November 2, 2009
My mind probably will never fully understand the meaning of the word”storage”, especially if “storage” implies you put things away with order… in any language you say it, I think that I’m probably unable to understand what “order” can be, for more than 2 seconds 
It is a GREAT and BIG problem for my studies, especially now that I’m studying physics. Physics is something that requires a certain level of mental order… well, actually most of the best physicists are REALLY crazy, but it’s another kind of craziness. 
I spent most of my life in my room. A little room in a little apartment placed in a building of a little city. Ok, I guess at this point I can be asked “Are you a smurf”?. Who knows?! 
I live in “small” places and in a situation of “little chances”, but I do dream big and love photography… then, for my 21st bday I asked my parents an iMac 24”.
Their reaction: “WHAT?! 2,000 euros for a computer?! Are you crazy? Can’t you, at least, get the 20” one?”
At the end “I won”. I mean, I got the 24” iMac, my parents paid the whole thing, but for the following 12 months I had to give back the 90% that wasn’t included in the 21st birthday present. Isn’t it “lovely”?
At this point, people with tidy minds could wonder: “Which is the relationship between her messy mind, her room and her 21st birthday “present”? “
SPACE and DISORDER!
The coming of the new computer made me doing a little revolution in my “computer station”, that is actually on “wheels” as moths of the thing in my room…
[For those who are computers geeks: "Do you recall the game named Sokoban?" That's how thing are "placed" in my room 
]
Consequence of the revolution: something had to move away, therefore, for almost 18 months 1/4 of my table has been “occupied” by those objects that “moved away” when the new computer came. They were like clandestine on it. My mother complained a little and I answered back: “When I can I’ll put “the alien” away and clandestine stuff will move to its place”. The moment came 18 months late… C’mon, it isn’t such a big period of time if you consider that in the meanwhile I studied, failed or half-failed a lot of tests and got depressed 
Here is “The alien”:
who “kindly” opened its mouth when I wanted to download pictures…
He left the room. My room.
After at least 6 or 7 years it has been in it…My first pc is leaving forever. Sniff! The pc that I used when photography passion started hitting me very hardly, the same PC that allowed me to “meet” that men who become a really good friend, the PC that… was just my first “all mine” PC.
It’s leaving a part of my history… I took away from it the 2 HD and put them on my table in the hope to buy (someday) 2 little “proper boxes” to make them become external HD. While saving the HD I thought: “It’s like preserving a working brain of a dear person…” moved away from this thought a second after I started it
The “The Alien’s place” before it left:
As you can see beside “the alien” there were, beside a lot of mess, a lot of dictionaries and grammars and English language related stuff. I could write 2 other posts about those books, but I’ve wrote already too much today.
Now the place looks this way:
Once again physics (and it’s only a little part of my books and copybooks!) occupied most of my life spaces with less funny and colorful things… it’s fine… It’s what I decide for my life 3 years ago:”studying physics”. Probably an huge mistake but I’ve to deal with it, I like it or not
More powerful passions didn’t totally move away. On the “upper” level there are still 2 dictionaries, a grammar, the external HD (at the moment just one because the other one is in the “electronic stuff sickbay”=”boyfriend house”) and other photography related things and a few of “old” CD-ROMS.
This is just a spot of the revolution, tomorrow I’ve to keep on changing thing in my whole room. I’m extremely tired, but it’s worth. Changes can be good too.
November 1, 2009
A good aspect of being forced to repeat an year at the university is that I don’t have to listen to any lectures and I can study at home and decide when and how do it… this means I’ve more time for my pictures (when I get my relax days after a test) and for friends.
This year I decide to “join” my friend Maya’s November in Black&White project.
Maya is a wonderful woman that loves her family and takes very nice shots…
Well, I’m not good with English and I don’t want to waste such a beauty, so just visit her blog.
I’m sure you’ll agree it’s like slice of heaven showed with the whole world.
Here is A picture I took today thinking about her project.
I spent the whole Sunday with my family at the country house that was built by my great aunt and uncle, that belonged to my uncle and now is the place where my brother is moving to.
The problem of that house is that it needs a lot of works (started by my uncle) and there is still a lot of mess, and weird objects all around.
That’s how I found this anchor and the beside pan.
In a first moment I wondered why my uncle hanged them outside, but soon later I thought:
“He was my uncle so it isn’t strange if he did something of crazy”.
I love to think that while I was taking this picture he was there, beside me, smiling for his crazy niece enjoying her uncle’s craziness.
October 30, 2009
Passed the test – Slept – Talked with friends and family – Spent the whole night awake talking with friends – Slept – Had a long long shower -Had dinner
Started to clean up pictures. There’s such a big mess… a lot to do, but I’ve a 2 days of relax left, I think I can do it… Actually I THOUGHT!
After 5 minutes I found some Mt Etna eruption “test” pictures.
I had almost forgot that I did it. I had to check the date on the file details (thanks Lord I keep my camera knowing what’s the day and the time).
Gee! It was April 2007. Seems so long ago!
I always wished to be able to take a good shot of Mt Etna during one of its eruption, but I’ve never had the occasion to find a group of people climbing up there, close enough to take great shots. Parents says it’s dangerous, friends get bored by the idea, some friends of friends goes to “observing places” that are not closer than my country house… I’m still waiting for the chance to go there during an eruption.
At that time I was 19. I was still a “fighter” and I didn’t give up with the idea of “trying” to take picture of Mt Etna eruption… the show was too amazing to just look at that.
But… I HADN’T A TRIPOD! Probably I bought it AFTER these shots.
BTW, I went in the house and took a ladder that become my new tripod.
The ladder wasn’t exactly stable, I started using books or any kind of “weight” to make it stable. I also asked parents to avoid to walk close to “my area”…
That’s the way I took 10 shots about in order to get a decent picture of Mt Etna during eruption, even if it was too far to get such a shot. That’s probably why I’ve never published these pictures… now I think is kinda funny-sweet seeing them, and don’t seem that bad.
Even if, I still hope that the next “eruption time” I’ll be able to get as close as possible to it. (I’m not brave, there is no danger if you go there with wise people and guide)
October 29, 2009
There’s an Italian saying “La gatta frettolosa ha fatto i gattini ciechi”, of which a translation could be “The hasty mother-cat gave birth to blind kittens”.
It’s just a saying to tell “If we let hurry win on the quality of what we do, the result won’t be perfect, and might miss some “important details” “.
Indeed, yesterday night this sentence came up to my mind before going to sleep. I knew I hadn’t been able to dedicate enough time to what I have been studying, therefore I knew that “I needed a LOT OF LUCK to get really high marks”.
At the end. Today I got a good mark but, as thought the previous night, not the aimed and this made me being a little complaining.
Some complaint-results:
Mom and bf said: “It’s good” (When they were students they were both used to really high marks, therefore they understand my bad feeling)
Daddy (he has a degree in physics too) came home and said: “SO?”. I didn’t want to tell him the mark, mom told him it. And he said: “GREAT! Congratulations!”. I started my complaint and he said: “EH? Are you kidding?! Nuclear physics in about 15-18 days and getting that mark is good!”
A friend said:”Hooray!” and then defined me “Miss I-complain-anyway”…
Ok, maybe they are right and “my kittens” are not totally blind. They probably just need powerful glasses!
Meaow! 
October 25, 2009
is a genius (Quino) !
As I wrote a few post ago: I’m studying nuclear physics in these days.
Yesterday I focused my attention on the “liquid drop” and the “shell” models of the atom nucleus and I couldn’t avoid to think about it…
On one hand is fascinating to see how human mind can describe the world around, can understand the universe laws, but, on the other it’s “clear as sunlight” that all our models are not enough. They’ll never be enough… it’s an “infinite” motion toward a complete and perfect understanding. Scientist shouldn’t mind of it. In my humble opinion, for those who have a scientific skill, it is worth to try to understand more and more and do the best possible for being a good scientist because a better understanding of the universe is great and can be helpful for everyone.
In the same way, the artists that understand that through art is possible to put own head in the heavens, but that it happens only for a few secs, shouldn’t mind of it. It’s worth to keep on peeking in there till the time they will get in there, and in the meanwhile they’ve showed those “seconds of heavens” to the whole world.
Probably the same thing can be applied on all other (honest) works.
Isn’t all this amazing?
The problems come when the scientists pretend to have the complete understanding of the universe, or when the artists pretend that art works are “complete” or, worse, that they are “nicer” than the “original Source”.
Both are just saying “we don’t care of that Source” and will limit all their abilities to the finite chances of this world.
BTW. Thanks to my friend (a physics teacher) that answered with this drawing to my complaint about “being forced to study on English textbook to be able to understand thing because Italian text books are rarely that good” (I consider it an annoying and humilating nonsense)!
At least this pictues made me laugh and understand that what bother me isn’t such a big probblem.
Aren’t friends a precious part of our lives?
October 23, 2009
I love to go on Catania port dock and listen to them.
I’m pretty sure that the time I spent there with my boyfriend, taking pictures, will be one of the sweetest and nicest memories. Even among the funniest ones, ’cause last time I went there (10th October 2009) a ship sound scared most of them who started flying away passing on the deck and, the second after I ended saying “Hey! It’s just a ship!”, they started “freeing their stomach” and hit my boyfriend’s hand. Sweetie, he’s a little “monkish” but he didn’t complain that day! ^_^
These are the kind of memories that came up in my mind when I’m in my bed, feeling that pain that makes me a little unable to understand even what I read… these memories come back in my mind and comfort me, make me smile and dreaming of coming back there, again, or in a more beautiful and peaceful place.
I’d just like to love and to take pictures, I know I can do these things.
I’d just like to be able to really leave something of really beautiful on this earth, leave a slice of that real beauty that is unforgettable.
That Beauty, that “makes you homesick” that makes you saying “again, I wanna see it again”… as some people I met on the web said about the shots can be seen here.
But… I need time to do this in the proper way, and every day I wonder if I’ll ever have that time. (Sorry, cannot keep too quite my daydreamer side )
One of the pictures I’ve taken the 10th October 2009, in order to solve a “minor problem” ;D
October 22, 2009
Have a lot to study, no time to finish, despite all my little “problems” I wanted to share something beautiful anyway.
I decided to “steal” part from this amazing letter I’m trying to read.
“Every genuine artistic intuition goes beyond what the senses perceive and, reaching beneath reality’s surface, strives to interpret its hidden mystery. The intuition itself springs from the depths of the human soul, where the desire to give meaning to one’s own life is joined by the fleeting vision of beauty and of the mysterious unity of things. All artists experience the unbridgeable gap which lies between the work of their hands, however successful it may be, and the dazzling perfection of the beauty glimpsed in the ardour of the creative moment: what they manage to express in their painting, their sculpting, their creating is no more than a glimmer of the splendour which flared for a moment before the eyes of their spirit.
Believers find nothing strange in this: they know that they have had a momentary glimpse of the abyss of light which has its original wellspring in God. Is it in any way surprising that this leaves the spirit overwhelmed as it were, so that it can only stammer in reply?”
Pope John Paul II
I’m not an artist, but there words are so true for me…
October 15, 2009
Typed the password 3 times… I’ve a good memory for my password. IT’S A SIGN!
Of ages?! NAH!
I’m here, reading about spin, protons, neutrons, shells and feeling confused. Not by the subject, but by painkillers. 
In the last 24 hours I have had to take some painkiller pills, I’m below the maximum dosage, but weirdly above the dosage I usually take… so, even if no doctor would seriously worry about me, I’m feeling kinda… “suspended”, “confused”…
What can I do? Sleeping, at the moment is impossible even if eyes are closing alone… 
Have I a picture that can describe my state of confusion?
Uh… a picture of my brain would be fine but cannot be taken… I just let me run through the pictures… found one, something I considered close to a “trash bin shot” but perfect for this situation…
I slightly edited the light and here it is:
Probably I should never publish such pictures? But, who am I hurting with this? ;D
When I saw it, it kinda “called” me… probably it’s just painkiller effect…
To whom it may concern (wow, so serious!) it’s a 4yrs and half old shot. I’ve taken it during my senior high school year… (AM I SO OLD? 
)
Now I’m mad. Mad at me. This shot reminded me that I have lost at least an year of raw shots for being unable to copy and paste… silly girl.
I’m also wondering why my “dreaming-thinking about pictures” part of the brain never turn off, even when I feel bad! GH! 
(If this post sounds like a delirium, it is! 
At least I had fun in writing this, and allowed me to focus on something that wasn’t the “pain” ;D )
October 14, 2009
I’m studying, I’m daydreaming (cannot avoid it, sorry!), therefore I’ve no time to take pictures, and almost no time to work on old shots to show them online…
Weirdly enough, I’m having a lot of fun in studying nuclear physics, probably also because in the book the teacher gave us to read if we don’t understand something I found some explanation about fact like “what hold together neutrons and protons” and “why days get longer in summer”:
I laughed for at least 5 minutes!
Italians textbook, at least the Italian text book I’ve used in the last 3 years, have NO comics inside… I only know about a math text book with funny drawing of a turtle and a hippopotamus appearing somewhere in some pages.
Clearly, that textbook is not allowed to use by my teachers! Sigh!
But, thanks Lord, now I’ve started studying for courses that require the use of at least an English textbook, where things are usually explained in a more clear and direct way (yeah, Italians who know enough English to be able to read a physics book, do experience the unusual situation that concept can be understood better in English…) and I can get some fun too!
Not a picture but, again, a way to find life pleasant
October 11, 2009
In the last post I talked about the fact I haven’t took pictures in October (except that picture to a red rose) since I’ve my DSLR.
I said that I needed to take some pictures in October (my way to say:”I’m going to do that”) and…
As usually happens when I really decide to do something ^_^
Just a quick selection.
Hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.
Going back to study physics… sob!
October 2, 2009
Tonight I discovered that I’ve (almost) never taken pictures in October, at least, since I have a DSLR camera (May 2005).
The only “October shot” I’ve been able to find on my computer is the following:
October 2005. 4 years ago. That’s crazy… Looks like I need to take pictures in October too! ;D
That recalled me that when I was born an aunt called me “little rose of May”. I knew it was due to the fact I was born in May (don’t need to be that smart to understand it) but I asked her (after a few years of course! ;P) why “ROSE of May” and she told me that May is the months of the roses, and I was small and cute as a rose… very nice of here, but…
Now, the question is: Why, on my balcony, I can take a picture of a rose in October (as above) or
in February? (The coldest month here!)
Should I tell her about these crazy roses blooming in cold seasons?
