musingsinmediterranean

How do you make friends? Some one asked.

I remembered a friend I made who was giving a talk on Photography.

“We are all friends of Photography. That is what brings us together.
Hence we are each other’s friends.”

Then he went on to tell some subtle finer points of photography
Which even our instructor did not usually elaborate on.

I would be given the task of dropping him back to the house. (Lucky me)

Over those drives we started talking to each other.

He is actually a professional accountant working for a very large bank!

So we became friends in an Accountancy way.

He taught me many things about Finance Management, which are usually
Not taught in conventional courses but are very useful for any department manager.

Then I went to his house and he invited me for a cup of tea.

One of his relatives has a chronic disease.

So now..we became friends in a different way.

Though he initially tried to take Professional Medical advice from me in an oblique way,
I introduced him to the concept of use of Running-Regular exercise to make a proper base in the body on which the medicines will act. So we became friends of Road-running or at least Walking.

I still remember this friend of mine.

**
Then there were some who became friends through Music, others through the profession and yet others due to taking long trips to work together.

And of course, now I have blog-friends, interesting people who give windows into their worlds which one would otherwise never have come across in our routine lives.

Remembering what some say is Man's best friend

Henry Thoreau spent 2 years 2 months 2 days

staying next to Walden Pond

He wrote "Walden-A life in the woods" in 1854.

This week we sat by a pond at the zoo

discussing Thoreau's quest..

Summarized as S O S

S Simplicity

O Objective reality: of trying to see society
from a disance, living as a semi hermit.

S Self reliance

Was listening to an interpretation of a chant/mantra.

In that the commentator has described the three steps

1.Description-

2. Meditation

3.Invocation-prayer

These were the three steps in which the practitioner

is following the chant-mantra or any work which one does.

That set me thinking on the steps in many things we do.

Can you suggest some.

A 10 year old’s response-
On the song. He follows the notes. The song has many
Meanings when interpreted at the individual and social levels.

A 40 year’s response.
Following the story of Selma Metzger (Tripoli reading group)
And how it relates to the story of Alan Johnston –BBC Gaza correspondent.

Before the maze of the day-to-day life started to engulf our sanity, we
have a few minutes of calm..trying to follow the three steps.

I was actually frightened of opening the box.

But I am glad I did.

Millions of memories, notes, journals, photographs
Came out.

Then the negatives, the prints, the small sketchbooks.

The project is going on.

Apart from diary writing, this has been one of my

Old habits…Keeping small notes.

And small check-in tags.

Or the tickets to a play or a museum or railway journey.

Found an old music cd, it was working well.

Put the music on, and continued for another hour.

The young nephrologist, who has recently
Returned to Libya from Scotland came to me
Looking very flustered.

He had been called by one of the ‘policy-planners’
and asked advise on forming a team to
look after renal patients.

He quickly drew a Chart of a multi-disciplinary
team of different medical and surgical specialists
and in the end he wrote social worker.

The policy planner gave him a wry smile
and asked…what does a social worker
have to do with treating renal disease.

While I will discuss this in my medical blog
I was wondering what a general community feels.

The nephrologist is so put-off that he does not
want to go to the “policy-planner” again.

I have been goading him to not give up so soon
and may be this entry which he has got into
the “policy-circle” can be an opportunity for him
to win-over the skeptics.

Today, I went with my two sons to different

places.

 

It was their holiday too, but this week I had

Taken care not to make them too tired by

Morning runs.

 

So..As promised to my blog-friend Bushka,

one of the places I took them was the Arch of

Marcus Aurelius, completed in AD 163-164,

The oldest standing structure of Roman time city

Oea, on which the modern day Tripoli of Libya stands.

 

Triumphal Arches.

 

Of the three main cities of Roman Libya, Leptis has

5 triumphal arches, Oea has one and Sabratha has none.

 

Take us to Leptis next time, they told.

 

Words

 

Took out my note-book in which I have written

the words by Marcus, posted by Bushka.

http://knysna.blog.co.uk/2009/05/20/marcus-aurelius-on-life-6145986/

 

And rather than read them myself, I gave the notebook

to my son, to read aloud, as we sat on the lovely green

grass, listening to the chirping of birds.

 

One should “Pass it on”.

 

http://prashantbhatt.blog.co.uk/2009/03/17/time-to-pass-it-on-5773945/

 

 

If my sons read and assimilate some of those words

It has more meaning.

 

He read it out aloud, and there was magic.

 

We who live through words rather than “God”

Have been part of the tradition who have chanted

“Om”, or tried to read between the lines of the parables

Of the Bible (Thank you Mrs.Lawrence-Pune 1971..onwards)

 

There is God in those words itself.

Why are you, looking for God elsewhere.

As part of the sketch studies, we drew the Cathedral at Mdina.

And then came a listing of what type of buildings we see and stay in.

There are different layers of architecture to be found in medical institutions,

which reflect the times when they were built.

Having studied and stayed in many different medical campuses, this

is an interesting theme which came to me naturally.

Then there was a Jordanian doctor who told me a few years ago

that whenver he goes to a city, he goes to different hospitals

and sees their architecture.

"Medical institutions are amongst the largest of public buildings"

That set me thinking, of other large public architecture.

Cathedrals, temples, mosques,

Railway stations, airports, seaports.

As the cathedral is large, we concentrated on drawing

just the windows.

Opening the windows of our minds.

We ended our session by a question.

Which are the largest of buildings where I have stayed/worked?

My school....said my 8 year old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some thoughts and remembrances based on

the previous blog interacts

 

Life’s laws

 

There ought to be behind the door of every happy, contented man

Someone standing with a hammer continually reminding him with a tap that

There are unhappy people; that however happy he may be, life will

Show her laws sooner or later, trouble will call for him- disease, poverty,

Losses and no one will see or hear, just as now, he neither sees or hears others.

 

                                                Anton Chekov- Jan 1860 – July 15,1904

 

An article series.

 

As a doctor, specializing in Radiology, I see such things everyday.

Recently I wrote a three article series on this in my radiology blog.

 

In the Face of Adversity http://www.iradix.in/385-In-the-Face-of-Adversity.html

 

 

Pals forever  http://www.iradix.in/389-Pals-Forever.html

 

 

Preparing for Ramadan.  http://www.iradix.in/391-Preparing-for-Ramadan.html

 

 

Pals Forever

 

A true story of a Mathematician who wrote her Doctoral theses while fighting with Lymphoma.

 

Her spirit lives on.

 

She made me look at Set theory-the use of mathematics to explore and explain the problems of existence, knowledge, beauty, law, justice, validity, mind and language. Mathematics to explore and critique categories of truth, interrogate art and history, as well as ontology and scientific discovery.

 

But PALS has another meaning for those searching for the truth.

Truth of oneself, in human conditions, systems and society.

 

According to Alain Badiou-one of the greatest living philosophers-who has used mathematics to explore truth, philosophy takes place under four conditions.

 

P   Politics

A   Art

L   Love

S   Science

 

These are the PALS of Truth procedures.

 

With my “friend and teacher” Chekov, in Museum of Fine Arts, Malta

Trying to find truths in human situations and trying not to forget humanity

in the High-Tech world of Modern Medicine.

 Let us try to find some more Pals in our Practice.

 

 

 

There is an accountant I came to know, around 2 years ago.

He goes for prayers at a mosque near my centre, every day at 1 o'clock.

We started waving to each other.

Then, we would stop for some time and exchange a few words.

He, an Egyptian, working in Tripoli, an expatriate like me.

This rhythm over the years has formed a small togetherness.

Would I have met him anywhere else except on the road,

as I walk to my house, and he to the mosque?

Probably no.

But we share something in common.

Last week, he asked me about possibility of renting a house

in the locality.

I guided him through the different areas, the ones beyond

the crossing come cheaper. He said Thanks.

Another friend has been ciritical of me, Why do you

talk to him?

I do not really know. But we have something in common.

We share the road.

Like the "mad-man" who sits on the road every evening

and speaks the "truth".

People avoid him.

But he too says hello to me at times, and we talk

in whatever little Arabic I know and whatever little English he knows.

Just a hello

Have you ever taken a diary-journal to a quiet place

Other than your house and read it again.

It all started for me when my father first started

Taking me for morning walks in the 1970s.

(http://prashantbhatt.wordpress.com/notes-from-hill-topspune-1970s/)

Yesterday I got two lovely notes, one from a friend who

Took her son to Mount Etna in Sicily as a 20th birthday gift

(http://www.lifeinitaly.com/Tourism/sicily/mt_etna_volcano.asp)

And another from Shimla-India about a visit to a hill temple

In Shimla, the Jakhoo temple.(where the monkeys have become

A bit too troublesome). Her experiences are echoed in other people’s

Accounts too. Will never go back there type of comments.

http://travel.ciao.co.uk/Jakhoo_Temple_Shimla_India__6881553

Today morning, combined the run with a diary read by the sea.

The mild Mediterranean morning, a few rounds of the football

Field by the sea and then sat on a bench, sifting through the pages

of the picture diary. It gives a different feel from reading the same pages

inside the house.

Maybe I will take it to Etna or Jakhoo some day

Yesterday we were sitting and making some notes.

Apart from the pen and paper, a stand is an important

companion which adds dimensions.

What are the other props which one has?

Early morning boat ride

Preparations on a larger boat

Angles change the look and feel of the water, as seen in these

 

At almost the same time of the day..early morning shots

 

 

Mathews, my dear friend and muse, who keeps me a bit on the ground

and helps me focus on real-issues, when I started wandering off to

Euclid or Durkhiem, is back in action.

He had an accident  in March (survived), had a few days of rest and now is

driving the same car.

Yesterday, we had a lovely dinner on the back terrace. (the chill is out..lovely

mild Mediterranean evenings)

But being the bore I am, I took out an 'interesting book' ..which writes

about the origins of a resort...

It all began way back in 1854 when the inn-keeper promised

4 Londoners to pay for their lodging-boarding and also the trip

if they came back during winter.

They returned, for Christmas, blinded by the snow-storm

and stayed on till Easter...

And so began a journey, which has matured for the past

150 years

My Egyptian friend Rizk listened to the lines..and reflected

It is very costly in Europe.

The same things are there in Egypt for much less.

We are planning to sea underwater life in Red Sea..God willing (Inshallah)

 

 

 

My sons are nowadays in Tripoli.

We go for morning runs-play football by the sea.

Or go to the park near our house where the scent

of pines, blends with the chirping of birds.

Milan on the red ball gives a different meaning.

Aspects of modern culture.

So, today Friday (holiday in Libya) I got ready with

the agenda of taking them to the Commonwealth War

Grave's cemetery, the Museum and Old city of Medina.

But Papa..today is our holiday, they said.

Making me realize ..to go a bit slow on them.

Or maybe when they are a bit older, they will

appreciate these things better.

For now, they are happy with the bunnies and the tortoises. 

 

Apart from turtles, here is another of my friend who helps me think.

They are my companions on my back terrace where I sit watching the sunset.

Do you live alone...an old friend asked.

Yes (for a human answer) and No (sharing friends from the planet)

 

 

 

Studying “Fire on the Tiber”.

 

What are the mentifacts-Mental artifacts passed down

Through this material artifact of many centuries ago.

 

This made me think of the material and non-material

Aspects of our culture, passed down through the generations.

 

The painting has many interesting angles, and themes,

Each corner showing a different story about life, organization of

Cities and people.

 

In this particular frame we see some of the rescue efforts.

 

In another corner there are two gentlemen discussing.(Committee men

I suppose).

 

Making a sketch study of the work, makes one realize that there are

More ships-boats than one can see through the initial look.

 

Of course, if one tries to see the cones, triangles, circles in the painting

It adds another interesting dimension.

 

 

The many designs patterns found in the marble inlays of Fatehpur Sikri, near Agra India

are also replicated in the architecture of the Mughal city laid down by the childless

emperor Akbar. He had to abandon the city because of water shortage issues, but did

get his male heir.

The same patterns can be found in other monuments if one observes and looks carefully.

One way of looking at culture is those things which are passed on from generation to generation.

Apart from Material artifacts- (Monuments/buildings) there are Non-Material artifacts
which are passed on in the way of thoughts, ideas.

In the material artefacts, one can look for symbols which represent the non-material artifacts of that time.

These form basis of composition (underlying themes ) of many famous art works.

Study the Chianti region landscapes in the background of famous Mona Lisa..as an example.

All cones are not spirals.

That made me think of the Geometry used by dear old friend Euclid

and whether there were some common links to be found.

The ancient Egyptians seemed to be using the same formulae which were used by

Euclid in 300 BC. Only by then , the Pyramids were already ancient.

Golden Ratio, Phi concepts were used by the Egyptians to build the Pyramids.

This is a long topic. 

Was discussing this with a 'Senior-Friend' who has stayed in Egypt.

Oh! The Pyramids are standing because the weather is good, he said.

But how did they not fall under their own weight? he had no answer.

But the same formulae were also used by Phideus in designing the Parthenon.

I have not observed the parthenon first hand, but have seen the lay out of the Temple of Zeus

in Ancient Cyrene which falls in the Greek part of Libya. (modern day Shahat)

The ride up the hills of Cyrene is beautiful.

Sitting there with some rulers and scales remembering Phideus makes one realize that

there is more to these strucures surviving thousands of yeas than just good weather.

 

The tools for mapping space may be circles, spheres..and spirals. These have

interesting applications in science and art. I found these very interesting in

developing and exploring concepts, both in Medical Imaging (my profession)

and photography (my keen interest)

A spiral is a curve which emanates from a central point, getting progressively farther away as it revolves around the point.

Spirals in Nature

There is a long history of study of spirals in nature.Claws, horns, thorns, teeth,snails are some examples of spirals.

Horns

Spirals as Symbols

The spiral is the most ancient symbol found on every civilized continent. Due to its appearance at burial sites across the globe, the spiral most likely represented the "life-death-rebirth" cycle. Similarly, the spiral symbolized the sun, as ancient people thought the sun was born each morning, died each night, and was reborn the next morning.

 

 

A cone is also a Spiral

Angles-Distances at the zoo

 

From Circles we go to Spheres, defined as a perfectly round geometrical object in

3 dimensional space. Our friend Euclid shown drawing a circle-in 2 dimensions in

Raphael’s painting “School of Athens” (yesterday’s blog) undertook a study of relationships
among distances and angles, first in a plane and then in space.(300 BC)

How many circles-spheres are there in the notes of music and instruments?

  

I found these interesting themes which help in Photography

We later saw and read about some more spheres...In "The Siege of Sarajevo"

Songs on the aesthetics of indifference.

We sat together, talking about the universal language of art, words.

The Nobel prize paved way to the formation of a universal literature.

But going through museums, one can find these universal themes

going down the ages.

Euclid-Drawing the circle-In Raphael's "School of Athens"
1510-1513, made for Pope Julius II

The centre stage of "School of Athens" is occupied by

Plato and Aristotle, (some say it is Leonardo that Raphael drew)

We sat together, my 8 year son, Sahil, 10 year son Sagar and

drew some circles, squares and triangles.

Picasso talked about these basic shapes when explaining Cubism.

And they remembered how Leonardo's notes show how to draw

horses from triangles.We made some horses sitting in the zoo

a few days ago.

It is all inter-related. One should know how to look.

 

Salome receiving the head of the Baptist

The ancient cartographers made maps dilineating the shapes of land masses.

When one tries to map time, one can see how people lived.

In India we have the Epic Mahabharata-Ramayana, which were based

on fights for kingdoms.

What effect did these rule-changes have on the lives of common people?

Using art as a way to map time-space is an interesting subject on which

we discussed yesterday.

Portrait of a Gentleman-Fran Hals-1652

School of Athens-Raphael-1510-11

Bombay Photography society-1925

The way people lived, dressed, cooked, studied.

Leaves-plants-Bombay Natural Hisory Society 1941

  ***

Looking at these, I was wondering if the rulers-whichever one won, had

any policy regarding wildlife, plants, people.  Probably I am ignorant,

but it was just a thought.

 

One of my favorite pastimes is to visit the zoo.

A photographer friend of mine has spent years

charting the flights of pelicans and storks in different zoos

and parks.

He inspired me to go beyond my office, or night shots

of monuments and try to follow the rhythm of some wild life.

Here is a couple whom I have been following for a few years

in Tripoli zoo.

 Now the zoo has two lion couples..more interesting..

Hello

Discussions with an art teacher.

 

I teach the children to use their imagination. In this I do not allow them to copy from

any known works of art.

 

That set me thinking on alternative approaches.

 

Oh! You are just a doctor-the art teacher has done a course from a Big Famous

Art school..came the remark from one ‘well-wisher’.

 

Probably I have not done a “Big-Course” on Art, neither do I have any degree.

 

But through Imaging sciences and Photography, I have explored certain themes.

 

Is it just Imagination?

Ok! Even if it is just imagination, can we limit it to the imagination of a child.

 

What about trying to explore the imaginations of great established masters

from different times and places?

 

The “Art-teacher” was not giving up in a hurry, and was also a bit furious

at his concepts being challenged.

 

What about Art as a Medium to convey thoughts and ideas and not just

momentary life-enhancing pleasures.

 

If it was just pleasure-why not enjoy sweets..Those too give pleasure.

 

Why art?

 

What is art?

 

What is imagination? Whose imagination? Whose vision?

 

Can studying the imagination and vision of Michelangelo when he

Conceived the Frescoes of Sistine Chapel, help to enhance our own

Thoughts, concepts, vision, and ‘established’ norms and aspirations.

 

I showed my eight year son a 15^th century painting-The Adoration of the Magi

and told him to look at the primary and secondary figures in the work,

the landscape and buildings which tell something about that time

the clothes worn, the cow in the house, the horses in the background.

 

His mind/imagination started moving.

 

But the “art-teacher” was not very happy.

 

As it was difficult to explain in words, I showed the art teacher,

And the well-wisher and my two sons-Ansel Adams' famous photograph

“Moonrise over Hernandez-New Mexico”..

 

It helped me look at the moon in a different way..

 

Then there were discussions of whether Art is only visual.

 

What about Words as art? What about performing arts?

 

My ten year son read the first Chapter of Egyptian Nobel
Laureate Naguib Mahfouz’s “The Beggar”.

 

What did Naser’s revolution mean for the common people? Whom did it

Carry forward with it? Whom did it leave behind?

 

Is this art? The Art teacher asked.

 

Is this all there is to your imagination? I replied.