Cooper Griggs
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10 Apr 07:39
http://juliasegal.tumblr.com/post/82243063586
THANKGODYOUREHERE, Randy Laue and 4 others like this
10 Apr 07:36
An American faculty member on board, who had grown up in North India, once referred to the state of Kerala in southern India, as “India Light”. And without making any judgment as to the cultural sensitivity of the remark, I would have to say it has some merit.
It was hot (except in Munnar), the shopping was good and the food was wonderful, but finding an internet café was not as easy as I had hoped (hence the continued delay of my posts!). There are so many more places in south and central India that are still on my list of places to visit, so I am hoping that we will be back this way again.
24: Kochi (previously known as Cochin), India…Town and Village
by deepika shrestha ross
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| Our approach to Kochi afforded us great views of the historic Fort Cochin waterfront and these beautifully engineered fishing net structures (said to have been introduced by Chinese traders in the 14th century). In the background is St. Francis Church (1503), which for a time, housed the remains of Vasco da Gama. |
An American faculty member on board, who had grown up in North India, once referred to the state of Kerala in southern India, as “India Light”. And without making any judgment as to the cultural sensitivity of the remark, I would have to say it has some merit.
India can assail ones senses – all of them – with its
cacophony of sounds, colors, and smells. The diversity of the country – in
terms of language, culture and landscape – is difficult to grasp, and only adds
to its mystery, and ultimately, culture shock. Often, I have found, people will
hate it or love it (which is often how people seem to feel about “curry” too
…), and the only way to have a good time in India is to embrace,
unconditionally, all it has to offer (while keeping yourself healthy, of
course).
Docking in Kochi was like a “soft landing.” It was probably
the most culturally different and unfamiliar place that the majority of the
students on our ship had ever visited. But some things were familiar, like
Bollywood music and dancing (all a big hit on board when our three Indian
interport students came on board). English was widely spoken, and the historic
areas of Fort Kochi, with its old temples, churches, one synagogue and shops,
were easy to walk around and negotiate.
The most aggressive situation the students had to deal with
were probably the tuk-tuk drivers trying to get their business as soon as they
cleared the security gate in front of our ship. But they seemed to manage all
that quite well, and based on the numbers of students I saw the next day
sporting intricate henna patterns, wearing kurtas and even a sari, I would say
that they made good use of the favorable exchange rate, and had a good time.
Kochi has a long colonial history. But before the Portuguese took over in 1503, it was the Kingdom of Kochi. The Dutch battled the Portuguese for power in 1683, and not to be shut out of the lucrative spice trade, Britain arrived to capture its wealth in 1795, staying until 1948.
We had a full program of three excursions here, and for all of them Gary was faculty liaison. On Day 1, right after docking, we had a “Kochi on Bicycle” tour. On Day 2, we left early in the morning for the Hill Station of Munnar and the tea estates that are found at elevations of 5000 – 8500 feet above sea level. We would be there for three days, which would include two nights of camping and about a day and half of hiking. Then after we returned, we would have one free day and then on the final day, we were on a Village Crafts and Boating excursion.
We had a full program of three excursions here, and for all of them Gary was faculty liaison. On Day 1, right after docking, we had a “Kochi on Bicycle” tour. On Day 2, we left early in the morning for the Hill Station of Munnar and the tea estates that are found at elevations of 5000 – 8500 feet above sea level. We would be there for three days, which would include two nights of camping and about a day and half of hiking. Then after we returned, we would have one free day and then on the final day, we were on a Village Crafts and Boating excursion.
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| All equipped with bike and helmet for our ride through the Fort Cochin area. |
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| There we go...it was great to travel on our own power, without the bus being a barrier between us and the city. |
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| This historic Fort Cochin area included many large estates that date to colonial times. Kochi was first colonized by the Portuguese (1503), then the Dutch (1683) and finally the British (1795). |
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| Another view of a fishing net structure. According to our guide, they "catch more tourists than fish" these days. |
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| An artist (not an engineer...) who set up shop along the waterfront. |
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| Business was a little slow...good time to catch a nap. |
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| The climate of Kerala is perfect for growing practically everything from vegetables and fruits to a wide variety of herbs and spices. Spices bring much more income, so many choose to focus their efforts on spice crops. |
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| The Dutch Cemetery |
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| Street Imagery... |
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| Huge quantities of timber was stored near the docks. As best we could surmise, most of it probably |
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| Our village visit included spending some time in an elementary school. It was full of inquisitive and beaming children. |
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| We couldn't help but disrupt their normal school day, but the teacher was good natured about it. Some students were hesitant; others loved the distraction. |
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| Such beautiful fresh faces. If there is one reminder of our common humanity, it can be found in the faces of children throughout the world. |
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| A khadi weaving factory. Khadi is the homespun cloth that Mahatma Ghandi popularized as a symbol of India's pride and united push for independence. |
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| The river figures prominently in village life. |
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| A student shows the girls their photograph. |
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| The women in the village were all busy at one job or another, weaving, washing clothes, beating rice, spinning cotton. |
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| This traditional hand made boat would carry us on the river. |
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| Jumping into the river to cool off after school.... |
Sofía Henao, Cooper Griggs likes this
09 Apr 22:57
Cause For Pregnant Pause, Part 6
Clothing Store | UK
(I’m 26 but quite petite, so I often get mistaken for being a lot younger. I’m also married and seven months pregnant. I’m at a higher end department store trying on dresses. I’m just leaving the changing room with a very helpful salesgirl. The next person goes in leaving a customer and her teen daughter next in line.)
Customer: *in a stage whisper* “See! That’s why you keep your legs closed at school. So you don’t end up buying your prom dress looking like that.”
(Her daughter goes red as several other customers stare in disbelief.)
Daughter: “For God’s sake, mum! Shut up!”
Me: “Oh, no, your mum’s right. That’s exactly what my mum told me. When I was 16. 10 years ago.”
(The customer reddens as her daughter glares at her.)
Me: “So what I did was, I studied hard at school, went to university, and got a degree. I started my own business, bought a car, and then a house. I met my partner, dated for a couple of years, then got married. Now that we’re financially comfortable we’re having a baby. I’m not saying that’s for everyone but you don’t want to wake up one day to find you’re 50, miserable, bigoted, and rude.”
Customer: *very embarrassed by everyone’s stares* “I’m only 42!”
Me: “I’m sure that’s what your daughter will remember about today.”
Related:
Cause For Pregnant Pause, Part 5
Cause For Pregnant Pause, Part 4
Cause For Pregnant Pause, Part 3
Cause For Pregnant Pause, Part 2
Cause For Pregnant Pause
09 Apr 20:15
Video: The LA Phil plays through an earthquake
by Amy Seidenwurm
[Video Link] Here's a video (well, real audio with some graphics) of the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing Ravel's "Daphnis and Chloé during a 5.1 magnitude earthquake. It's pretty interesting to hear the gasps and murmurs of the audience followed by the lovely music continuing without a hitch.
A couple of things to note here:
-Walt Disney Concert Hall was built only 10 years ago and is made to withstand seismic activity.
-I work for the LA Phil and had a hand in making this video.
Bunker.jordan, Cooper Griggs and 2 others like this
09 Apr 20:04
The Ethereal Long Exposure Photography of Darren Moore
by Christopher Jobson
Self-taught photographer Darren Moore creates ethereal black and white landscapes using a method called daytime long exposure, where a special filters are attached to a camera lens to reduce the amount of light. These neutral density filters allow for the shutter to open for extended periods of time in broad daylight, from 30 seconds to upward of 15 minutes for a single exposure. Moore shoots mostly in locations around England, where he frequently visits causeways, breakwaters, shipwrecks, and other features along the shore.
You can see more of Moore’s photography over on Flickr and in his online gallery. He’ll also have work later this April in a group show at the Patchings Art Centre.
Rjhein3, Nicholae Cline and 4 others like this
09 Apr 20:01
Surreal concepts
by Arnold Chao
A selection of surrealistic pictures created by the many talented conceptual photographers among us on Flickr.
See, and share, more photography in the Magically Surreal gallery and Conceptual Photography group.
Photos from Chris Rivera, Tasha Marie, Carolyn Hampton, Simon Woodward, and Rubén Chase.
Cooper Griggs likes this
09 Apr 19:34
Gargantuan Street Murals by Aryz
by Johnny Strategy
Cooper Griggsfantastic
“Overprotection” | Linz, Austria 2014
“Double Tie” | Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain 2013
Oslo, Norway 2013
“Grateful death” | Köln, Germany 2013
“feat. OsGemeos” | Lodz, Poland 2012
“Rotten apples” | San Francisco, USA 2013
“Monkey Business” | St. Denis, Reunion Island 2012
“love letter” | Lodz, Poland 2012
If you’re trying to find the globe-trotting Spanish street artist Aryz, you’ll have to look up. Because in whatever city he happens to be in, the prominent artist will typically be hoisted 100ft above street level converting large building facades into public canvases. And buildings aren’t the only thing he’s climbed. At just 25 years of age, Aryz (pronounced “Areez”) has risen to be amongst the top ranks of world-renowned street artists like Banksy and ROA.
Aryz was born in Palo Alto but moved back to Spain when he was just three. He began painting (in the form of graffiti) as a teenager, and his style evolved – in part, from his art studies in college – to what it is today. Bones are a recurring motif in the artist’s work, and so are skin-like muted colors. “I feel it’s really aggressive when you paint in a public space, so I don’t really want to play with bright colors,” said Aryz. “It would be too much.”
Have a look at some of his latest pieces, which includes the artist’s most latest: “Overprotection,” painted in late March, on a large industrial building in Linz, Austria. You can follow the artist on Facebook or Instagram.
Tertiarymatt, Ana Carvalho and 7 others like this
09 Apr 19:09
caitmonster42: greasercreatures: All new Patron Saint candles...
All new Patron Saint candles now available in my Etsy shop!
Only $6.99 each!The Tom Waits one is fantastic.
hamatoyoshi, Cooper Griggs and 2 others like this
09 Apr 19:07
There Is No Real Need For This Robot Kangaroo. I’ll Take Twenty.
by Bea Kaye
Every year German engineering firm Festo develops a new robotic animal to try and learn from nature how to create a more efficient killing machine. Or, to build better industrial robots. Whatever you want to believe, poindexter.
This year it was the robot kangaroo, in order to figure out how kangaroos work because science. (Australian readers, this robot is more of a wallaby, because it’s smaller than a kangaroo, and also it’s more adorable.)
Apparently kangaroos (wallabies) are super good at jumping because they’re magically imbued with demon powers. And that’s how the robot works.
Okay, no it isn’t. Kangaroos have special tendons that recover energy when they’re mid-air, so they can keep jumping without asking coach for a water break. Festo did the same thing using an elastic spring and pneumatic cylinders. This robo-roo weighs 7 kilograms and is a meter high, and can jump 0.4 meters vertically and 0.8 meters horizontally.
In order to jump as far as possible, the kangaroo pulls its legs forward during the flight phase. This creates torque at the hip, for which the artificial animal compensates with a movement of its tail. The top of the body thereby stays almost horizontal.
According to IEEE Spectrum:
Of course, an internal power source is necessary as well, and BionicKangaroo relies on either a small compressor or a storage tank to provide high pressure air for the pneumatic muscles that power the jumping. Lightweight batteries drive everything, and a sophisticated kinematic control system keep the robot from toppling over. Control, as you might have noticed in the video, is gesture-based, via a Thalmic Labs Myo armband.
The Germans are calling it BionicKangaroo? That is just so boring. Robo-roo (Ro-ballaby?) needs a name.
Via io9
Cooper Griggs, bernot likes this
