Dorm deco

Like many, I too have, upon finding out I'm accepted to my selected university, been most excited about personalising my dorm. In light of having at least someone/something remotely alive in the room, I invested in 6 tiny cactuses from Ikea (y'now, the tumblr ones), which I definitely named: Alejandro, Roberto, Fernando, Gianteo, Gianluigi and Gianpiero. Somewhere along the line I realised I don't like the smell of my dorm, thus a candle has found its place among the cacti. As I am a bookworm, I couldn't refrain myself from bringing a couple of books. My favorite is The Little Book of Hygge, which I turn to whenever I want to bring hygge into my dorm, or just want to reminisce on my week in Scandinavia. There were some dents in the wall, which I took the libery of covering with a lovely composition of postcards and artcards from my travels, film negatives, and polaroids. December came, and that section of the wall got a pleasant addition: the Advent calendar. The ultimate Advent calendar, really, it was Lindt. I taped it to the wall, and on a lovely December morning, as I was sleepily seeking my will to live in a large cup of coffee, it fell on my head, rattling me to my very core. I went to uni sans my will to live. My sister got me a branch to imitate a Christmas tree and made some decorations, so my dorm was more festive than I ever got to be. I also put up a large picture of the Blue Lagoon in Iceland (love me some Iceland), and a drawing I had to do for uni that happened to turn out nice. Now there's a calendar taped to the wall, I hope that one doesn't come after me. (Edit: It did come after me. I should invest in better tape.)

Ljubljana

I'd been warned before moving, that the city I like very much will soon become boring and annoying. That turned out to be true in terms of people, as I am having trouble listening to the wide selection of different accents the fellow students use. What's nice about life here, is that I go through the city centre every day, and thus get to capture all the beautiful buildings in lovely lighting. This especially paid off on the day we got snowfall, as I had the chance to stroll around the parks and alleys and photograph Ljubljana in its winter wonderland glory. I recognise the potential of the abundance of lovely cafés scattered all around the city, and my professors are constantly telling us about various exhibitions in all sorts of galleries, however, due to the lack of company and time, I haven't gotten around to see any of them yet. The other day I walked up to Ljubljana castle to see an old renovation done by Plečnik, and it was on that Wednesday morning I realised how very out of shape I've become, for the max. 15 minute walk had me panting like a walrus fresh out of water (not completely confident in the accuracy of the description but ok).

Travel

Obviously I hadn't gotten around to wandering about the world yet, but I do have some good plans for the future. My seminar has organised a week long trip to Southern Spain in March, so expect a lengthy post about that. This year, Venice is hosting the Architectural biennale, and you don't have to guess twice whether I'll be there.

Living alone has gotten me well in touch with myself, my mentality, my patience, my working habits, and my organisation skills. I've noticed that I'm fairly tidy, but can't possibly summon the time to sweep. Cooking is very nice, though it would be even nicer if I weren't on a clock to return to uni. I'm excited about this student meal program thing I'm applied for, where a handful of restaurants all over the country offer free or reduced meals to all students. Many take advantage of this and are very happy with it, however I hadn't yet found time to do it. It is highly likely I'll get to do it in the second semester, as we have seminar work that keeps us at uni all day. I do get a bit lonely sometimes, but as I am a deep introvert, that doesn't last long.

That's about all I have to say about my life in Ljubljana so far, I will to another check in at the end of the second semester. Until then, I desperately hope I can get myself to publish more. I already have one post written and two in the beginning stages of bullet points, but god knows when I'll get to edit them, add photos etc.

To be honest, this post was written over the course of three weeks, so there should probably more content here, had I not taken so many breaks between writing.

As travelling by cruise was an element of considerable size on this trip, I'd like to tell you about the night we travelled from Oslo whether to Copenhagen, which qualifies as one of the wilder occurrences in my life. Unlike the cruiseship we took from Stockholm to Helsinki and back, this one was smaller, less comfortable, and more claustrophobia inducing. I'm not sure whether it is the current(s) and/or the winds in that area, or if this was a special occurrence just for our pleasure, but until the early morning hours, the ship was rocking in such large motions that one had trouble keeping balance, let alone walking straight. The cabins we had had no windows, 4 beds, and fit 3 people if they were all standing (god forbid a suitcase were to open, that would reduce the space to only fit the person diggin through it). The really fun times, however, started at dinner time, where the population separated in two groups: the ones who sat mournfully not wanting to eat in fear the food wouldn't stay down, and the ones who battled against the forces of nature to get their fill. Spending a large part of my life living on a sailboat has enabled me to fit into the latter group. There were large round windows showing the lazy mass of waves, the cause of such circumstances, while inside was a mixture of people's murmur and the screeeching of stacks of plates situated on springs within walls of metal, as they peeked out above the counter at the top of a wave and screeched back inside at the bottom. Eating my second serving of a plate full of french fries and nothing else (I'm not particularly good at food when travelling), I'd realised that despite the constant presence of slight claustrophobia, this was one of the cooler things to have happened to me. Looking back, I would not mind returning to that ship at all. Especially when the next morning had me waking up in Copenhagen.

You know how Americans choose the summer between high school and university to go on a once in a lifetime trip to Europe (Eurotrip)? Similarly, I took the opportunity of the longest summer vacation in my life to travel around Scandinavia for six days. In all honesty, I had a bit of a hard time coming to terms with the significantly smaller amount of historical monuments in the Nordic countries. Don't get me wrong, there are undoubtedly many things to see, but in comparison to just about any Italian city or village, the difference is painfully obvious. Nevertheless, I welcomed the change wholeheartedly. After all, one goes to Scandinavia to admire the present and future state of the culture, not its past. In the said six days we discovered Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, and Copenhagen, along with a brief interlude in Örebro and Karlstad. In the following four blogposts, I am going to do my best to present to you the four Nordic capitals based on how I experienced them, including as many photos as I can without it becoming tasteless/excessive.

It has undoubtedly been a while. This year marks the end of my high school education and the step further into university. Understandably, between studying for my final exams and practicing for my acceptance exams, there was hardly any free time left. And whatever time I had had to myself I diligently spent reading or catching up with my tv series (as one does). With July 10th all my schoolwork was officially done, and I am now left to my own devices, waiting to see what my future is going to be starting October 1st. Either way, having 3 whole months on my hands is more than enough time to get back on track with my idea of blogging.

Plans for summer

In light of everything that has been occurring in the past weeks, I have too come to an enlightenment of sorts in terms of my relation to the media, mainly how it subconsciously affects me. As I don't have myself to be one, who is on board with writing essay-length posts, I chose to present my findings in 2 points.

 1. Science vs. mysticism

Admittedly, this is strongly connected with what I am currently studying in philosophy at school. This idea had been introduced to me in terms of the cognitive theories by various philosophers of both the ancient and modern era, and it definitely hit home. The essential jist sets religion on the foundations of blind belief and science on the foundation of critical thinking and doubt. As it is widely known by many, unfortunately not all, there is absolutely no proof that any god of any religion exists/existed. Thusly, religion truly does still exist only due to the blind belief of the mislead masses. On the other hand, science is a product of constant doubt and criticism, which enables mankind to constantly develop and advance based on given findings. Based on what we are currently enduring, the media, which should function based of facts and evidence, has transformed into some absurd religion-like movement, which strives for personal success by focusing on misleading the masses. 

2. Third person narrative

As much as this term is existent for describing literature, it also applies to real life. The value of most all things we see and experience in everyday life is dependent on its stance in social media. In my opinion, we are all guilty of this. Whenever and wherever we go, we depend on our mobile devices to create an ideal out of our everyday actions. We take photos with the sole purpose of sharing them on social media and fishing for attention, It's always ''They will like this.'' going through our minds like a mantra. Who is they? Absolute strangers, who donate a milisecond of attention when double-tapping. Although many are quick to deny, I feel that deep down we are all aware of how very easily this way of thinking has settled into our bones. 

What is your opinion on this matter? on't hesitate to express it in the comments below.

x, Valens

I understand that writing a book review is a bit pointless now, given the fact that summer is vastly nearing its end. However, as a fellow bookworm and all-around lazy person, who wanderlusts in the free time and has the attention span of a squirrel, I'd like to cordially introduce you to a gem of a book, written by the Nobel Prize for Literature winner Joseph Brodsky, called Watermark: An Essay on Venice. As I mentioned, time for dedicated reading is, or, in some cases, has already run out. Nevertheless, if there are any of you out there, who wish to squeeze in one last book without having to sacrifice your soul, this one is for you. A collection of short essays based upon the author's annual visits to Venice in winter is a compelling and relaxing read that takes you along his footsteps and philosophical musings about the city of water. Not only does this book show you a different, more enigmatic look on Venice, it also gives the reader some serious wanderlust and an itch to see when the next train for Venice departs.

(official book description)

Watermark is Joseph Brodsky's witty, intelligent, moving and elegant portrait of Venice. Looking at every aspect of the city, from its waterways, streets and architecture to its food, politics and people, Brodsky captures its magnificence and beauty, and recalls his own memories of the place he called home for many winters, as he remembers friends, lovers and enemies he has encountered. Above all, he reflects with great poetic force on how the rising tide of time affects city and inhabitants alike.

Watermark is an unforgettable piece of writing, and a wonderful evocation of a remarkable, unique city.

I don't know what it's like in other parts of the world, but in Europe there is a thing where everyone who is under 25 years old is deemed a student and has a free or discounted entry to most museums. Keeping that in mind, one would be a fool not to take advantage of that opportunity. Some time ago, I joined my sister on a visit to the Koper Regional Museum. As it was a Sunday, the museum was open for a very short period of time, and we got there an hour before closing, which resulted in us walking around an empty museum, free to our own will.

The exhibits held artifacts from the age of Ancient Rome, to the Benetian Republic, Austrian monarchy... There is also a small music hall and an exhibit dedicated to the life and work of Giuseppe Tartini, a well known italian violinist and composer, who was born in the slovenian city Piran. The liberty of walking around an empty museum made the usually relatively bland experience very unique and worthwile. To top it all off, that day was the first sunny day of spring, which meant hot sun shining down, bees buzzing around, and raspberry and bourbon vanilla ice cream.

Afterwards, when I returned home I went through all the pamphlets I acquired at the museum and stumbled upon another very pleasant surprise. On one of said pamphlets was a list of certain museums in Slovenia and Italy. Among those was the natural park of the Miramare castle, a thing I've been constantly saying I must visit, but never got around to actually doing it. The magic that this piece of paper holds is the reduction of the price of the ticket to 1€, so long as you visit another museum within 20 days time and show your ticket at the ticket counter. Guess where I went next?

Have you rediscovered your home town recently?

x, Valens

As September is in full swing, Autumn is nearing its beginning. For many people it's the most beautiful season of the year, with all the leaves turning into colorful shades and falling into heaps on the ground. I am not one of those people. To me, besides a couple of exceptions, Autumn is the season of nature dying. All the bright green leaves lose life and fade out, enveloping a certain area into the dull shades of brown/orange, which makes you sleepy and instantly decreases your productivity, by simply looking at it. All the birds that usually brighten up the day by chirping and tweeting are gone, and all that is left is an echoing emptiness, the only noise coming from the traffic on the nearby roads. Thinking about it now, it's as if nature had gotten sick of being active for 6 previous months, and has thus boarded the first plane for Bali (or elswhere tropical), in search for the first beach to lounge on.

As all humans should function as an entity, I find it rude to force my opinion on somebody else, so I will thus, instead of boring you with unnecessary negativity, shed light on the previously mentioned exceptions.

What I like most about Autumn is the weather. I am not speaking about the constant humidity and moisturised everything (that doesn't sound right), so much as I am speaking about the strong wind howling, the intense rainstorms, when in a short period of time a large amount of rain falls down, which, combined with the wind, the lightning, and the thunder, makes you feel somewhat superior, because even with all the strings nature can pull, it still can't get to you. And the best thing, which has lately been happening less and less (thankfully, I guess), is the shortage of electricity. I can't recall the last time we were left without electricity for a longer span of time, but what does come to mind, is a distant memory from when I was little, when my entire family gathered around the fireplace, which illuminated us all in a soft orange lighting whilst we joked around and reminisced, thus making the best of an unfortunate situation.

It's times like this, that, by forcing you to be alone, left to yourself, nature forces you to think about what you have, and be grateful for a life you've been given. 

What is your favourite thing about Autumn?

Feel free to share!

x, Valens

Before I begin, I want to clarify that I am far from a mathematical marvel and this is not a mathematical analysis which will push you into greater depression than math in school ever will. Because this a topic I am passionate about, and don't want to bore you, I decided to present it in the simplest way I can manage.

1  1  2  3  5  8  13  21  34  55 ...

This spiral should be familiar to all of you, because I'm sure everybody has seen a photograph of spiral stairs. Here comes the fun part. The Fibonacci spiral has in the past gotten the name God's Fingerprint, because of one simple reason; it is everywhere. And by everywhere I mean everywhere. Have you seen a sunflower? Right there. There's more! Seashells, flower petals, pinecones, pineapples, fingers, animal bodies and, most fascinating of all: Hurricanes, DNA molecules and even in outer space - GALAXIES! Really makes you feel small doesn't it?

This, dear readers, is the wonder of the Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Ratio. Artists of all sorts (musicians too) devoted their lives to this; placing, painting everything in their works in the golden ratio, honouring God, for the world is his creation and he had left a piece of himself behind for man to find.

As summer is quickly coming to an end, and school is soon to begin, there are several ways to make the best of the last. Be it a last-minute camping trip with your friends, or - if you're more introverted -a peaceful picnic under the stars, below are 5 things you should do to get the best of the last 24 hours of summer.

1. Watch films

Make a list of all your favourite films, and of the ones you've always wanted to see, but never gotten around to do it. Be it thrillers, documentaries, soppy romantic or old classic films, so long as they make you feel happy and maybe reminisce on past summer adventures, it does not matter.

2. Make a photo collage

Because school is a complex part of your life, which demands a lot of work, it is essential that you keep your workspace as clean, organised, and motivational as possible, without any unnecessary diversions. I suggest the collage is as simple as possible. Print out 6 of your favourite times during the summer and keep them as a source of motivation.

3. Have a last meal

Remember that incredible cake/pasta/whatever you ate that time? Get it, learn to make it, forget about your diet, make yourself a coctail or something if you wish. Most importantly: treat yourself.

4. Make a summer playlist

Gather all the songs that you listened to/discovered during the summer and collect them into a funky playlist that will bring you up when you are down.

5. Set yourself a checkpoint

Be it a trip to somewhere, the premiere of a film, or a reunion of some sorts, find something you'll look forward to, write it in your calendar/put it in your phone, and begin the countdown.

How are you spending the last days of summer? Feel free to share below!

x, Valens

I'm sure that there is not a single soul who hasn't heard of James Bond, and seen at least one of the franchise's films. The character whose fame keeps growing with every film released is now already a sort of icon, and anyone who knows me for more than 2 months knows that I have a mild obsession with him. It all began a couple years ago, when I was sick and layng on the couch, watching tv with my dad when James Bond came on. Because he is very familiar with the story and creation of these films, he began sharing his knowledge with me. It was on that day that I realised how good James Bond really is, and thus decided to give a chance to all the films: not just the newer ones. Throughout the years I've managed to see a large majority of the films and got to know the story and history of the notorious character.

James Bond - 007 was first introduced to the world in the form of a book in 1953, written by Ian Fleming. Because the character was found very interesting, it had been decided that he will be to appear on the movie screen. In 1962, on the premiere of James Bond: Dr. No a legend was born, as Sean Connery in James Bond's shoes - or should I say tux - accomplished his first mission.

What I like most about the James Bond film franchise is the wide variety of foreign and estranged places, and the ever so witty british humour that never ceases to make even the dullest and most depressing of situations fun and easy-going. Every James Bond film is filled with various elements that both represent the time the film was filmed in, and present the luxury and wealthiness of certain characters, organisations, countries. Whether one watches a certain Bond film because of preference or in search of relaxation, the films are fit for a majority of types of people, as the directors constantly strive to reach and acquire the perfect combination of action, drama, comedy, and romance, always managing to satisfy the audience.

Of course I can't speak about James Bond without mentioning the women, cars and gadgets. Each and every girl in the film, be it a Bond girl or a villain, is pretty much the most beautiful existent creature in it. There is never a middle measure; a Bond girl is either the clumsiest, or the most professional lady there is, which contributes greatly to the film.

As James Bond is known as the best and most elegant spy, it would be fair, to say the least, that he drives the best and most elegant cars. Cue the Aston Martin DB-5 - the most famous Bond car in the world. Incidentally, in the very beginning Aston Martin didn't want to take part in the franchise, but thankfully they later on changed their mind.

When it comes to gadgets, the first thing that comes to mind is the admiration towards those, who come up with items as such. The imagination that busied their minds must have been infinite, because even though a certain gadget gets a maximum of 2 minutes screen time, looking from a wider point of view that includes all the James Bond films along with all the gadgets presented in them, James Bond would not be his true self if it weren't for all the gadgets and the childlike curiosity that overtook him whenever he was given one.

Ever since 1962, James Bond has slowly grown into an icon, leaving his footprint all over the world, increasing women's standards and influencing people's subjective view on the british culture and behaviour.

Those who haven't yet seen a film, or don't remember the one film you saw, please sit down on a lazy evening and give it a try. I can guarantee you will not be disappointed.

What is your opinion on James Bond? Don't hesitate to share!

x, Valens

Travelling is a beautiful thing. We spend hours getting to different ends of the world with different cultures and traditions in hopes of relaxation and/or adventure, to further recognise parts of ourselves we never knew existed. As Marco Polo in Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities said:

Thus a traveller returns home with new experiences and great new memories, which affect their everyday life by changing their point of view and teaching them to be more open and accepting to differences. However, in order to do and become that person, one doesn't necessarily have to travel far; very often it is the things that we pass everyday that hide beauty. There is a thing that many inspire to do: being a tourist in your own city. 

A couple of days ago, I accompanied my sister to Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital city. I had been in this city before, but I never got to see all of it. Because my sister had errands to attend to, and it was a beautiful day, I found myself free and full of energy in the very centre of the city. Thus, I grasped the opportunity and explored it. I had a great time; I saw beautiful buildings, found many antique bookshops, found new photo spots and got to explore the interior of the National and University Library - the largest library in Slovenia.

So I encourage you to go out and take advantage of the place you live/work/spend a lot of time in. Take note of the little things, have some coffee in a cafe you've never been in, but most of all, learn to take joy in little things.

Below are some photos I took whilst in Ljubljana.

x, Valens

Have you ever walked down the street, looked at something, realised you like it and immediately thought 'Yes, that. I need to have that. That is awesome'. Well, this is exactly what happened the moment I first laid my eyes upon an instant camera. Up until then I had known they existed, but didn't really give much thought to it, believing that the only ones available/existent were the classic vintage ones, which(so I thought) were only found in vintage shops and there is a great chance that the one one actually does buy is broken i.e. dysfunctional. Plus, the film would be a pain in the ass to find.

Boy was I wrong. Polaroid AND Fujifilm, the cupcakes that they are, revived the vintage instant camera and made a new, smaller and more affordable(and cuter) version. Which I undoubtedly had to get. And I did. A whole year later. But that doesn't matter. 

What makes an instant camera great, besides the cool looking photos, is the fact that it's small and doesn't require a professional photographer in order to be used. There are 4 options for taking photos, dependent on light. The Polaroid that I have can hold 10 films/foils. The film is quite expensive, which is in a way good, because it really makes you think twice when wanting to photograph something, it makes you think about what matters more to you, and thus the photos you actually do take are more special and hold more meaning. It is without a doubt a great advantage if you have people to take these photos with, because, see, I am a very lonely person and only get to take photos of the nature, buildings and some sunsets(they're pretty cool this time of year). Though my lack of selfies with friends might also be because I'm overprotective of my Polaroid, but I like to keep that fact to myself, I'm strange enough already. The only downside to instant cameras in my opinion is the lens. There are many times when a photo turns out super bright, because the lens isn't capable enough to capture a good photo in broad daylight, because the sun shines too brightly. However, after a photo or 3 you get used to it and start looking for ways improve these photos, which isn't impossible.

Before I send you off to feast your eyes upon and shape your opinon based on some of my favourite photos, I'd just like to say that if you do, or already have purchased an instant camera, please don't freak out over the warnings and safety notices written in the instructions. Yes, they do matter, but just don't get yourself too preoccupied about your and the camera's safety(like me). They were made to capture good times, not the ones where you're looking at the person taking the photo, instructing them how to hold the camera properly or cursing them for doing it all wrong. With that said, here are some of my favorite photos that I have taken so far.

What is your opinion on instant cameras? Don't hesitate to share your thoughts below!

x, Valens