Tuesday, October 12, 2010
BLISS!
I'm having a nap in the middle room with Soly, the Abby named after Chanda's little brother. He loves to snuggle and stick his nose in my ear.
Oh yes. And I nap with Penster too...
And Misha...
And P2...
The four of them all run downstairs to greet me when I come home. I have to pet a different one with each hand, rub a third with my chin, and either use a foot or rotate hands so the 4th doesn't feel left out.
Who needs a psychiatrist with so much love? :)
Labels:
Abby,
Abbyssinian,
cats,
cats cuddling,
Siamese,
Tabby
Saturday, September 11, 2010
LIFE ABOVE ALL (CHANDA'S SECRETS) S.A.'S OFFICIAL OSCAR ENTRY
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SOUTH AFRICA HAS NAMED "LIFE ABOVE ALL", THE FILM OF MY NOVEL "CHANDA'S SECRETS" AS ITS OFFICIAL ENTRY FOR THE 2011 OSCARS!!!
(Photo of me with the kids who play Iris and Soly. They're amazing!)
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tiff/story/2010/09/10/tiff-life-above-all-oscars-toronto.html
http://www.toronto.com/tiff/article/658952--south-africa-picks-life-above-all-as-oscar-entry
SOUTH AFRICA HAS NAMED "LIFE ABOVE ALL", THE FILM OF MY NOVEL "CHANDA'S SECRETS" AS ITS OFFICIAL ENTRY FOR THE 2011 OSCARS!!!
(Photo of me with the kids who play Iris and Soly. They're amazing!)
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tiff/story/2010/09/10/tiff-life-above-all-oscars-toronto.html
http://www.toronto.com/tiff/article/658952--south-africa-picks-life-above-all-as-oscar-entry
Labels:
Chanda's Secrets,
Oscars,
Soly. Life Above All
Monday, September 6, 2010
VIETNAM WAR REMAINS: CHINA BEACH AND THE HILLS
China Beach is where US soldiers did their R&R during the war. Across from the beach the old abandoned US airforce hangars disintegrate slowly.
Soon they'll be demolished. The old bases are being turned into waterfront condos. Oh, and tourist hotels.
In the hills overlooking the beach, en route to Hue, we came across some old fortifications. Imagine being holed up here with the enemy watching you from anywhere and everywhere. Imagine being here at night.
Now, instead of war, a quieter way of life...
Thursday, September 2, 2010
LIFE ABOVE ALL (CHANDA'S SECRETS) at Toronto International Film Festival!
The Toronto Film Festival is almost here! Tomorrow tickets go on sale for LIFE, ABOVE ALL, the film version of my novel CHANDA'S SECRETS. Hope to see you there. Description, times, and blah blah blah at the link:
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2010/lifeaboveall
Cheers,
Allan
Saturday, August 28, 2010
GOING BUGGY or SILK WORMS: YOU ARE WHAT YOU WEAR
Normally I've posted scenic shots from my travels. These aren't them. They come from a silk factory in Hoi An, Vietnam, where I got to see how silk is made. First, of course, come the silk worms. A closer look:
The caterpillars spin cocoons and prepare for metamorphosis in leafy beds like this.
Since the beetles that would emerge would break/chew through the threads, the silk makers boil the cocoons. (Note some of the almost-read-for-prime-time beetles.) Kind of grisly when you think about it. Like lobsters -- only bugs.
And then the cocoons get processed, the clothes get made, and it's off to shops and onto people's backs.(Note the 'eyes' over the shop doors on this Hoi An business. They're to ward off evil spirits.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Vietnam: Hoi An Waterway
Sunday, July 18, 2010
BUDDHIST INCENSE SPIRAL
Yeah I know, this looks like apiece of pop art from the sixties. What it really is is the inside of an incense spiral hanging from the ceiling. They sell these at Buddhist shrines like votive candles are sold in Catholic churches. Buy it, light it, and pray for the deceased. Here's the shrine with a ceiling full of spirals, priced according to size:
This shrine is in Hoi An, Vietnam, which has the finest food in the country -- and some of the finest lantern shows too. Last post I showed you some of the lanterns by night. Here are a few by day.
I'm thinking of making shorter posts through summer. Sound good? Next post will be water shots of fishermen in Hoi An's river, from the window of a seafood restaurant.
Cheers,
Allan
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