From the villa there is a short walk to the Lac Léman (the huge lake) and if you walk a few minutes towards the center of Geneva, you'll arrive to the spot where the locals go for a swim.<br />
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<b>How to get there</b><br />
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Villa Diodati is in Geneva, and if you are staying in a hotel, you are<b> entitled to a day ticket</b> to the public transport. The day ticket is valid during your whole stay (max. 14 days). So basically you get to travel around the city as much as you like. Bus 'number' A takes you almost next to villa Diodati.<br />
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HR Giger Museum</h4>
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<a href="https://www.hrgigermuseum.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">The HR Giger Museum</span></a> and <a href="http://www.hrgiger.com/barmuseum.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">Giger bar</span></a> are situated in a medieval city called Gruyères. Other famous places to visit are the castle of Gruyères and a cheese factory.<br />
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You can buy a combined ticket to the HR Giger museum and the medieval castle. I can wholeheartedly recommend this, because the castle was very interesting and there was a lot to see.<br />
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One was not allowed to take photos in the museum, which is very understandable. That statue was in front of the museum.<br />
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The exhibition consists of the main exhibition of Giger's works and they also have a two room section for changing exhibitions of contemporary artists.<br />
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Next to the museum of Giger is the Giger bar. Actually, the exhibition area for the changing exhibitions is situated in their second floor. This photo was taken from the balcony/corridor that led to the upstairs of the bar.<br />
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I found it rather cool that opposite the museum (and next to the Giger bar) was clearly a home for the elderly. At least that little square had dozens of old people with their walkers, just chilling on the benches.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPg-OWUqWvO2mVIEhjN1IQgsRew2gLVx2xEBSWsNQO73Nbk3nloTvWiXbe6L6MW-0gdsNpYxRfDBzCMbr8ElJERPFMq25f-Uo-wC38NL5ki5QszHSaPGds7URkdvk2iUiee04N_LuoGpu/s1600/20170621_185252+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPg-OWUqWvO2mVIEhjN1IQgsRew2gLVx2xEBSWsNQO73Nbk3nloTvWiXbe6L6MW-0gdsNpYxRfDBzCMbr8ElJERPFMq25f-Uo-wC38NL5ki5QszHSaPGds7URkdvk2iUiee04N_LuoGpu/s400/20170621_185252+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The castle</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.chateau-gruyeres.ch/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">Château de Gruyères</span></a> (the Castle of Gruyères) is a rather well preserved castle with a lot to see. I had fun visiting it, even though I am not a huge fan of castles.<br />
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The castle has a long and colorful history, which I am not going to quote here. I'll just say that during the 19th century it was bought by the family named Bovy and they with another family made it their summer residence.<br />
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Here taking photos was allowed, so I must show you this rather odd piece of celestial art: this <b>carnevalistic angel</b>. Or at least I interpret it to be some sort of a decorative object for a church or a chapel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP71fkA2Tow9V9dy7NHVNm1KuQBq6n22M9eghJpduOg6vZzZ_1lOiMPcMePHx2sU36N35_ZpWJFUKtx-547D3m44iR-Taj-QrKbBb-MkeUevHgFhJKplgP71ghAhOacK-MtUkSfw3iOsJe/s1600/20170621_154710+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP71fkA2Tow9V9dy7NHVNm1KuQBq6n22M9eghJpduOg6vZzZ_1lOiMPcMePHx2sU36N35_ZpWJFUKtx-547D3m44iR-Taj-QrKbBb-MkeUevHgFhJKplgP71ghAhOacK-MtUkSfw3iOsJe/s400/20170621_154710+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Apparently this decorative object has horns as wings. And it seems to be holding some sort of a divine announcement in the form of a parchment. Or, it might be a torch.<br />
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The castle too has a small <b>changing exhibition</b> featuring contemporary artists. It is in the tower that used to be for prisoners. During my visit they had works that clearly were inspired by surrealism and old folk tales but I cannot find any record of them from the castle's webpage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYSWIq5XFLyETeEiAmuvahTv17l0tFyxOvxDmz6jK9M6kUPDFoqaWeuTGii5wH2zdejRJX29NnsHBCVGJN2y5W6bj1069kaaPbAWZDGTsDbNH8EBvjW0Qy__6Hl76itDHYrUw7WYXXJXR/s1600/20170621_160959+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYSWIq5XFLyETeEiAmuvahTv17l0tFyxOvxDmz6jK9M6kUPDFoqaWeuTGii5wH2zdejRJX29NnsHBCVGJN2y5W6bj1069kaaPbAWZDGTsDbNH8EBvjW0Qy__6Hl76itDHYrUw7WYXXJXR/s400/20170621_160959+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Their <a href="https://www.chateau-gruyeres.ch/index.php/en" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">English webpage</span></a> is under construction, so you'll get most out of it if you can read French. Italian page has also more material than the English one.<br />
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The only attractions are not merely these two museums. The <b>city itself is very pretty</b> and strolling around the streets is fun.<br />
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<b>How to get there</b><br />
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The easiest ways to visit the city of Gruyères are by car, by train or by bus. If you have a car, you can drive up to the old town. If not, you'll have to walk uphill from the train station for about 20 minutes. We did not take a bus, so I have no first-hand knowledge about that route.<br />
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Handy tips for travelers</h4>
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<b>Buying train tickets</b><br />
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If you are traveling by train and do not have access to internet all the time, it is smart to buy your train tickets in advance. By this, I do not mean online but when you are <b>on a train station the first time</b>.<br />
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When buying a ticket from an automate, you do not have to specify the time you want to hop on a train, <b>only the day</b>. But why in advance? Because if you travel to a small town, you cannot buy a ticket from there to lets say Geneva.<br />
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Apparently small stations only have the local train company's ticket machine, and they do not sell tickets for national routes (like from Gruyères to Geneva). You first have to travel to a bit bigger city where they have also the <a href="https://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">SBB</span></a>'s ticket machine.<br />
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<b>Speaking French is very handy</b><br />
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Speaking even a little bit of French is a huge plus, if you are traveling in the French-speaking area of Switzerland. In small villages the locals <b>do not necessarily speak English</b> at all or only a little bit.<br />
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We noticed this when we were departing Gruyères, and we did not know that we could not buy tickets straight to Geneva. We had to ask help from the ticket office and the workers there did not speak English.<br />
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Luckily I had studied French but to be honest, I felt like an idiot with hearing difficulties most of the time. The locals were very understanding, though, and patiently repeated what they had said if I seemed confused.<br />
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<i><b>I hope you found this post helpful and/or entertaining!</b></i></div>
Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-64532617431005844702017-06-16T10:14:00.000+03:002017-07-02T18:51:33.839+03:00Personal update: moving and a trip to Switzerland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimx0yIiidUUgWAuWmtVGGtk-sxCPVBRV8-kAy2d6Z-vlymUA-m24ockA8a8N2M-O9OB7SjE4CvCjfngBxpVDxPP34SgXg5QD_2wKwdQEriT9jsrs3bTNbhx78QCGtMqDQGAP-EET6QvpKl/s1600/20170616_094905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimx0yIiidUUgWAuWmtVGGtk-sxCPVBRV8-kAy2d6Z-vlymUA-m24ockA8a8N2M-O9OB7SjE4CvCjfngBxpVDxPP34SgXg5QD_2wKwdQEriT9jsrs3bTNbhx78QCGtMqDQGAP-EET6QvpKl/s200/20170616_094905.jpg" width="112" /></a></div>
This past month has been very busy for me. I found a new apartment and had to plan my moving in a bit of a haste.<br />
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Slowly, the apartment is starting to look like a home. It has taken this long because straight after the moving I caught some nasty virus and spent a week lying in bed with <b>a fever</b> and a sore throat. </div>
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And naturally it has been rather busy at work too, so that too has been a bit stressful, especially since after the fever I got a nasty cough and it is rather disturbing if you are organizing events and so on. Trying not to cough hysterically while another person is giving a speech is awful!</div>
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<br />A grown-up playing games</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1B2DW49UcvYT6gA_8KOK-FA7LRhWRh9iqZ8iJb_Hcgd_MsVjCrfjYitAA_y-N_DvcWEawCae9J576D1Iuq9OEoWIsTwXyTk5A7z1-2kkXMJbqlymANepuYueDsMjQ3zEPKAEyVSRoIfJz/s1600/20170616_091658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1B2DW49UcvYT6gA_8KOK-FA7LRhWRh9iqZ8iJb_Hcgd_MsVjCrfjYitAA_y-N_DvcWEawCae9J576D1Iuq9OEoWIsTwXyTk5A7z1-2kkXMJbqlymANepuYueDsMjQ3zEPKAEyVSRoIfJz/s320/20170616_091658.jpg" width="320" /></a>My vacation started two days ago and this weekend I am off to play in a sci-fi LARP. It is great to go to a game like that but I have to say that the way it has been organized and how the information has been given to us players, it has bee rather stressful too. </div>
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My character is a guard in a futuristic prison, so it will be an interesting and quite probably a very intense game!</div>
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A vacation in Switzerland</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItyWbvWxkM82US8YGni3xIKoFlAHmQu7pRjpwi1KdNwbv3C2vNA5XpNMbbo_osGGVyEoukGJ2jz_F-TmmOcbljFwevCbugLN3WjhEvdHp3yqrsDLlscb7UbyIseXKS5AOwjgPTxOQzn1r/s1600/20170616_093628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItyWbvWxkM82US8YGni3xIKoFlAHmQu7pRjpwi1KdNwbv3C2vNA5XpNMbbo_osGGVyEoukGJ2jz_F-TmmOcbljFwevCbugLN3WjhEvdHp3yqrsDLlscb7UbyIseXKS5AOwjgPTxOQzn1r/s320/20170616_093628.jpg" width="320" /></a>After the LARP I am off to Switzerland. I've wanted to go and see the <a href="https://www.hrgigermuseum.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a64d79;">HR Giger Museum</span></a> for a long time and now I an finally getting there! This museum is situated in Gruyères, a medieval city an hour and a half's drive from Geneva. This shall be the first time I am going to drive a car in a foreign country so that shall be very exciting!</div>
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Another place I and my travel companion would love to visit is <b>Villa Diodati</b>, the villa that was rented by Lord Byron in 1816. During that summer a woman who would be known as Mary Shelley wrote the first draft of <i>Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus</i> and Byron's doctor friend John Polidori was inspired to write the first modern vampire story <i>The Vampyre</i>. </div>
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In the photo you can see an art book about Giger and my copy of Polidori's short novel. I could not find my copy of <i>Frankenstein</i> for this group photo. Moving sucks!</div>
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Health things</h4>
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As I mentioned in my previous post, I had eye surgery recently. The operation was easy and the recovering has been great so I am very happy and excited. </div>
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Though, due to the operation my eyes are very sensitive for sunlight and at the moment I seem to have misplaced both of my sunglasses. It is rather annoying because I <b>can't go out of my apartment</b> without them. </div>
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Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-46174008753267407842017-05-19T07:43:00.000+03:002017-05-19T07:43:28.980+03:00Gothic Art in Spotlight: grotesque installationsI haven't posted for a while because this month has been very busy for me. I am going to move to a new apartment by the end of the month and today I am going to get my eyes operated. In the future I shan't be needing glasses to be able to see things around me! Obviously, I am rather excited (and agitated) about it. Hopefully everything goes alright! But now, to art:<div>
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A week ago I visited Tampere, my old university city, and spent one afternoon looking art. I encountered the grotesque installations and sculptures at an art gallery called <a href="http://tampereensaskiat.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Galleria Saskia</span></a>. The exhibition is free, open daily and you can see it until the end of this month. </div>
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The exhibition features two Finnish artists, <a href="http://www.kuvataiteilijamatrikkeli.fi/en/artists/2057" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Heli Ryhänen</span></a> and <a href="http://www.kuvataiteilijamatrikkeli.fi/en/artists/2334" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Anne Meskanen-Barman</span></a>. These both ladies have made a substantial career and the all the sculptures in the exhibition give the viewer an uncanny feeling.</div>
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Regardless of the whole exhibition being intriguing, I shall concentrate on only one installation by Meskanen-Barman: <i>High Tea</i> (2017). The installation consists of a table with food and teacups on it, an armchair and a lamp. When one enters the room, it looks quite harmless. But as one walks nearer, one sees that the high tea is not that delicious-looking.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqsP0dLKJ9weRBh_Yzec_ovHyKyZqHNsoU0Ldyyk7HLKQI_eJGF2wSIYVw4qbX7GWCMN_JJXA6Fy4fjBrhyxZSvt_eVt4KJm1LWBDfLYa7UgYi4wks6ovo6fGDCJmUHxcKuMG4yHcCR50/s1600/20170513_145413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqsP0dLKJ9weRBh_Yzec_ovHyKyZqHNsoU0Ldyyk7HLKQI_eJGF2wSIYVw4qbX7GWCMN_JJXA6Fy4fjBrhyxZSvt_eVt4KJm1LWBDfLYa7UgYi4wks6ovo6fGDCJmUHxcKuMG4yHcCR50/s400/20170513_145413.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The interpretation of this work is ambiguous. Therefore, it works as a reflector for the viewer. How do we react when a face is poking out from a sophisticated teacup? </div>
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The faces in the teacups resemble the way one sees one's reflection of a teacup when one is about to have a sip. On the other hand, one seldom looks that agonized when one is enjoying high tea...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYexlrm9WPu9w4JHxV5TH6vSD42C92wiojehFsQOQYlBzjS1jmguWiU73FgHAg4Ej91_F_VeL2Fq9REuHEEbiZlNyopv2jVg_IAB96Hy9F0N6k0VlC4L0T3wvhOLgAoylFk8DniqO1Ku1i/s1600/20170513_145421+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYexlrm9WPu9w4JHxV5TH6vSD42C92wiojehFsQOQYlBzjS1jmguWiU73FgHAg4Ej91_F_VeL2Fq9REuHEEbiZlNyopv2jVg_IAB96Hy9F0N6k0VlC4L0T3wvhOLgAoylFk8DniqO1Ku1i/s320/20170513_145421+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And how about those delicious little cakes? If one looks closely, one notices that the surface looks like a human nipple. How to interpret that? Is the installation trying to raise conversation about how in our culture sweet treats and cakes are often used as a metaphor for sexual passion or courting? Or are they there for the sake of shocking people?</div>
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What are your interpretations of this work?</div>
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Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-87708987125197921942017-04-14T17:56:00.000+03:002017-04-14T17:56:44.295+03:00Peculiar Easter tradition of witchesIn March, <a href="http://goth-gardening.blogspot.fi/2017/03/baskets-caskets-contest.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Goth Gardener</span></a> announced a Baskets & Caskets competition. To participate, one needs to make a post according to the theme <b>Goth Easter</b>. Now, I don't believe this post fits the given topic but nevertheless Goth Gardener inspired me to write this post. :)<br />
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This post is once again about the odd traits of the Finns. Previously I've featured <a href="https://daughter-of-jaded-era.blogspot.fi/2015/12/a-scary-christmas-legend-nuuttipukki.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Nuuttipukki</span></a> (the creepy Santa Claus) and <a href="https://daughter-of-jaded-era.blogspot.fi/2016/12/a-finnish-new-years-eve-tradition.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">fortunetelling traditions</span></a>.<br />
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On Easter, we have a tradition that is very <b>similar to the trick-or-treating</b> on Halloween. It's called '<b>virpominen</b>'. In short, children dress as witches or Easter bunnies and go around the neighborhood in order to get candy. BUT: they are not like evil spirits on Halloween who threat people with tricks.<br />
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Instead it is more like a mutually beneficial transaction. The kids collect and decorate <b>sticks of pussy willow</b> and will use them to <b>cast spells of good luck</b> for the neighbors. After the spell the kids will give the decorated willow to the neighbor and as a payment the kids will receive some candy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6xuPxPA_WCC_besP-kNgmQKiQgvm4OSogVzEZW7rbNZRyIae32_tA92PBSoOGSkYpEVu7XwjjK-kjG6PdxOFLZOoclnAH_KOqeUdAZVj0xFEoNPSUleHUQou_SnjIz6XVt26A-g_cAO8/s1600/20170405203640_01+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6xuPxPA_WCC_besP-kNgmQKiQgvm4OSogVzEZW7rbNZRyIae32_tA92PBSoOGSkYpEVu7XwjjK-kjG6PdxOFLZOoclnAH_KOqeUdAZVj0xFEoNPSUleHUQou_SnjIz6XVt26A-g_cAO8/s320/20170405203640_01+%25282%2529.jpg" width="206" /></a>Since I was super fascinated by witches as a kid (and still am), I was as excited about Easter as I was about Christmas. I could dress as a witch myself, it was like heaven! To clarify my behavior, I want to point out that during my childhood <b>Halloween was not a big thing</b> (it is still a very minor holiday here in Finland).<br />
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Here is a photo from my childhood. Since Finland is so up North, we used to have winter weather on Easter (at least during the 90's, with the climate change it is sort of a spring nowadays). So, us kids used to have to dress our <b>witch garments over our winter coats</b>. Nevertheless, it was always super fun!<br />
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In the photo you'll see the most fashionable gear an Easter witch could have: a black paper board hat and a broom. The broom was made by my father and I had tied some scarfs around my waist to get the proper witch look. The witch's familiar is also appearing in the photo (aka my pet dog).<br />
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The traditions behind virpominen</h3>
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This tradition has roots both in the Orthodox traditions and in the old customs Finns had before Christianity arrived. I am not an expert on these traditions and beliefs, but here is how I've understood the historical roots of this tradition.<br />
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Pussy willows are not just a Finnish thing, in Eastern European countries many people use pussy willow in their rites on Palm Sunday. Palms do not grow here in the North, so people needed to substitute them with some other plant. I'm not sure if this is something people still do, but in the old days <b>a priest blessed the willow sticks</b> and then children took them home, decorated them, and then used the willows to <b>bless their immediate family</b>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9A6ai5pnJXoX1MLlyl09Moq7MYk1wP5fn9pAhvzabm5dLOt3xxAHxlbMeMuZr_vU-fHQK7pD3J6Z0UwlK5uV3dmVzRMVeADjXrSYoldrYxEgukF78Y6gcvpo0nISrbUy0f4bP60MPYOZH/s1600/Easter-willow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9A6ai5pnJXoX1MLlyl09Moq7MYk1wP5fn9pAhvzabm5dLOt3xxAHxlbMeMuZr_vU-fHQK7pD3J6Z0UwlK5uV3dmVzRMVeADjXrSYoldrYxEgukF78Y6gcvpo0nISrbUy0f4bP60MPYOZH/s400/Easter-willow.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willows made by the kids next door.</td></tr>
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There is also another Christian belief related to virpominen. In the Nordic countries, people believed that during the days between the Good Friday and Easter Sunday the protecting powers of God were, well, diminished. Therefore people believed that <b>evil witches</b> were roaming around the countryside and <b>causing misfortune</b> to people. To prevent this, people did all sorts of <b>protection spells</b> that resemble the idea behind virpominen.<br />
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So, that was the Christian part of the tradition of virpominen. I am guessing that the pagan roots of the Finns twisted it a bit and that is why the kids dress as witches for it. In the old times, witches, witch doctors and shamans were <b>appreciated members of the community</b>. I guess that's why there are also good witches who now cast spells of good luck.<br />
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I've not heard that other countries would have this tradition of virpominen. If you have, please comment on this post!<br />
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<b>I hope you enjoyed this little piece of information and do check out what people contributed to Goth Gardener's competition!</b></div>
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Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-1957581099887286162017-04-07T15:25:00.000+03:002017-04-07T15:25:04.467+03:00Creepy Reads Review: Grimm Tales by Philip PullmanThis months Creepy Reads Review presents to you <i>Grimm Tales for Young and Old</i> (2012) by Philip Pullman. Or so it says on the cover.<br />
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I saw this book at the Glasgow Airport, my flight was due in a couple of minutes, and I wanted something to read on the flight. The cover of Pullman's book was pretty and the back cover stated following praises:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
'<i>Gripping ... A clear and humorous retelling, with added sprinklings of wit ...</i>' – Sunday Telegraph</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
'<i>Told with extraordinary toughness and savagery</i>' – Andrew Marr </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
'<i>Magical ... This wonderful retelling is set to become a classic in its own right</i>' – Sunday Times</blockquote>
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From those quotations I assumed that:<br />
a) Andrew Marr is praising Pullman's way of writing.<br />
b) Retelling is creative work in which Pullman has made new version, <b>his unique versions</b>, of the Grimm's fairy tales. How else could the book 'become a classic in its own right'? The old fairy tales are <b>already classics</b>.<br />
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Sadly, my <b>presumptions were wrong</b>. The stories in this book are mostly just a regathering of the old stories. Pullman hasn't altered the Grimm's fairy tales much. In many cases he has merely gathered his favourite versions of the old printed tales. In some stories he has made minor alterations but I have to say they seem irrelevant. It doesn't matter whether an evil stepsister ate cake or <i>chocolate</i> cake, especially since chocolate doesn't become a symbol or motif for anything.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIW14vezkCvPCnA_8MgBI7i-tuOYsNf-mPpqia3Hg0yAE8_q9mxXKVxh1LdvwMJ58LlnP6h7B0S9zoSthay90mBlCQDZ6STWlqVYWJSdryBSE4Et1Upj1uzQvGarXM4sBcRlM-5k9DveEh/s1600/20170403_091732-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIW14vezkCvPCnA_8MgBI7i-tuOYsNf-mPpqia3Hg0yAE8_q9mxXKVxh1LdvwMJ58LlnP6h7B0S9zoSthay90mBlCQDZ6STWlqVYWJSdryBSE4Et1Upj1uzQvGarXM4sBcRlM-5k9DveEh/s320/20170403_091732-2.jpg" width="220" /></a>Pullman claims he has altered some text in order to better them but I do not really see it. He hasn't been bold enough with the alterations and therefore they <b>lack significance and individuality</b>. The narrative style is not reaching the 'Pullman way of writing' and hence any writer could claim these texts as his/her work. I expected a little more from a famous writer in the 21st century. There are already so many printed versions of the Grimm's fairy tales, why did we need this one?<br />
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One of the most often heard quotes from Pullman (which, of course, is not really his) is that all stories are stolen and all stories have already been told. That is quite true, but to be able to retell a story without slipping into mere plagiarism requires some effort.<br />
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Honestly, <b>I was disappointed</b>. I would not have bought this book if I had known that these stories are not really rewritten. I have read several version of Grimm's fairy tales in several languages and the Pullman collection does not bring anything extra to the stories. I assumed this collection would've been more like the <i><a href="https://daughter-of-jaded-era.blogspot.fi/2015/05/creepy-reads-review-my-mother-she.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">My mother she killed me, my father he ate me</span></a></i> short story collection or like <i>The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories</i> by Angela Carter, in which Carter has really rewritten the old fairy tales, giving them intriguing twists. But no.<br />
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<h3>
The good sides of Pullman's book</h3>
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I was disappointed, because the back cover praises were misleading. If this is put aside, there is nothing wrong with the collection. Firstly, the cover is pretty. Secondly and more importantly, in the end of each story is<b> a short background report</b> about it. It tells what type of a story it is, and from what year this particular version is (or if it is a mix of two old versions).<br />
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I appreciate the background report, and for that the Pullman collection is great. Though I must point out that in some of the background reports there are Pullman's own 'observations' and opinions of the story lines and the morals and those remarks seem often unjustifiable and sometimes even unprofessional.<br />
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So, I can recommend the <i>Grimm Tales for Young and Old</i> 'by' Philip Pullman for those who are looking for <b>Grimm's fairy tales in a pretty cover</b>.Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-58826031143380948792017-04-02T18:24:00.002+03:002017-04-02T18:24:47.870+03:00Goth Tourist in GlasgowOn my little holiday in Glasgow, I indulged myself by visiting various art museums. But, not all darkly inclined people are such art museum freaks as me, so I am going to feature just four sights that are rather gothy and are <b>available all year around</b>. All of these also happen to be <b>free of charge</b>.<br />
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<h3>
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RXjptIynQjsPWxidKEpLXuFzpK6sQq7xiit3wVbjfMAJiFv7VMQn42v75LcFVGOp6801FBTEMT8hKiFvbWNYFRatjioPMgx7rSsecJyi-CK5RGPwYVmi7utfdn7Yg2WguxwhNTMF28ha/s1600/Harpy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RXjptIynQjsPWxidKEpLXuFzpK6sQq7xiit3wVbjfMAJiFv7VMQn42v75LcFVGOp6801FBTEMT8hKiFvbWNYFRatjioPMgx7rSsecJyi-CK5RGPwYVmi7utfdn7Yg2WguxwhNTMF28ha/s400/Harpy.jpg" width="241" /></a><a href="http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/kelvingrove/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum</span></a> are an extensive collection of <b>art, natural science, and history</b>. The exhibit space is filled with paintings, statues, taxidermy animals, armors and what not.<br />
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My personal favourite of the artworks was this distressed Harpy by Mary Pownall (1902). The title of the work is <i>The Harpy Celaeno</i>. It was almost impossible to take a photo of the statue, for some reason my phone's camera refused to focus on it. Spooky.<br />
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The harpy is groping her chest, her claws bite into her own skin, and her face expression implicates sorrow and pain. Harpies are usually depicted without hands and often in groups, so this is <b>an unusual sculpture</b>. It is much more human than is customary.<br />
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From 1st of April till 1st of October 2017 they feature <a href="http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/kelvingrove/exhibitions/Pages/Frank-Quitely-The-Art-of-Comics.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">an exhibition of superheros and comics</span></a>. It looks very interesting but unfortunately I did not get to see it.<br />
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<h3>
Glasgow University & the Hunterian Museum</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kEB_3kQg1ZuVYldiqtZSXrkWGaZ8CDMJZ5dXUcgk5ioUpy02A1SIjVotCxyTXrYoSfiMfjgvqbcn0GjiAuSiUl4Mq0zNFgFk7WRQ9gsPicFsArYBs-6oV5jK29JpDrvkpYhjB3TgUkhc/s1600/Hunterian+Museum+Anatomical+and+Pathological+Collection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Anatomical samples in jars." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kEB_3kQg1ZuVYldiqtZSXrkWGaZ8CDMJZ5dXUcgk5ioUpy02A1SIjVotCxyTXrYoSfiMfjgvqbcn0GjiAuSiUl4Mq0zNFgFk7WRQ9gsPicFsArYBs-6oV5jK29JpDrvkpYhjB3TgUkhc/s320/Hunterian+Museum+Anatomical+and+Pathological+Collection.jpg" title="" width="270" /></a>Magnificent Gothic architecture of the University is worth checking out, and so is <a href="http://www.gla.ac.uk/hunterian/collections/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">the Hunterian Museum</span></a> inside it. The museum is named after William Hunter (1718–1783), who was a former student of the University and a keen collector of all things marvelous. His collection was the base for the museum. Collection ranges from the artifacts of Ancient Rome to Physics inventions.<br />
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The most macabre part of the collection is <b>the Anatomical and Pathological Collection</b>. Many of the samples are human but some are disfigured animals with more heads and feet than is usual.<br />
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<h3>
The Glasgow Botanical Gardens</h3>
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<a href="http://www.glasgowbotanicgardens.com/the-gardens/visiting-the-gardens/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Glasgow Botanic Gardens</span></a> are a marvelous place but for goths and other macabre folk the Botanic Gardens offer a whole room dedicated to <b>killer plants</b>. These plants are carnivores and on my visit I learned that there are 5 different method categories for the plants to trap their pray. One of them being 'lobster pot traps which use inward and downward pointing hairs to force pray to move towards a digestive organ'.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMbw_ePbYC3iXA4jGecQXkMunyVLJotMoKtb4PYNj2Vqu0kVdB1l1IZ4YN6RvEEudDZ5HMmc1jbY1Zi6id8eTEXr_rGh7naysrgiUeWWjeJsYPj0LUbavJ9Q5QVsZ6QMZUQ8TLvtZfXuF/s1600/Killer+Plants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Carnivore plants." border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMbw_ePbYC3iXA4jGecQXkMunyVLJotMoKtb4PYNj2Vqu0kVdB1l1IZ4YN6RvEEudDZ5HMmc1jbY1Zi6id8eTEXr_rGh7naysrgiUeWWjeJsYPj0LUbavJ9Q5QVsZ6QMZUQ8TLvtZfXuF/s400/Killer+Plants.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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I doubt these particular carnivorous plants in the photo use that method of 'lobster pot traps' but they sure are beautiful. The other rooms of the hothouses were very nice too.<br />
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<h3>
Glasgow Necropolis</h3>
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Last but not least, the Glasgow Necropolis. It is a Victorian garden cemetery and there are many beautiful and ornamental gravestones and memorials. <b>The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis</b> organize <a href="http://www.glasgownecropolis.org/tours-events/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">guided tours</span></a> and it is a good idea to participate one if possible. The Friends of Glasgow guides give depth to your visit, because they can tell about the history of the graves and the cemetery.<br />
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If your visit doesn't match with the tour program, another thing I can recommend is to buy a book they've published: <i><a href="http://www.glasgownecropolis.org/books-guides/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Glasgow Necropolis After lives – Tales of Interments</span></a></i> by Ruth Johnston. It costs £ 8 plus delivery but it does make your visit way better. Me and my friend had that book with us when we went on our visit and it was marvelous.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs20gKT43hP_Mt8-y4gFcxcKbwRRdmE3DfnnLucDggIXTwIyH6NyBPsrimwdbjf8PQOHCFqaKLpszEKGVLODxQhFO4pCstE5cDofFLMesZWTsdaSFGECnge9tqDOA4PY2H4qwOGmC6r2RW/s1600/20170319_122628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A woman in a cemetery." border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs20gKT43hP_Mt8-y4gFcxcKbwRRdmE3DfnnLucDggIXTwIyH6NyBPsrimwdbjf8PQOHCFqaKLpszEKGVLODxQhFO4pCstE5cDofFLMesZWTsdaSFGECnge9tqDOA4PY2H4qwOGmC6r2RW/s400/20170319_122628.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
We started on the recommended route up the hill and every time we saw an interesting gravestone, we searched its photo from Johnston's book. The book includes <b>150 most interesting graves</b> and Johnston has collected all sorts of facts about the artwork, the lives of the people who are buried there, and so forth.<br />
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<i>I hope these tips will be helpful for another goth tourist in Glasgow!</i>Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-60894726473761547732017-03-23T21:00:00.000+02:002017-03-23T21:00:56.369+02:00Goth Tourist in EdinburghThis is the first post about the goth-y things I experienced on my trip to Scotland. Next week I'll write about goth-y things in Glasgow but now we'll concentrate on the capital.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_I7lovcGU_lMGPppXMkMOyC8F7X828Nv3d2Pi3ZDWO3t6Poq_Qbk2UA3V-YimcYton2rxdGXqHSOk8iFgFtdC4194cYbDRxSAzqCpqmaMigQMI-UvI1uUo0bWrUuT2cVUaxyI8u6rBvBK/s1600/Frankenstein_Pub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_I7lovcGU_lMGPppXMkMOyC8F7X828Nv3d2Pi3ZDWO3t6Poq_Qbk2UA3V-YimcYton2rxdGXqHSOk8iFgFtdC4194cYbDRxSAzqCpqmaMigQMI-UvI1uUo0bWrUuT2cVUaxyI8u6rBvBK/s320/Frankenstein_Pub.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
On a day trip to Edinburgh, I and my friend visited two distinctly goth places. First the Surgeons' Hall Museums and then the pub with Frankenstein theme.<br />
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<h3>
Surgeon's Hall Museums</h3>
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I can wholeheartedly recommend this place. The <a href="https://museum.rcsed.ac.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Surgeon's Hall Museums</span></a> is in plural because it consists of two museums and ole collection: Wohl Pathology Museum, the History of Surgery Museum and the Dental Collection. The museums have samples and curiosities beginning from the 18th century all the way to the present day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYU0qzvZV1431zp-Vbg1x5uqwCnwDfAXVYnSxE0GsvlrXbquUImhfeq3c6yjs8SC4sSaMD86xsbwVlgOZxaU8loXkHVcN00yHIpRiWMfb0XlLhf8H-1DknempXRd2DXx5w5u6rCIlfucfg/s1600/Surgeons_Hall_Museums.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYU0qzvZV1431zp-Vbg1x5uqwCnwDfAXVYnSxE0GsvlrXbquUImhfeq3c6yjs8SC4sSaMD86xsbwVlgOZxaU8loXkHVcN00yHIpRiWMfb0XlLhf8H-1DknempXRd2DXx5w5u6rCIlfucfg/s320/Surgeons_Hall_Museums.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Alas, one could not take photos in the museum but I'll just say that the exhibition rooms were amazing. There were thousands of samples in glass jars and also several interactive pieces. In one of them you get to participate to one famous <b>postmortem</b>, in another you get to try how much precision surgeon needs in her/his job.<br />
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I would also like to add that the members of the staff were <b>very nice and helpful</b>. Especially that lovely lady who was working in the ticket shop at around 1 pm on Saint Patrick's Day; you made our visit more than perfect, thank you!<br />
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<h3>
Frankenstein Pub</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWbTQHpBgvRXcdGuZUaIks0ewGnlWdcgVFzI1SfMOR0difr7d-UCradDqGPepkRpDrxhK_tSddKLv-72WdQUrVLDJJoquf5B8Tymwi_v60u49rcude5wBovUx3eqaaM9GcEQrNXvj9VjS/s1600/Frankenstein-Pub-Entrance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWbTQHpBgvRXcdGuZUaIks0ewGnlWdcgVFzI1SfMOR0difr7d-UCradDqGPepkRpDrxhK_tSddKLv-72WdQUrVLDJJoquf5B8Tymwi_v60u49rcude5wBovUx3eqaaM9GcEQrNXvj9VjS/s320/Frankenstein-Pub-Entrance.jpg" width="179" /></a><br />
I adore Mary Shelley's novel <i>Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus</i> and also most of the movie adaptations of it. So of course I and my friend just had to go to the pub with Frankenstein theme!<br />
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This pub is goth, horrifically funny and quite kitschy. They had the movie version from 1931 playing on loop on all the televisions they had in the place and they had all sorts of cutely tacky decorations on the walls.<br />
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On the entrance they had this huge statue of the Creature. I tried to hold hands with him but he seemed a bit distracted the whole time.<br />
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If you check the <a href="https://twitter.com/frank_pub_edin"><span style="color: #38761d;">pub's Twitter</span></a>, you'll notice they have among other things Harry Potter themed quizzes.<br />
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<h4>
Other tips for goth tourists</h4>
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I also want to hint about three goth-y things in Edinburgh. We didn't have time for these this time, but especially the Ghost Bus Tour seemed very interesting. We sighted one bus on our way and it looked very charming. Alas, it was all dark so I didn't get a decent photo of it.<br />
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<h3>
Ghost Bus Tours</h3>
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<a href="http://www.theghostbustours.com/edinburgh/what-is-ghost-bus-tours-2/"><span style="color: #38761d;">The Ghost Bus Tours</span></a> are not just an Edinburgh thing; they also have tours in London and York. This is a horror comedy show on wheels. They promise to take the travelers to the most grim and famous sites of Edinburgh<br />
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<h3>
The Real Mary King's Close</h3>
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<a href="https://www.realmarykingsclose.com/plan-your-visit/the-experience/"><span style="color: #38761d;">The Real Mary King's Close</span></a> is a prize winning tourist attraction. The 'main ingredients' are 17th century streets that were sealed away for some reason and guides in character costumes. On the guided tours people get to see the 17th century life as if it was frozen in time. During that era, life could be rather brutal.<br />
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<h3>
The Edinburgh Dungeon</h3>
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According to my friend who has been there, the <a href="https://www.thedungeons.com/edinburgh/en/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Edinburgh Dungeon</span></a> is a gothier version of the Real Mary King's Close. History's macabre details made fun and gory entertainment.Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-35003481383962876822017-03-14T14:04:00.000+02:002017-03-14T14:04:24.643+02:00Goth Tourist in Glasgow and EdinburghSoon, I will hop on a plane and fly to Glasgow. A dear friend of mine lives there and I am going to visit her on my holiday. We plan to visit Edinburgh together and go see something goths will find interesting: <a href="https://museum.rcsed.ac.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Surgeons' Hall Museums</span></a>.<br />
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There are two museums and one collection:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://museum.rcsed.ac.uk/history-of-surgery-museum"><span style="color: #38761d;">the History of Surgery Museum</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://museum.rcsed.ac.uk/history-of-surgery-museum"><span style="color: #38761d;">the Dental Collection</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://museum.rcsed.ac.uk/wohl-pathology-museum"><span style="color: #38761d;">the Wohl Pathology Museum</span></a></li>
</ul>
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I am just <i>dying</i> to see them all. Lame pun intended.<br />
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Me and my friend are also planning to visit the <a href="http://www.glasgownecropolis.org/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Necropolis</span></a> in Glasgow. Sarah from <a href="http://northern-geordie-goth-indeapthof.blogspot.fi/2017/03/glasgow-necropolis.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">Tales From A Geordie Goth</span></a> visited it quite recently. Sarah was super nice and gave me some more tips on her post about places to see!</div>
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Stay tuned for my travel posts!</div>
Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-67721732475234018592017-02-25T10:32:00.000+02:002017-02-28T07:29:10.512+02:00Craft Along with GIY: a goth luggage tag with initialsFebruary is almost over, so it is time for this years second <a href="http://gothityourself.blogspot.fi/p/craft-along-with-giy.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Craft Along with GIY</span></a> (Goth It Yourself). This month's theme is <b>letters and numbers</b>, so I decided to make<b> a luggage tag</b> with my initials on it.<br />
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<a href="http://gothityourself.blogspot.fi/p/craft-along-with-giy.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Logo of Craft Along with GIY: Goth It Yourself" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0snAwmQVQRwSERNXOVCwu5fM-jZdUU7SjGxw8jRgW1I4G02ZT0WpWTd2jaaehqgeuBif_QGyXJ4xgTdH5WMoXZsTRePtEg_G5fKeNHWnP03CTtmtIhliWKVO-gX32qCHO3LjwzrsUGAx/s1600/craft+along+with+GIY.jpg" title="Craft Along with GIY" /></a></div>
Alas, I have been a bit ill during this month (I had a cold and a fewer for almost two weeks) so I did not have energy nor time to acquire materials for a really fancy luggage tag. So once again I used paper board and my imagination. I do realize my craft projects are of a rather small caliber compared to many others. >_><br />
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The good thing about paper board compared to leather or such more lasting materials is that paper board is lighter and hence one can make more decorations. Well, at least a person with limited crafting skills like I can make more elaborate decorations on it (compared to my skills with leather).<br />
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<h4>
What you need:</h4>
<ul>
<li>paper board</li>
<li>sticky back plastic to make the tag more durable</li>
<li>a string of some sort</li>
<li>scissors or some other object suitable for cutting</li>
<li>pens</li>
<li>a ruler (if you want to make straight lines)</li>
<li>glue</li>
<li>little cut-out pictures or stickers</li>
<li>or what ever it is you want to decorate the tag with.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmq1I1sAmdAyE_rt0QaCAfz53jFgeNKNlh1JJiGJSuTPvzIIWwPPZiaINOzANCYRs1ymi3GowWXIxaCp59Q4uM_KJks6Net3_evaP3oRTtl9GKnIMZxMNED5txQ61NVpiOd79MYV5PtuP/s1600/what-you-need.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmq1I1sAmdAyE_rt0QaCAfz53jFgeNKNlh1JJiGJSuTPvzIIWwPPZiaINOzANCYRs1ymi3GowWXIxaCp59Q4uM_KJks6Net3_evaP3oRTtl9GKnIMZxMNED5txQ61NVpiOd79MYV5PtuP/s400/what-you-need.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
There is <b>no correct or best way to do these steps</b>. Some prefer to make the decorations and write their contact details on the tag before actually cutting it. Some don't. Here is the way I do these steps:<br />
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First, cut or draw the outlines for a suitable tag. It <b>doesn't have to be the shape of a traditional tag</b>, it can be a circle or a raven or what ever you want. As long as it doesn't become excessively large or so impractical a shape that it will be easily torn.<br />
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Draw and/or glue the <b>decorations</b> on one side. The theme of this Craft Along with GIY was letters and numbers, so I made my initials on the decorative side. I searched for fancy and elaborate fonts and tried to mimic one of them. It was <b>much harder than I expected</b>! I guess I am just not good at drawing. After several attempts, I am relatively pleased with the outcome. I started by drawing outlines with a pencil and then finished it with a silver pen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaTzK0pPgO0oW2PNcBzwgDBl4I8Yv0jNsc5ByiFj1nFQ0rkWXz-s_Vj9-2gyi8h07ZsyjMAJ9jtr-Fi0lkoyHURK3OJJWp-qB2Rb8sGrULaJ3NKoY50MdFka2UT4H5-qsmW_mstltIQ_u/s1600/pen-and-pencil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaTzK0pPgO0oW2PNcBzwgDBl4I8Yv0jNsc5ByiFj1nFQ0rkWXz-s_Vj9-2gyi8h07ZsyjMAJ9jtr-Fi0lkoyHURK3OJJWp-qB2Rb8sGrULaJ3NKoY50MdFka2UT4H5-qsmW_mstltIQ_u/s400/pen-and-pencil.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Then glue or write your <b>contact info</b> on the other side. If you want, you can make tiny decorations on that side too. Just make sure that the side with the contact info is <b>easy to read</b>. After all, these tags are useful only in the situation in which you've lost your bag and some unknown person (probably an airport employee) possibly in a different country tries to read the tag. So no fancy goth-y fonts!<br />
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When the tag is looking nice, <b>cut a place for the string</b>. After all, you need to attach the tag on your luggage. I prefer to do this before adding the sticky back plastic, because this way I do not have to cut through multiple layers. This is mainly because I have no idea how strong my little punch machine is.<br />
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Almost finally: apply the sticky back plastic on the tag, both sides. You need to get as much air out as you can, so after applying it, <b>"scratch" it like a lottery ticket</b>. In the next photo you can see there is still some air right next to the edge of the paper board. Also, you'll notice I did this example tag without my actual contact info. It is quite on purpose, because it's a privacy thing. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmaO9ndtdQDwmHPqMJU7Nkpr2_vWGPffYLPOME7VEtcPtL0sB0XawgC0N-5xgjTK-Q9e4FYPDqbBfBnEtNIwyO-JsncapLIlPoccJo4ahi5_DLE5B1nlKNFEQ2xBTIM_kgt0jOz6j_xZB/s1600/air-seen-on-the-edge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmaO9ndtdQDwmHPqMJU7Nkpr2_vWGPffYLPOME7VEtcPtL0sB0XawgC0N-5xgjTK-Q9e4FYPDqbBfBnEtNIwyO-JsncapLIlPoccJo4ahi5_DLE5B1nlKNFEQ2xBTIM_kgt0jOz6j_xZB/s400/air-seen-on-the-edge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
When cutting the sticky back plastic into the shape of the tag, make sure you are <b>not cutting too close</b>. You need to leave a little <b>border</b> so that moisture cannot get in and ruin the contact info unreadable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYffnAuNXMSCJZBl1RiXgguKaXv0xXfIej73K1fvhiPWDBKTWMHI0SSY7dJXVTWLOm0JtcqF31WQ8uvrg7ZHH0CDv0guom31bRDjmkBxaRLuiZcL2uVjyq7NOKC2lDRBuZcxwfoWhAp1fo/s1600/cutting-the-luggage-tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYffnAuNXMSCJZBl1RiXgguKaXv0xXfIej73K1fvhiPWDBKTWMHI0SSY7dJXVTWLOm0JtcqF31WQ8uvrg7ZHH0CDv0guom31bRDjmkBxaRLuiZcL2uVjyq7NOKC2lDRBuZcxwfoWhAp1fo/s400/cutting-the-luggage-tag.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finally: add the string or what ever it is you use to attach the tag to your luggage. Make sure the string is <b>not too long</b>, otherwise it can easily get caught on something and the tag might be torn away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSe__9-ghUtqQ89wyuBG3Be14K2CJYPcL_2bJVzjeBrHXCOlOMYGg1E9WyEFdgtfs4pB13hdILLunc5EykpoRupMGUFw2K0pwoQrzsCmuQ0VDciVOABedirLjop5KwLt1a2qsuhHUxQpO/s1600/almost-ready.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSe__9-ghUtqQ89wyuBG3Be14K2CJYPcL_2bJVzjeBrHXCOlOMYGg1E9WyEFdgtfs4pB13hdILLunc5EykpoRupMGUFw2K0pwoQrzsCmuQ0VDciVOABedirLjop5KwLt1a2qsuhHUxQpO/s400/almost-ready.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Now it is ready to use! Make a firm double knot and a decorative bow if you like.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQee5ymP_7Ajk8Xp8a0a2Ef2p9NnwTzYHe1fT3Fa8_z6f9LMJZORo1vP5jBrOYbt1cNQfCclfHpY6u3Sult7poCU3aIXnmYtwP2_3VyjKqcrC_bC1cT3nj7B5sm8e9fvrBpxjTw_kJ8He/s1600/luggage-tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQee5ymP_7Ajk8Xp8a0a2Ef2p9NnwTzYHe1fT3Fa8_z6f9LMJZORo1vP5jBrOYbt1cNQfCclfHpY6u3Sult7poCU3aIXnmYtwP2_3VyjKqcrC_bC1cT3nj7B5sm8e9fvrBpxjTw_kJ8He/s400/luggage-tag.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The <b>problem</b> with my easy to make luggage tags is that once you've written your contact info (usually name, address & phone) and then shielded the tag with sticky back plastic, you <b>cannot alter the contact info</b>. On the other hand, these are relatively inexpensive, So just making a new one is not a big deal, if you move or your phone number changes.<br />
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Thanks for reading and do <b>check out</b> what <a href="http://gothityourself.blogspot.fi/2017/02/craft-along-with-giy-letters-and-numbers_27.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Bane from GIY</span></a> and other participants crafted!Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-44803815446453715032017-02-22T16:49:00.000+02:002017-02-22T16:49:13.864+02:00Goth tourist in Finland: Body Worlds – Animal Inside OutHere is a tip for all darkly inclined tourists (and also residents!) in Finland: <a href="https://www.heureka.fi/exhibition/elainten-body-worlds/?lang=en" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">The Body Worlds – Animal Inside Out</span></a> is displayed in the<b> Finnish Science Center Heureka</b> until 29th of October 2017.<br />
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This exhibition is about the <b>anatomy of animal</b>s and features plastinated animal bodies. They are extremely fascinating! <i>Though, for more sensitive people they might be a bit too much</i>.<br />
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Before anyone gets enraged I must point out that no animal has died in order to be a part of this exhibition. The animals are donations from zoos and other places like that and the animals have died of natural causes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2deL2Bf9eZZinUVLHVHcRjUS2S0cdegqQlhD7fzqDpGUN42GHGeRX1VAColoG-CmO_Iyz5JUolzJPC736w4l1NKv3BY170wTruxCSq8K16getj-cQ02tEFh8wnvOwftDNJP3xJi-h5ke/s1600/theGreatWhiteShark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2deL2Bf9eZZinUVLHVHcRjUS2S0cdegqQlhD7fzqDpGUN42GHGeRX1VAColoG-CmO_Iyz5JUolzJPC736w4l1NKv3BY170wTruxCSq8K16getj-cQ02tEFh8wnvOwftDNJP3xJi-h5ke/s320/theGreatWhiteShark.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I was most impressed by the <b>entire body of a great white shark</b>. It stood out because it was almost artistically positioned. All other specimens were featured by themselves, and often in static poses. The shark on the other hand was frozen in the middle of a hunt. It had just caught a seal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtZpwwdYuMAkqZYgdjESUxxr_BbalutW-zB431xwSUcr5BHMDZjOBeRImc6zIRGeKRezuZQR3-qtsQM6HCzQjZ5h3zH_BPEVw1sfArjznmu3tMbTgxoLmw9QyoMaWe2OtQLPn_tS_sbzd/s1600/20170210_150614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtZpwwdYuMAkqZYgdjESUxxr_BbalutW-zB431xwSUcr5BHMDZjOBeRImc6zIRGeKRezuZQR3-qtsQM6HCzQjZ5h3zH_BPEVw1sfArjznmu3tMbTgxoLmw9QyoMaWe2OtQLPn_tS_sbzd/s320/20170210_150614.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I learned from a guide that actually this shark was not meant to be part of the exhibition. It is a replacement for another plastinated shark because this original shark was damaged in transportation. The original was the plastination of blood veins and blood filled organs, and would've looked a bit like this little pig. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbG9b4CCeBDaUR-lufOWVJzZ6P6eaEcgTvthmX-yTkGGUB6bM8KB86AMtaf3bWMwc3iiasG_jkDrQhtWj45UUxBmOqf2376SQdkKPWQQK8-BrRxEl7L9Nxd9lPfGExJR17BQ97V5_5MabW/s1600/little+pig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbG9b4CCeBDaUR-lufOWVJzZ6P6eaEcgTvthmX-yTkGGUB6bM8KB86AMtaf3bWMwc3iiasG_jkDrQhtWj45UUxBmOqf2376SQdkKPWQQK8-BrRxEl7L9Nxd9lPfGExJR17BQ97V5_5MabW/s320/little+pig.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The only thing I must criticize is that in the Body Worlds – Animal Inside Out exhibition the info signs next to the specimens were a bit repetitive. The same sentences featured in numerous signs which was rather annoying.<br />
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Plastination is a<b> process of preservation</b> in which all fat and liquids of a body are replaced with liquid plastic. The plastic gets solid after a while and then the specimen is ready. This preservation method was invented by a German medical expert and anatomist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunther_von_Hagens" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">Gunther von Hagens</span></a>. It aids us to <b>study organs</b> and for example, blood circulation, in a totally new way. In the following photo plastination helps us to examine the intestines of a goat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygpJsMPlFt_CCOwMhOK6NLmoCPQTe6HGRW2ad7eZU4dRzl-X9JbcICeqTDLJN9V6auZgYcNvHuU-GqT-TOw13jzp8i33dF6bDA7hJNEB2a5AufzaaxOVNc7LUw0qHAh4rl8hSy_-2txhi/s1600/Goat.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygpJsMPlFt_CCOwMhOK6NLmoCPQTe6HGRW2ad7eZU4dRzl-X9JbcICeqTDLJN9V6auZgYcNvHuU-GqT-TOw13jzp8i33dF6bDA7hJNEB2a5AufzaaxOVNc7LUw0qHAh4rl8hSy_-2txhi/s320/Goat.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
In Heureka they have <a href="https://www.heureka.fi/exhibitions/?lang=en" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">four other exhibitions</span></a> too, not just those animals. They also have a planetarium movie theater with three science films and also <a href="https://www.heureka.fi/event/basketball-rats/?lang=en" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">rats that play basket ball</span></a>. In a planetarium the film screen is a half of a huge ball, so watching a film in there is very impressive and immersive.<br />
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Their tickets might feel a bit pricey first (22 € for an adult) but when you consider how much you get with it, it is quite reasonable after all.Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-78631063639599651142017-02-09T21:34:00.001+02:002017-02-09T21:34:55.342+02:00Creepy Reads Review: Matilda by Mary ShelleyThis years first Creepy Reads Review is of a very creepy novel indeed: <i>Matilda</i> (1959) by Mary Shelley, the writer of <i>Frankenstein: or the Modern Prometheus </i>(1818).<br />
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The narrator is Matilda, a young woman who has secluded herself from others and is <b>about to die</b>. As a sort of <b>a final confession</b> she wants to write what caused her to retreat from human company and why her life has been miserable. She wants to write about her abominable <b>family tragedy</b>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ARothwellMaryShelley.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Richard Rothwell [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="A portrait of Mary Shelley by Rothwell" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/RothwellMaryShelley.jpg/256px-RothwellMaryShelley.jpg" title="A portrait of Mary Shelley by Rothwell" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A portrait of Shelley by Rothwell (1840) <span style="color: red;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RothwellMaryShelley.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Source</span></a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
A whiff of scandal</h4>
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The situation of the narrator, which is revealed to the reader on the first pages, makes an interesting position for the reader. The reader is in <b>constant anticipation</b>, because she knows that something really awful is going to happen. And the cover text of <b>the back cover copy actually gives away, what is that great tragedy</b>. It's because Mary Shelley's father prevented the publishing of <i>Matilda </i>and it wasn't published until about a <b>hundred years</b> after Mary Shelley had died.<br />
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Mary Shelley's father's reaction made people suspect that there were <b>some similarities</b> between the story of <i>Matilda</i> and the life of Mary Shelley. So, the big secret in the novel became the actual selling point of the novel.<br />
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<h4>
General review (no spoilers!)</h4>
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Me and a friend of mine started our own little book club so these thoughts are from both of us. <i>Matilda</i> was the first novel we read and discussed about.<br />
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I very much liked the fact that the character of Matilda is<b> not your typical damsel in distress</b> but she thinks, feels, and acts more like a typical male main character in Gothic novels. Of course, we have to remember that the typical male hero of a Gothic tale is not the male hero of today.<br />
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In Gothic tales the male hero shows (almost exaggerates) his feelings and torments, and can be rather dramatic and sometimes superstitious. Often in Gothic stories the female characters like Matilda (a young virgin) are there to make the male antihero (aka. Byronic hero) to redeem himself. That doesn't happen in <i>Matilda. </i><br />
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Some people have <b>criticized</b> this short novel because they think that the characters and their actions are not believable and that the novel is not quite finished: they considered that the style was not perfect all the time and that there was a lot of repetition. <b>I and my friend contradict</b> both these interpretations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7-yp6_mrK9KMfgl9KbswM7Au1VLSsFRE2e24xYhYYoGo1UcfnN7eQI7ZNbA1w9Pa-gWMyuuoxxtJe1nSvo73xAT3C1LcW6Vs_awmOqjUYt5WBurfkCnxNNy5Li3Kfmdg8E3nculARzXC/s1600/DSC_0214+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7-yp6_mrK9KMfgl9KbswM7Au1VLSsFRE2e24xYhYYoGo1UcfnN7eQI7ZNbA1w9Pa-gWMyuuoxxtJe1nSvo73xAT3C1LcW6Vs_awmOqjUYt5WBurfkCnxNNy5Li3Kfmdg8E3nculARzXC/s400/DSC_0214+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
In the view of modern psychology and research on people who have encountered situations similar to the ones in the novel, the characters are very <b>believable</b>. Their feelings, thoughts, and actions are almost textbook. Their way of talking and their deeds are also totally according to the traditions of Gothic novel.<br />
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In some reviews people point out that there is a lot of <b>repetition</b> in the novel and draw a conclusion that it means that Shelley did<b> not have time to finish it</b> properly. Again we disagree. The novel is a letter written by a traumatized young woman as her final confession. Of course there is repetition, that is how you <b>try to get over a trauma</b> when you get no professional help.<br />
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Also, the novel is <b>mimicking a letter</b> so of course its style is not as polished as in a novel that is not "pretending" to be a letter. Since it is a letter, there will be some mistakes and repetition by the writer (Matilda), not by the author (Shelley).<br />
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I thought that <i>Matilda</i> is a bit like <i>Romeo and Juliet</i>: everyone knows the plot but they still want to see it at the theater. So, before talking about my personal reading experience (<span style="color: red;">with a spoiler!</span>) I am saying that <i>Matilda </i>is a classic, it is <b>gorgeously written</b>, the language is beautiful and the story is flowing. It can be read for <b>free online</b> via <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15238" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Project Gutenberg</span></a>.<br />
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<h4>
My personal reaction</h4>
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I read the back cover before starting to read the novel, so I knew what sort of a train wreak the characters would face.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Spoiler alert:</span></b> the father feels an unnatural and incestuous love towards his daughter Matilda. He can't stand the situation and will eventually kill himself. After that Matilda secludes herself from the society and will face some more turmoil in her life, but of that I won't be spoiling! ;)<br />
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For me, <b>the reading experience was super creepy</b>. It's a bit like going to see the <i>Jaws</i> movie with the killer shark in it. As a viewer you know there will be a big shark that kills. Basically, the whole movie you are just waiting for the shark and it is thought to be entertainment.<br />
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It was quite disturbing to realize that I was sort of <b>enjoying</b> while reading about <b>the agony and sorrow </b>of the characters.<br />
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Especially the first 40 pages of the novel were causing some serious twistedness. The narrator Matilda tells how she as a young girl is worried why her father is suddenly behaving strangely and seems very distressed. The reader (in this case I) <b>knows something that the character of young Matilda doesn't</b>. So, when the young Matilda decides that she must find out her father's secret, I instantly had a movie sound effect in my head going "DUN DUN DUUUUN!!!" In a very twisted way it was hilarious.<br />
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I do not know how many of you wanted to read the spoiling part but whether you did or not, I hope this review got you interested of Shelley's novel <i>Matilda</i>!Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-49295551106329461562017-01-30T17:54:00.000+02:002017-01-30T18:06:10.964+02:00Craft Along with GIY: Pets and bookmarksLovely Bane from <a href="https://gothityourself.blogspot.fi/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #674ea7;">GIY: Goth It Yourself</span></a> got a great idea to host a monthly <a href="http://gothityourself.blogspot.fi/p/craft-along-with-giy.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Craft Along</span></a> on her blog. At the end of each month she'll post her craft project and people participating will post about theirs. Each month has a theme and January's theme was <b>Pets</b>.<br />
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<a href="http://gothityourself.blogspot.fi/p/craft-along-with-giy.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Logo of Craft Along with GIY: Goth It Yourself" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0snAwmQVQRwSERNXOVCwu5fM-jZdUU7SjGxw8jRgW1I4G02ZT0WpWTd2jaaehqgeuBif_QGyXJ4xgTdH5WMoXZsTRePtEg_G5fKeNHWnP03CTtmtIhliWKVO-gX32qCHO3LjwzrsUGAx/s1600/craft+along+with+GIY.jpg" title="Craft Along with GIY" /></a></div>
I have no pets, so I decided to make pet themed bookmarks. These aren't particularly "goth", but if you want to make these, it is <b>easy to goth up</b>! :) Just choose more goth-y pictures instead of little dogs and kittens.<br />
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<b>What you need: </b><br />
<ul>
<li>some paperboard or another stiff paper </li>
<li>a book you are willing to sheard to pieces</li>
<li>pretty pictures of pets (or what ever it is that you like)</li>
<li>glue</li>
<li>scissors</li>
<li>a pen & a ruler (or some fancy papercutter)</li>
<li><i>optional: sticky back plastic to make the bookmark last longer.</i></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://gothityourself.blogspot.fi/p/craft-along-with-giy.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNr-_RIa0oX-4AuoG27U3e1WBQmyl92IY95pADy2AvPhuBccvCVjgoTJvSkuMtcuWq2DEVpYgyuTLxwjmiyIm92_w6N0iOp3mSc6ZNaTJNOVvsCrT8SnFQw0pEOeWOnYxw8u38H1XJe7ou/s400/20170128_160826.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>How to do it: </b><br />
<br />
These are very simple to make. Just cut a piece of paperboard, then cut a smaller piece of a book page. Glue those two together. Then glue a picture or two on top of the two layers.<br />
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<b>Tip:</b> try different compositions before attacking them with a glue stick! :)<br />
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If you want the bookmark to last longer, you can shield it with sticky back plastic. I preferred not to, because without any plastic they are easier to recycle.<br />
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I used some vintage pictures, I do not know what they are in English but in Finnish they are called "kiiltokuva" and in Germany "Glanzbild". They were usually made on a slightly shiny paper, and in the old times people (mostly young girls) collected them like some people collect stamps.<br />
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These are quick to make and they do not cost a fortune. As you can see from the one on the left, with the same instructions you can make postcards too.<br />
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<b>Thanks for reading and do check out <a href="http://gothityourself.blogspot.fi/2017/01/craft-along-with-giy-pets.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #674ea7;">what Bane made and what other participants crafted</span></a>!</b>Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-47860531445456728762017-01-26T20:28:00.001+02:002017-01-26T20:28:28.239+02:00Gothic home decor: towels and a hot water bottleI am currently making two DIY posts and one Creepy Reads Review, but I haven't finished any of them yet (not the doing-myself-part nor reading the novel).<br />
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I want to prevent a long hiatus on this blog so I'd like to feature some textiles I bought some time ago.<br />
<br />
On a trip to Tallinn, Estonia, I bought these lovely kitchen towels. They are hand printed. They belong to the Kitchen Zoo collection by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AnuKaelussooDesign" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Anu Kaelussoo Design</span></a>.<br />
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I got those from one of the small designer shops near the old town of Tallinn. It is a lovely city to visit and there is a lot to see!<br />
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I've also bought towels for humans, not just for dishes. These are made by <a href="http://www.jokipiinpellava.fi/home" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Jokipiin pellava</span></a>, a Finnish company that produces quality linens with the smallest possible ecological footprint they can achieve. In the first photo is actually a kitchen towel but I use it as a hand towel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfNNkOrTm0KnTgGdTE-BYDijbnWQA_mJdDQpTaePG_L6gPSIDgjMd3P1GSJPOy-Jp_-X0_NkHJLlyU9X8yajn2rGS5x8rfkTclGQ2CBKG358_V4PnsYt9x7-Vv3NTtufKPEH2yi6QlEmu/s1600/20160907_165940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfNNkOrTm0KnTgGdTE-BYDijbnWQA_mJdDQpTaePG_L6gPSIDgjMd3P1GSJPOy-Jp_-X0_NkHJLlyU9X8yajn2rGS5x8rfkTclGQ2CBKG358_V4PnsYt9x7-Vv3NTtufKPEH2yi6QlEmu/s320/20160907_165940.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
I really love that decorative pattern. I bought the completely black version, and it is so dark that you can only see the pattern when the light shines from a certain angle.<br />
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These next ones are larger towels (90 x 150 cm or 35 x 59 inches) and I really am pleased with them. They absorb moisture very efficiently and they are tiny when packed. Those qualities are very handy when one goes to the gym.<br />
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I myself hate dragging a huge bag, so it is very important for me that my towel doesn't take much room in my gym bag. This roll is about 15 centimeters (7 inches) long. And that pinstripe pattern is goth-y in a subtle way.<br />
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That band around it is elastic and is stitched on the towel, so you can never loose it.<br />
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Last but not lest, something I got today: a hot water bottle from <a href="http://dayshop.fi/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Day Shop</span></a>, a cute boutique on the Boulevard in Helsinki.<br />
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I adore that cute little skull. Hopefully that fella will keep my feet warm during the remaining winter months.<br /><br />That's all for now, I hope you liked this little peek into my linen closet!Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-36826621029341006792017-01-06T13:51:00.002+02:002017-01-06T13:51:42.316+02:00Behind the scenesWith this tiny post I'd like to advertise that I made three new pages to my blog. <a href="https://daughter-of-jaded-era.blogspot.fi/p/about-the.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">In one of them</span></a> I share some endearing (or just sad) details of my childhood. Do check those pages out and if you want to comment them, write a reply on this post! :)Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-51557814501653021412016-12-27T13:52:00.001+02:002016-12-29T07:03:01.324+02:00A Finnish New Year's Eve TraditionIn the end of last year, I entertained you with a post about a rather grim tradition that the Nordic countries used to have close to Christmas time: <a href="https://daughter-of-jaded-era.blogspot.fi/2015/12/a-scary-christmas-legend-nuuttipukki.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Nuuttipukki</span></a>. Now I am going to write about a tradition that is still alive and kicking, and is performed on the New Year's Eve.<br />
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The tradition is called a New Year's Tin and it is a way to try to predict the future. Finns have been doing this since the 18th century at least, but this form of fortunetelling was already known in the Ancient Rome. Nowadays it is harmless fun that people in the Nordic countries do. This custom is also known in Germany and in Austria.<br />
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<h4>
What you need</h4>
<ul>
<li>Tins shaped like a tiny horse shoe (it's actually a concoction of tin and lead to get a lower melting point, and the horse shoe signifies good luck). The diameter of a horse shoe is about 4 cm (1,6 inches) long.</li>
<li>A scoop designed for this thing</li>
<li>A stove or a fireplace</li>
<li>A bucket filled with cool water</li>
<li>A candle or a flashlight (optional, any good source of light will do)</li>
</ul>
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Notice: Some induction stoves do not recognise such a small scoop and for that reason I am going to demonstrate this tradition with a fireplace. Remember always to be extra careful when you are close to an open fire!<br />
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<h4>
How to do it</h4>
<br />
Put the tin into a small scoop. Then put the scoop on a hot stove or to the hot fireplace until the tin is melted.<br />
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Then, you flip the melted tin into the water bucket. The water level needs to be deep enough so that the tin has time to freeze into a shape before it hits the bottom of the bucket! Otherwise you all get a pancake shaped future.<br />
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Every participant has her/his own tin. The one whose future is about to be told must be the one who flips the melted tin into the water.<br />
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Pick the tin from the water and now you are ready to find out what the coming year will bring to you!<br />
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You examine both the tin and the shadow it casts. This is what you might need the candle or a flashlight for: you hold your tin close to a wall and point a flashlight to it. Then you can examine the shadow more easily.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDc9nvCQxIu2IFHZL2YapeydY0DknDtuGNPTjSNBg2Z2mUNk23UXH1ydxe18P2NJp5JbTH8CaibCKFgkNgo0G1SacYz4agGcqvhhdUXLEo3H0DIxAPMNVYWGu6TCdLrlC0VzcxX3MErUxS/s1600/20161226_165131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDc9nvCQxIu2IFHZL2YapeydY0DknDtuGNPTjSNBg2Z2mUNk23UXH1ydxe18P2NJp5JbTH8CaibCKFgkNgo0G1SacYz4agGcqvhhdUXLEo3H0DIxAPMNVYWGu6TCdLrlC0VzcxX3MErUxS/s400/20161226_165131.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's not my hand, btw. It's my lovely assistant (read: a close relative).<br />
We photographed these when I was visiting my family on Christmas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This is a bit like trying to understand one's dreams: things symbolise different stuff for different people. Still, here are some traditional interpretations:<br />
<ul>
<li>A ship or a plane means a travel.</li>
<li>A bird is a sign of good luck.</li>
<li>A crown or a key means success in your work.</li>
<li>A ring will mean a wedding (not yours, necessarily).</li>
<li>If the tin broke down into several small pieces, you'll be having a troublesome year.</li>
<li>If there are blackened parts on the tin, it means bad luck and/or sorrows.</li>
<li>If there is a lot of "scruffiness" in it, it means you'll get a lot of money.</li>
</ul>
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The "scruffiness" is that not so shiny part on the upper part of the tin. I do not know what to call it. :) As you can see from the previous photo, this tin's shadow looks a bit like a wolf. I have no idea how to interpret that. But that doesn't really matter, because this tin was not made on a New Year's Eve, so it's not valid for predicting the future.<br />
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<b><i>Happy New Year, everyone!</i></b></div>
Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-29466461810234327992016-12-24T13:38:00.000+02:002016-12-24T13:38:19.548+02:00Happy holidays!<div style="text-align: center;">
We are having a lovely and warm family Christmas this year.</div>
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Christmas decorations that reminded me of the Alien movies.</div>
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An Advent Calendar is a very imprortant part of the Nordic Christmas traditions.</div>
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More rather modern decorations. </div>
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Some fluffy decorations. In the middle is a sort of a Santa's elf and those other two are reindeer.</div>
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Finally: a genuine Christmas tree.</div>
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<b><i>Happy Yule & Merry Christmas!</i></b></div>
Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-14417148374795075402016-12-07T13:01:00.000+02:002016-12-07T13:01:11.263+02:00Creepy Reads Review: Flavia de Luce Murder Mystery NovelsIn the last Creepy Reads Review of this year I would like to feature murder mystery novels by <a href="http://alanbradleyauthor.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">Alan Bradley</span></a>. Just like Agatha Christie had her Poirot novels, Bradley has Flavia de Luce novels.<br />
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As usual, I am not going into the details of the plot nor am I going to reveal who the murderer is. ;)<br />
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<h3>
The intended audience of the novels </h3>
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The main character Flavia de Luce is 11 years old and she loves <b>chemistry, poisons, and solving murders</b>. She lives with her eccentric father and two older sisters in the (almost ruins of a) mansion in the countryside of England, in the 1950's. This produces an intriguing mix for various audiences:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>retro fans</li>
<li>Agatha Christie fans</li>
<li>other murder mystery fans too</li>
<li>people interested in historical depictions of the years just after the Second World War</li>
<li>the age of the reader can be anything from about 8 years to 100 years because the main character is a precocious girl with a witty sense of humor</li>
<li>last but not least: <b>gothically inclined readers</b>, because the main character Flavia and her family has some similarity with the Addams family and the Munsters. They are not vampires or anything, but their family relations and Flavia's interest to chemistry and <i>poisons </i>and <i>murder </i>do bring some very goth-y undertones to these novels</li>
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<h3>
Witty and funny narrator</h3>
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The language of these novels is very enjoyable. The narration of Flavia is smooth, her jokes are <b>funny</b>, and sometimes she has a very cynical and <b>mature way of reflecting the world</b>. Sometimes it's so mature that some readers might think her as an implausible character. One might doubt an 11 years old girl could make such analytical notions of the people around her.<br />
<br />
But, she does come from a different world than we, the readers. She has lived and is still living some very hard times, just after the Second World War. It is also noted that she is not your average child but has <b>a passion for science</b> and a very analytical mind.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarXr6zCup7vJD3HfjsVObvYm-wxKGimvaytegzS9nn3XdaLF112HhK9Ck3GrNw9TD3BmsrKoDrX6sFgMMbldSHxw8CDdDY1QhSfQDJphZJ_PDi_rU2Es1R_IJtlPJW73xBELQADcoms3M/s1600/the-Sweetness-at-the-Bottom-of-the-Pie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarXr6zCup7vJD3HfjsVObvYm-wxKGimvaytegzS9nn3XdaLF112HhK9Ck3GrNw9TD3BmsrKoDrX6sFgMMbldSHxw8CDdDY1QhSfQDJphZJ_PDi_rU2Es1R_IJtlPJW73xBELQADcoms3M/s320/the-Sweetness-at-the-Bottom-of-the-Pie.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first Flavia de Luce novel.</td></tr>
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<h3>
Not really a series</h3>
<br />
Each of the Flavia de Luce novels can be read as an individual, even though they do form a not so tight continuum. I actually do not recommend you to read them one straight after another, because of that. Since each is an individual, they have some repetition: in each novel the narrator must explain her family situation (and some other things too) again and again. It can be rather boring. But, if you read these books with enough time between them (at least a couple of months), they are <b>very entertaining</b>.<br />
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<h3>
Final conclusions</h3>
<br />
I <b>enjoyed reading</b> the Flavia de Luce novels very much. Though maybe the first two (<i>The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie</i> & <i>The Weed that strings the Hangman's Bag</i>) were a tad better than the rest of them. Partly because in the later novels the family relations of Flavia get more space. I do not find her family relations interesting mainly because of one reason.<br />
<br />
Flavia's sisters are quite <b>horrible to her</b> and hence she as the narrator doesn't depict the sisters (nor other members of the family) in an emphatic way. Thus the reader gets <b>a rather resentful picture of them</b>. For me this resentment results in the way that I do not care for the characters, and I am not interested of what happens to them. So, I find those parts that depict Flavia's family and their problems <b>a bit dull</b>.<br />
<br />
Luckily there are other characters, not just sisters and aunts and fathers. The character of the local inspector Hewitt is very interesting and has <b>multiple layers</b>. The dialogues between him and Flavia are superb.<br />
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A list of the Flavia de Luce novels can be found via <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/46160-flavia-de-luce" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;">Goodreads</span></a>, for example.Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-1343914067366688382016-11-28T22:19:00.000+02:002016-11-28T22:33:01.006+02:00Personal update and a review of Demeter's perfumes<h3>
The "How are you?" -part </h3>
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This Autumn was awfully busy for me. I had 4 posts planned but did not have time or energy to actually write them. Is it just me, or do people in general have very hectic lives in October and in November? I feel like every year my Autumn is so busy I do not really have time to enjoy it.<br />
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Partly the reason for the recent silence in this blog is that about every Autumn I get an awful flu and one or more sinus infections. It's hard to try to write witty posts if your head is full of snot. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Autumn leaves just before the first snow.</td></tr>
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I had <b>a birthday</b> a week ago but did not have time to plan a party to celebrate it. I have this feeling that for the past 7 years I've been so busy in November that I haven't really had time to celebrate my birthday properly. Year 2014 being an exception, because that year I managed to have <a href="http://daughter-of-jaded-era.blogspot.fi/2014/11/100th-post-diy-ideas-for-werewolf-party.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">the werewolf themed party</span></a>.<br />
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Even though I have not written this blog for a while, I did manage to participate into a couple of projects that involved writing. I wrote<b> a scientific article</b> about a French short story <i>L'insecte </i>by Claire Castillon<i>. </i>It was published in a web magazine <i>Metalepsis </i>by the Literature students from University of Tampere. The magazine is in Finnish. I also started to write more fiction myself and I noticed I enjoy it very much.<br />
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<h3>
Demeter Fragrance Review</h3>
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A couple of months ago I ordered some perfumes and colognes from the <a href="http://demeterfragrance.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Demeter</span></a> Fragrance Library. I was intrigued by their product called <b>The Funeral Home</b> and the scent series inspired by Elvira. Of the Elviras I decided to order <b>Zombie</b>. They also had Vampire but the description suggested it would be much sweeter than the Zombie, and I do not like to wear very sweet scents myself.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECCG6hvThKKmWefwGkg3A21ZWt7EBebIkB2Jd-2jXrxJmX2PLXrFBBc0DRCDzdjZOjWODt6tKeW3RHFiV019Xr968V76pUSoJAclJ-AObHOBleTM8Cm0Hzi15cZFUA0_b0_w5DsGm0wki/s1600/20160805_081933%257E3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECCG6hvThKKmWefwGkg3A21ZWt7EBebIkB2Jd-2jXrxJmX2PLXrFBBc0DRCDzdjZOjWODt6tKeW3RHFiV019Xr968V76pUSoJAclJ-AObHOBleTM8Cm0Hzi15cZFUA0_b0_w5DsGm0wki/s320/20160805_081933%257E3.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo of me without any real reason. </td></tr>
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Demeter has a vast scent library and the idea is that the user will make <b>their own cocktail</b> of two or more scents. The scents are layered on the skin and thus one can create a unique personal cologne/perfume. Unlike most of the products, the Elvira perfumes are ready-made and they include several ingredients.<br />
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I did not order just two products. I also got several ingredients from the scent library. They were: mahogany, licorice, snow, thunderstorm, sunshine and riding crop. I also got another ready-made cologne that was inspired by New Zealand.<br />
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Testing perfumes and l'eau de toilettes is tricky because<br />
a) a scent will smell a bit different on different people and<br />
b) one gets used to the smell of perfume on their skin and will not necessarily notice it after a couple of hours. Hence it is not easy to actually know, what the final scent will be.<br />
<br />
For me another problem was that I've had <b>a common cold</b> for almost two months now, and that effects the way I can smell things.<br />
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<b><u>My first impressions of the Elvira's Zombie</u></b><br />
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It smells nice but not as earthy as I thought it would be. I imagined a zombie fragrance to be a bit more edgy. It is sweeter than I imagined but not too sweet for me. It has lovely, slightly spicy undertones and I use it <b>on casual events and at work</b>.<br />
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<b><u>My first impression of the Funeral Home</u></b><br />
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It smells exactly like the name suggests: white flowers like lilies and a hint of mahogany and oriental carpet. In that sense, it is <b>a great product</b>. Unfortunately it is a tad too floral for me on its own so I have to try to mix some heavier undertones to it. It already has some mahogany in it, so I just add some more when I use it.<br />
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<b><u>Final conclusions</u></b><br />
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In general, the scents are lovely and/or<b> intriguing</b> and none of them were a disappointment to me. I feel that the scents do not change radically nor disappear after an hour, which is great.<br />
<br />
What I really like is that when one sprays the perfume, it gives just a small doze. This way it is easier to use the correct amount. It's awful when people have huge clouds of smell surrounding them. You are not supposed to smell another persons perfume from the distance of 2 meters!<br />
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All in all, I can happily recommend the products of Demeter Fragrance Library. </div>
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Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-31155023057481402922016-10-05T13:30:00.000+03:002016-10-06T11:52:45.014+03:00Gothic Art in Spotlight: Monsters of Niki de Saint PhalleIn the end of August I went to see <a href="http://taidehalli.fi/en/nayttelyt/niki-de-saint-phalle" target="_blank"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">the exhibition</span></a> of Niki de Saint Phalle (1930 - 2002), that had just been opened in the art exhibition space called Taidehalli. It took me this long to write about it because September was a tremendously busy month for me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQSQ1BMdYJdKmLCzQfBSS3MsiaaxJmFnZraRsSoOautMP2X-qlDLJAZ3ugzevyqeX0pgf63dUeKDwYBJhIIHmAqklVLStrlgPhILhW5Qv7gqWgcNxRskeBRkIaRMwMA2tlc4QPV7tHlV4/s1600/20160828_115243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQSQ1BMdYJdKmLCzQfBSS3MsiaaxJmFnZraRsSoOautMP2X-qlDLJAZ3ugzevyqeX0pgf63dUeKDwYBJhIIHmAqklVLStrlgPhILhW5Qv7gqWgcNxRskeBRkIaRMwMA2tlc4QPV7tHlV4/s400/20160828_115243.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A detail of a work by Niki de Saint Phalle</td></tr>
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If you google Niki de Saint Phalle, the first images you'll get are photos of big, colorful, energetic and positive sculptures of female figures. And that was my narrow perception of her works before I went to the exhibition in August. In there I learned that a Monster is a reoccurring theme in Saint Phalle's works and many of her sculptures are dealing with negative experiences and trauma. Seeing this exhibition made me want to read Saint Phalle's autobiography.<br />
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Saint Phalle was a controversial and a brave woman, who had the courage to question narrow structures of the society and of the ways of making art. Instead of becoming an obedient housewife in the 50's, she started to create art and in the 60's she invented the "Shooting Paintings". They were large 3D structures with bags of paint inside them. Then the artist Saint Phalle and often the person who commissioned the work would shoot at the painting with a gun and thus break the bags of paint, which would create colorful areas on the painting. They would stop shooting when the work looked ready for them.<br />
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Even though Saint Phalle's working techniques are intriguing, the works produced by shooting were not the ones that interested me the most. For me some collages of found objects and paint and other materials were the ones that somehow reeked of grim and sinister aesthetics. One of them was a work with various names: <i>Tyrannosaurus Rex/The Monster/Tir Dragon (Study for King Kong)</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9AnsmAiAWyo1mYm50VXqMXrvcz23U10fHX78tItACfG3ZwOiJZlYgKntN-lqrFtnRLa46UxZ6sVm1s0Kms1sc9ilCkdrmQoUsfrZl-ecaYsoozEn2wm0JLwHRY3mxMXxC6VDY-pU8IzT/s1600/20160828_115318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9AnsmAiAWyo1mYm50VXqMXrvcz23U10fHX78tItACfG3ZwOiJZlYgKntN-lqrFtnRLa46UxZ6sVm1s0Kms1sc9ilCkdrmQoUsfrZl-ecaYsoozEn2wm0JLwHRY3mxMXxC6VDY-pU8IzT/s400/20160828_115318.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
Saint Phalle has a distinguishable naïve style and this huge lizard is in a way quite cute. The details make it more sinister. The creature is constructed of crocodile figures, skulls, toy guns, and dismantled baby dolls. Unfortunately the close-up is blurred, the exhibition was very crowded and it was not easy to take photos. I hope you can still see there are crocodiles, a skull, and some toy guns.<br />
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As mentioned, monsters are a reoccurring figure in Saint Phalle's works and many of them deal with a childhood trauma. Saint Phalle has revealed that her father sexually abused her when she was 11 years old.<br />
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Occasionally Saint Phalle also depicted herself as a sort of a monster in her art, but that was about her own life choices and how they affected her family. After all, she pursued a career that in the 50's and the 60's was not for women and during that time period some people (many people!) thought she was a bad wife and a bad mother.<br />
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The work I liked the most in the art exhibition was named <i>Le Château de Gilles de Rais</i> (<i>The Castle of Gilles de Rais</i>). <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilles_de_Rais" target="_blank"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Gilles de Rais</span></a> was a French nobleman from the 15th century. He fought in wars and was honored as a brave and righteous man. He retired from his duties as a young man and almost twenty years later he was sentenced to death as the first serial killer. According to the history books, after his heroic career he had abused and killed at least 200 children.<br />
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Saint Phalle herself is a distant relative of Gilles de Rais through her fathers side of the family. She was fascinated by how a man who was almost a saint could also be or become a satanic creature who enjoyed the suffering of children. The photo in the beginning of this post is a detail of this Castle. If you look closely to it, it features molested baby dolls and lizard-like creatures. The sculpture is much more grim if one knows the story of Gilles de Rais.<br />
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It would be highly inappropriate to say that "I hope you enjoyed this post!" but I do hope you found it at least interesting and maybe it will encourage you to explore the not-so-well known works of artists you know. There might be fascinating surprises!Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-21860327483551507312016-08-30T23:02:00.000+03:002016-08-30T23:02:06.772+03:00Identity crisis of a former literature studentWarning: This is going to be more of a personal post.<br />
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I graduated last June (I'm a Master of Arts, baby!) and have been super lucky to find a job matching my education, at least for the end of the year.<br />
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This whole thing is rather odd because for the past six years, a big and important part of my identity has been 'a literature student' and now I no longer am a literature student. I still read a lot of literature and scientific research on literature but I no longer live in the city of my former University and no longer participate to any courses.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me on a very physical wooden elephant, symbolically looking to the future.</td></tr>
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In a way I am excited and happy of my new life and all the things that have filled it but in a way I really miss the academic life. The courses and the intense discussions among staff and students, the sensation when I understood something vital or groundbreaking, the butterflies in the stomach when I handed in my Thesis. But I also miss the small and often quite physical things, like the stairs at the University's Main Library. The smell in the corridors of our Department. The voice of my French teacher.<br />
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I guess writing this is a sort of a rite of moving on.<br />
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Goth Gardener recently wrote <a href="http://goth-gardening.blogspot.fi/2016/08/a-worthwhile-pursuit-with-spiders-and.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">a post</span></a> about how she is going back to graduate school in order to get another degree. When I read it my heart filled with excitement for my friend but also with longing for the academic atmosphere. Goth Gardener's description of the campus area is great, by the way! My University was not that goth-y or romantic. Goth Gardener's post made me think, how much I really miss being a student. I pondered about it and came to the conclusion that I do not yearn to be a student again but I yearn to learn new things and to have intellectual discussions about literature. I'm pretty confident those things can be arranged even in my current life situation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoa0Td_fTUi82iFKTAbyr1SwHXTE8U5rn_yB0UbsGNx4SD5drnPW2uLdNY5q6slx6I8QrIDUZJ_4Xy8zEzqyGqXfXwEAsG-ozV1m0RczRoOIiXmL3IEisVByjNJ5EaywewD-FmJJGwH7GP/s1600/14139254_10207333503271967_1972341414_o+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoa0Td_fTUi82iFKTAbyr1SwHXTE8U5rn_yB0UbsGNx4SD5drnPW2uLdNY5q6slx6I8QrIDUZJ_4Xy8zEzqyGqXfXwEAsG-ozV1m0RczRoOIiXmL3IEisVByjNJ5EaywewD-FmJJGwH7GP/s400/14139254_10207333503271967_1972341414_o+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my Uni friends in a mirror hall.</td></tr>
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Even though student life is now part of the past, the friends from those times will stay. Just last weekend me and some of my closest friends from the Uni went to the amusement park <a href="https://www.linnanmaki.fi/en" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Linnanmäki</span></a> (name means roughly 'a hill with a castle on top of it'). No-one knows where all of us end up in the future but it does feel like we shall remain good friends for the rest of our lives.Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-4189978399216273182016-08-29T16:32:00.000+03:002016-08-29T16:32:25.580+03:00Creepy Reads Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund HodgeThis months Creepy Reads Review is of a novel a friend gave to me. I had visited her at Tampere and on my way back home I needed something new to read on the train. My friend had a pile of books she wanted to give away. So, these book were not her favourites but I still decided to read one of them. I admit it was because of the pretty cover and the promise that it has intertextual references to may fairy tales. The novel I chose was <a href="http://www.rosamundhodge.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Rosamund Hodge</span></a>'s <i>Cruel Beauty</i>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My copy's cover is already a bit worn.</td></tr>
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A mash-up of genres</h3>
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As promised, the novel draws inspiration from several myths and fairy tales, the most obvious ones are the <b>Blue Beard</b> and <b>the Beauty & the Beast</b>. These two have a straight impact on the plot. On the thematic level the novel is more close to the <b>ancient Greek myths</b> (mostly tragedies) which clash amusingly with the 'happily ever after' mentality of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. There are also strong references to the story of <b>Rumplestiltskin</b> and a more recent fantasy story <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091369/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">the Labyrinth</span></a>, a film starring <b>David Bowie</b>.<br />
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Greek tragedies and fairy tales not being enough, <i>Cruel Beauty</i> is also a chic-lit romance story and at some points it almost seems like one of the Harlequin novels. I do not often read romance stories but <i>Cruel Beauty</i> combines successfully some sense of humor and wicked dialogues to the romance, so I found it mostly entertaining.<br />
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However, there was a bit too much repetition with these romantic scenes. Some times there seemed to be no point, why some elements and lines and deeds were repeated in several scenes. One could always argue that repetition is an important motif from the fairy tales. I thought that sometimes the repetition stated to resemble the way a soap opera has constantly repeating romantic situations and how the soap opera characters dwell in their feelings.<br />
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A tiny bit about the story</h3>
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Since I do try to avoid spoiling the possible future reading experience of the books I introduce in the Creepy Reads Reviews, I am not going to speak about the plot twists of <i>Cruel Beauty</i>. But I do wish to present some of my impressions and thoughts about the story.<br />
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The starting situation of the novel is the following: The narrator and the main character is <b>a 17-year-old girl named Nyx</b>. She lives in a world ruled by <b>a demon lord</b>. Nyx is to be marry that demon because of a plot made by her father. Nyx is trained to be <b>an assassin</b> and her destiny is to free the world of its evil demon ruler. Of course, not everything goes according to Nyx's father's plan nor are all characters what they first seem.<br />
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I very much enjoyed that the narrating main character Nyx is <b>not a nice person</b>. She is not the usual pure hearted heroine. Instead her childhood has molded her into a vengeful and disappointed creature with a heart filled with grudge towards her own family ('the good ones') and a sharp tongue. And who can blame her? She is treated coldly by her father and trained to be a vessel of revenge, a knife others want to use. The hidden anger inside Nyx makes her a much more <b>interesting character</b> than what teenage heroes or heroines usually are.<br />
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Conclusion </h3>
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All in all, I thought this was <b>a nice reading experience</b> and I especially liked the way the world of this fantasy novel was constructed. The characters had a religion mostly inspired by the Ancient Greek and Roman traditions and it is evident Hodge knows a lot about ancient Greece and its myths. The story-world of <i>Cruel Beauty</i> was estranged but welcoming for the reader, and I probably will read more Hodge's novels in the future.<br />
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I can recommend this novel, if you occasionally enjoy a good chic-lit, like to read fantasy and like to read descriptions of magical castles and their beautiful rooms.Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-30199602545280545102016-08-13T15:01:00.001+03:002016-08-13T15:03:22.785+03:00Gothic Art in Spotlight: Ghosts and creepy sculpturesThe road trip in July took me to the city of Joutsa in Central Finland. There resides the Art Center <a href="http://www.en.haihatus.fi/34" target="_blank"><span style="color: #45818e;">Haihatus</span></a> (could be translated as a daydream or a fanciful idea). It is an artist run art center and they hold every summer a grand exhibition. Artists can also apply for <a href="http://www.en.haihatus.fi/11" target="_blank"><span style="color: #45818e;">residency in Haihatus</span></a>.<br />
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The exhibition area consists of three buildings and their garden, and a field area next to them. The place was filled with all kinds of works but mostly installations or statues, like this dragon like creature:</div>
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The three buildings have names, Haihatus, Utopia, and Fantasia. In Utopia was the main exhibition, or at least I felt like it. This skeleton is a small detail (it is the size of a two-year-old) of an installation that filled one room. I'm not sure if it is done with papier-mâché or is it some sort of clay.</div>
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In the attic was a grand installation by <a href="http://joukokorkeasaari.tumblr.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #45818e;">Jouko Korkeasaari</span></a>. The name of the work is "Ett spök, spöket, spök" which is oddly almost Swedish. It almost says "A ghost, the ghost, ghosts", like in a dictionary but it is spelled wrong. I am pretty sure that is the point, because these creatures looming between hanging sheets are almost like ghosts, but there is something wrong in them.</div>
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I think the one above seems to be afraid of the viewer. Usually ghosts are supposed to be the scary ones.</div>
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This too seems like it is reserved. In the back of the room was a window open, so the sheets moved a bit in the breeze. Very spooky!</div>
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In the building called Fantasia we found the most bleak or grim works. The rooms were very dark, there were practically no lights and I guess I missed some information board or something because I could not find information about who made these works. Nor have I any idea what the titles of the artworks are.</div>
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This here is some sort of a mummified troll. Not real, of course. The text says "Please do not feed the trolls". Underneath was placed a typewriter, perhaps as a symbol for making up stories and fairy tales.</div>
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This here is a very old basin for bathing little children. The legs are from an old table and the basin is filled with bones. Clearly bones of a quite large creature.</div>
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No idea what is the point of this but it is cute in some very odd way. The feet have little paws so it sort of looks like a very abstract version of a pet.</div>
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I hope you found these works interesting! Next time I'll be back with another Creepy Reads Review.</div>
Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2282761689342131948.post-30157927084778182832016-08-02T21:59:00.000+03:002016-08-02T21:59:11.485+03:00Creepy and geeky art treasures at the Serlachius museumsAs I promised in my previous post, I am going to continue writing about my art road trip. After the city of Tampere and Ron Mueck's installations our next stop was at Mänttä-Vilppula, the city of art as they are called. This nickname came because a very influential family Serlachius lived in Mänttä-Vilppula and the members of this family loved art, especially a man called Gösta. The Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation was created and the artworks they've acquired are displayed in <a href="http://www.serlachius.fi/en/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Serlachius museums</span></a> at the city of Mänttä-Vilppula.<br />
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Art Museum Gösta</h4>
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The art museum is named after Gösta. They have a new extension to it, <a href="http://www.serlachius.fi/en/our-museums/gostas-pavilion/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Gösta's Pavilion</span></a> and in there they feature contemporary art. This summer they have a big exhibition of Mark Wallinger's works, open until 9th of October 2016. Wallinger is a painter, sculptor and a video artist. His works, materials and style varies a lot.<br />
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This are from the series of id Paintings. The inspiration came from Sigmund Freud's theories and the concept of id and I presume also from the idea of subconscious. They look like huge versions of the Rorschach test. They are taller than an average human, and in the exhibition room there were about 20 of those paintings. It made a person feel really small.<br />
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The Rorschach test is a test based on association and interpretation. The patient (or a person examined) looks at cards with ink spots and tells what she/he thinks they look like or symbolize. These interpretations are then seen as sort of messages from the persons subconscious and from them others can try to judge if this person is having stress or for example mental problems.<br />
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I would like to note that I have not studied psychology and that short explanation is a simplified and possibly quite crude way to describe the Rorschach test. I personally think that doing/playing this sort of an association game can be fruitful but people really should pay attention to the fact that humans do not share all symbols: for someone a butterfly is a joyful thing, for another one it symbolizes fragility.<br />
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It was actually quite fun to start to really look at these paintings and try to analyze and imagine what all those shapes formed. In this painting I saw two mountain hares hanging from something. Possibly they are today's catch and someone is about to make dinner of them. What do you see in this painting?<br />
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The id Paintings were made 2015. This sculpture named Time And Relative Dimensions In Space is from year 2001.<br />
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As I mentioned in the previous post, there was something that reminded me of Doctor Who. If you picture this shiny box to be blue and have the words Police Public Call Box on it, you'll understand.<br />
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Here is me next to it for measurement. Its outer dimensions (aka size) are almost exactly the same as Tardis has. They might even be the same, alas I have never seen Tardis or the props they have for the TV show.<br />
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I did not touch it because I am a law abiding art museum visitor and it was highly prohibited. Wanted to, though.<br />
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Museum Gustaf</h4>
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Those were some works at the Gösta Art Museum. In Mänttä-Vilppula there is another Serlachius Museum named Gustaf. They usually have exhibitions about history and technology but this summer they also had an exhibition called <a href="http://www.serlachius.fi/en/exhibitions/38-landscape/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Landscape</span></a>. It was an interactive exhibition in which people could learn about the history of landscape art, and create their own landscapes of the pieces of famous landscape paintings.<br />
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From the photo above you can see the entrance. Maisema means landscape and on the right there are pieces of famous paintings. Inside the room there were sort of tables with frames. On the other wall there were replicas of famous paintings, the pieces of paintings for constructing one's own landscape (in the shelves), and video screens. The videos were about landscape paintings and their history.<br />
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Here are two installations I made. The other one is with Dalí's watches and a random angel.<br />
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And the other one is a mix of some winter paintings. A more classy combination, I'd say. Do click the images for a larger view and better details. I took these photos with a real camera, not my phone, so the quality is not that devastatingly bad.<br />
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I hope you enjoyed this post. I had fun at the museums and fun writing about them, and I do hope some of that happiness and enjoyment shines through this post.<br />
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Next time: cute and macabre art from the next destination on my road trip!<br />
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Jadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17657394873058225387noreply@blogger.com5