Details from the last day of winter?
It’s a bit early to say, but the day these pictures were shot might have been the last day of winter for now…
Of course, winter has its ways and can suddenly come back to surprise us all – weeks after we’d all forgotten that it ever existed. Anyway: one day I was on my way to slavery work as usual and as I was looking out the bus window, I noticed that ice crystals had attached themselves on the branches of our friends: the trees. I thought to myself that this might be the last opportunity to capture this scene on film (or on memory card) for a while, so I got off the bus and took some photos (you never want to miss out on a great opportunity, right?).
If you’re going to try
If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery–isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you’ll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you’re going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is.
― Charles Bukowski, Factotum
More Winter Photos from Yesterday’s Walk
More photos from yesterday’s walk. Skipping home:
You can also see a summer/autumn photo from the same river in this post: Hønse Lovisas Hus
Skipping Home
Today I decided to get off the bus and walk home.
I had my camera with me and the light and the snow was beautiful, so I figured I had to take advantage of the situation. It’s very easy to come up with all kind of excuses: “Not today, I’m too tired”, ”Not today, there’s this TV-program I need to waste my time on”, “Not today, I really need to take a shit”, etc, etc.
Then, all of a sudden, the winter is over, there’s no more snow and you’ll have to wait for the next winter to get that winter shot you were thinking about…
Humans seems to have an endless list of excuses. There’s more excuses than there are situations: for every situation there’s at least 10 excuses and the list is growing. Collectively we’re all experts in not getting things done. We’ve even built our modern societies around not getting things done – it’s called bureaucracy.
Keeping the economy running at any cost seems to be the only important thing we as humans can do. Never mind inventing things, taking care of each other and being creative. Let’s all just do pointless things just to pretend…
So, as I said: today I decided to go on a photo walk home. On my way I saw this:
A kid came skipping along and I realized that I’m an old fart: young, happy people are skipping – old farts are walking.
And let’s face it: most of us are old farts.
Here’s some more photos from today:
Winter House of Blues?
I don’t about the weather where you are, but around here this is the perfect season for winter photos. So, that’s what I’ve been shooting lately: winter photos.
Above the door the graffiti says: ‘god sommer’ = have a nice summer
SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT:
Coming up in a month or two: Spring photos.
Vålerenga – Stavanger Oilers
Went to see Vålerenga play against Stavanger Oilers tonight. Home team Vålerenga won 5 – 1.
Sørenga / Bjørvika
Sørenga on the left. Bjørvika on the right.
Woke up early one morning, so I brought my camera and went for a walk to capture the light. More photos to come.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolved
The theme for the first Weekly Photo Challenge this year is resolved.
White Christmas in Norway
Christmas holidays is here and it’s a perfect time to use the camera. The Weekly Photo Challenge this week is “My 2012 in Pictures”. Some of these photos are grainy because I shot them handheld in low light, which means I had to crank up the ISO.
Check out these images/logos for the Weekly Photo Challenge 2013:
http://cardinalguzman.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/surprise-a-gift-for-the-blogging-community/
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/weekly-photo-challenge-my-2012-in-pictures/
More from yesterdays demonstration
Yesterday there was a protest in Gamlebyen, Oslo. Some people were protesting against Islam, while some other people were protesting against people protesting against Islam. Here’s some more info, a gallery and a video clip.
Happy to serve.
Side#1 (The Anti-Muslims):
- Claim that muslims are taking over Europe.
- Believes that most muslims are extremists that hate non-believers.
- Uses their democratic freedom to arrange demonstrations and publicly express their point of view.
- Wants to expel all muslims from Norway/Europe (even the ones that are born and raised here).
- Claim that they are non-violent.
- Claim that all muslims are either violent or that they’re waiting to become the majority before they hijack our democracy.
- Are against the fact that many schools in Oslo have a majority of immigrants (some schools around 90%, but not all of them are muslims).
- Have a dream that society will return to being ethnical white (like it pretty much was all the way up until the end of the 1970′s).
- Anti-Sharia
Side#2 (The Anti-Anti-Muslims)
- Claims that Side#1 are racists.
- “Criticism of Islam = racism” (?)
- Claim that Side#1 are friends of Norwegian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik.
- Thinks that freedom of speech is good (but should only apply to those who agree with themselves).
- On multiple occasions they’ve used violence to stop political opponents such as Side#1 and supporters of Israel.
Security Measures
The police sealed off the area to protect Side#1 against Side#2. They put up 2 checkpoints, plus a sealed off area inside the 2 checkpoints where Side#1 could hold their protest.
If we’re not counting the protestors from Side#1, the people inside the police checkpoints consisted of 95% journalists. The rest (5%) were 3 children from the neighborhood, some police officers dressed in civilian clothing, plus a young couple that no-one really knew or seemed to pay much attention to.
Also among the spectators, was a researcher from the College of Oslo (he was there as a researcher – not to express support with Side#1). His name is Lars Gule and he’s a public person that is often used by Norwegian media as an “expert-witness on political extremists and Islam”. Today he’s teaching Islam at the College of Oslo, but in 1977 he was arrested in Beirut on his way to Israel with explosives in his luggage. His plan was to blow up some jews, but his plan was thwarted. (http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Gule).
As you can see from the photos, Side#1 was a tiny bunch of people while Side#2 totally outnumbered them. Even the journalists was close to outnumber Side#1 (and at some point I believe they did).
Many of the residents in the neighborhood had put banners with Oslo and a heart in the windows facing the park where the protest was being held. Someone put up a banner that read “Klosterenga for alle”, meaning ‘Klosterenga for everyone’ (Klosterenga is the name of the park).
Here’s a clip from the protest (sorry about the camera shake, but I don’t have a steady hand, nor enough experience, when it comes to filming…)
This was posted under the category News Photos
Winter on the mountain and in the city
Two pictures from Norway. I believe they were both shot in 2006, but I’m not sure and it doesn’t really matter anyway.
Winter on the mountain (2006?)
Winter in the city (also 2006?)
The mountain photo is shot in Valdres, the city photo in Tønsberg.
The Home of the Giants: Jotunheimen
I’ve posted a lot of photos from Portugal lately and there’s still more to come, but to break up the posts a little bit and to keep some sort of variation in the blog: here’s some photos from Norway! Some of you might have seen my previous posts about the Stave Churches located in Valdres, or the post about the Ancient Grinding Mills? If you haven’t read them, you can find them all under the category Stave Churches.
Jotunheimen, Valdres.
Here’s another couple of photos from that same area that I felt like sharing. On the photos you can see the mountain range Jotunheimen as well as the mountains Grindafjellet and Syndin, while you catch up on your Norse Mythology.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Contrast, snow, trees and trains!
WordPress’ Weekly Photo Challenge. This time the challenge is to “share a picture that means CONTRAST to you!”.
Here’s a few photos. Taken within a few days. I captured the first ones on Thursday – the day named after the Old Norse God Thor. Thor was the son of Odin – and he is the God of all Gods. On Thursday we had what probably and hopefully was our last day of winter this season.
Thursday: On Thursday morning it looked like this.
Honeymoon & Birthday Trip
We’re on our honeymoon, we got married 5 years ago but had to save up money before going on this trip. Today is also my birthday and what better place to celebrate than here? So, where are we?
Perfect ice conditions in Gamlebyen, Oslo
Just want to inform people: the ice at Vannspeilet in Gamlebyen is perfect now! One of the buildings nearby has had a water leak, so the ice is smooth & perfect. I was lucky enough to be the first man on the ice!
So if you live in the area, bring your skates and come out to play!
Related articles
- The blades are sharpened (cardinalguzman.wordpress.com)
- Good Morning Oslo! (cardinalguzman.wordpress.com)
- Pictures from the historical Old City of Oslo (cardinalguzman.wordpress.com)
- Ice Skating & Night Skating (cardinalguzman.wordpress.com)
Snowflakes & Science
One of Wilson A Bentley’s numerous photos of snow crystals. Photo borrowed from: Smithsonian Institute
Now that it is mid-winter and the snow has spread like a carpet over large parts of the world, I believe the timing is just about right to take a second look at the beautiful snow crystals and their history. In the history of snowflakes, we also find a story about the good, thorough, scientific investigation, where empirical data – evidence – is being painstakingly collected:
Launch (Weekly Photo Challenge 2012)
Here’s my entry for the first Weekly Photo Challenge 2012. I shot these photos back in 2006, but to compensate for the old photos I made these new Weekly Photo Challenge badges & top header (please check them out & feel free to use them as you wish).
I wish you all the best of luck for 2012, and keep up the blogging. May your posts rock the world!
Weekly Photo Challenge 2012 by CardinalGuzman.wordpress.com. 194X60px.
I decided to add a link to all the other bloggers who participate in this first Photo Challenge of 2012. There’s a lot of GREAT entries!
He said/she said: