Everything/Anything and…Chess…"Despite the documented evidence by chess historian HJR Murray, I've always thought that chess was invented by a goddess"–George Koltanowski: from the foreword to:"Women in chess, players of the Modern Age"
Die berggans het ’n veer laat val
van die hoogste krans by Woeperdal
my hart staan tuit al meer en meer
ek stuur vir jou die berggansveer
mits dese wil ek vir jou sê
hoe diep my liefde vir jou lê
Images:noila.latsi.de
The translation in Dutch…on the link you will find more Afrikaans poems translated into Dutch. De berggans heeft een veer laten vallen
Van de hoogste rots bij Wuppertal
Mijn hartje slaat al meer en meet
Ik stuur naar jou die berggansveer
Hierbij verklaar ik je gewis
hoe diep mijn liefde voor je is.
Boerneef (1897 – 1967)
Klik HIER vir meer Nederlandse gedigte – Afrikaans vertaal in Nederlands.
Wupperthal, South Africa
Boerneef: Die berggans het ‘n veer laat val
Bateleur – photo: Treknature- copyright: Andrea Piazza
25/3/2012 – ‘Dok’ het in die kommentaarboksie vir ons ‘n boodskap gelos oor die Bateleur/Berghaan. Ek dink Boerneef het eintlik bedoel dat dit ‘n berggans is en nie berghaan/bateleur nie. Ek plaas ook die boek hier – van Amazon – met die korrekte titel.
C.M. van den Heever (1902-1957)
Die vertrekkende wildeganse
Tot aan die ruigte-gladde waterkant verglans die son se skuinse middagvuur, om trillend oor die watervlak in hierdie teer vertwyfelingsuur ’n oogwenk nog te duur – ’n oogwenk tot ’n vlerkgeklapper ruis, die water, ru verras, sy rimpels plooi, en swart figure oor die wye spieël onrustige skaduwees gooi. Dan uit die donker vleie styg met hees geskreeu die pikswart ry, en oor die rustig-diepe kuile reis die ganse met hul heimweeroep verby, verby na verre lugte waar die vuur van weggekwynde sonlig ’n oogwenk bang nog duur … al kleiner word die swart gedaantes, en verder sterf die heimweeroep die verre kimme oor, en langs die wye land die hemele in raak stil die ry met hul geskreeu verloor.
DUKE ORSINO:
If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
That strain again! it had a dying fall:
O, it came o’er my ear like the sweet sound,
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Stealing and giving odour! Enough; no more:
‘Tis not so sweet now as it was before.
O spirit of love! how quick and fresh art thou,
That, notwithstanding thy capacity
Receiveth as the sea, nought enters there,
Of what validity and pitch soe’er,
But falls into abatement and low price,
Even in a minute: so full of shapes is fancy
That it alone is high fantastical.
Swallows in Durban – see the news article in this entry from ENS news
Enjoy “Village Swallows” by Mantovaniand his orchestra. It is a composition by Josef Strauss, one of the Strauss-brothers.
hmmm…just what I need…flowers and chocolates!! and on this video…the music of Strauss…”Roses from the South”
Swallow Flocks and World Cup Airport Try Coexistence
DURBAN, South Africa, November 12, 2007 (ENS) – This year, as five million barn swallows migrate from across Europe to roost in South Africa’s Mt. Moreland Reedbed, they will be greeted by air traffic controllers. The controllers will be waiting to warn pilots of the swallow flocks coming in to land so that bird-plane collisions can be avoided.
The plan to protect the birds was announced Monday at a ceremony at the reedbed, attended by the nonprofit conservation group BirdLife South Africa.
The decision to protect the swallows was made in response to global outcry last November, when BirdLife outlined its concern about the expansion of La Mercy Airport at Durban, in preparation for South Africa’s hosting of World Cup 2010.
The airport is being expanded to handle traffic expected for the soccer event and the KwaZulu Natal government wants to see the project completed by 2009.
The Airports Company of South Africa, which administers the existing Durban International Airport, owns the La Mercy land where the $8 billion King Shaka International Airport is under construction, 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Durban.
The new airport is expected to replace Durban International, which will be decommissioned. But for the swallows at the Mt. Moreland Reedbed, without special planning and accomodation, the airport would have been deadly.
Both the reed bed and Mount Moreland are situated South West of the proposed development are aligned exactly with the proposed runway and so are in the flight patch of aircraft leaving or arriving the airport.
The controllers at La Mercy Airport have been among those watching the millions of birds come in this year from all over eastern and western Europe. They will leave again at the onset of winter. The threat that planes at an expanded La Mercy Airport would pose to the swallows roosting at the reedbed, among Africa’s largest roosts, was put across by conservationists and BirdLife partner organizations throughout Europe.The barn swallow, Hirundo rustica, undertakes one of the world’s most remarkable migrations. The birds fly thousands of miles from southern Africa in spring to breed in Europe and then repeat the feat in reverse in the autumn, to winter back in Africa.
“This has been a fantastic result, and we’re delighted to report on this outcome after a year of negotiations and meetings. The support of so many people via letters and petitions has played an important part.” said Neil Smith, conservation manager at BirdLife South Africa, which led the campaign.
The Airports Company of South Africa has been supportive of making accommodations for the birds.
“Since our campaign started, the Airports Company of South Africa has really come on board, quickly realizing the importance of this site as a reedbed of international significance,” said Smith.
Following BirdLife’s complaint, consultants were brought in to examine the roosting and flocking behavior of the swallows, using advanced radar imagery. They confirmed that constant monitoring of the swallow movements during take-off and landing of aircraft would be required.
The Airports Company of South Africa now says it will install in the airport control tower the same advanced radar technology that the consultants used to study the movement of the swallows.
This will mean that planes can take the option of circling or approaching from another angle when large flocks of swallows form over the reedbed site in the late evening.
Environmental management staff will be employed to make sure that suitable management of the reedbed continues, the airports company said.
Bird conservationists feel somewhat reassured about the swallows’ future. “Losing such a valuable site could have affected breeding swallow populations across Europe,” said Dr. Ian Burfield, Birdlife’s European research and database manager.
“Conserving migratory birds is about more than ensuring one site is protected or well managed,” said Burfield. “It takes global effort: at breeding sites, at stopover sites during migration, and at important non-breeding sites like this, where large numbers of birds roost.
English Readers – This is an Afrikaans entry about stories and books – mainly for teachers and teaching. There are a few links to English books too.
As jy hier is vir die stories – die PDF dokumente is verder af in hierdie inskrywing. Hierdie bloginskrywing is van ‘n hele paar jaar gelede – en die werkskaarte – neem dit in ag, alhoewel: stories bly stories!
Nuut bygevoeg: 2020 hierdie stories is van ‘n website wat hulpmiddels vir Onderwysers maak.
Kliek HIER vir Storiewerf – ‘n website vol stories. Kliek op hierdie link waar jy Jakkals-en-Wolf Stories kan kry en ook audio-files sal kry met stories en op hierdie link gaan jy lekker Afrikaanse verhale kry. Alle links in die inskrywing maak in ‘n nuwe bladsy oop! This link has info on Dalene Matthee’s books and films. Books like Circles in the Forest, The Mulberry Forest, Fiela’s Child, etc. and on this link you can read about Alida Bothma, a book illustrator and artist. These links will open in a new window.
Ek het al ‘n paar besoekers op die blog gehad wat sekere soek-terme ingesit het wat vir my ‘n aanduiding was dat daar dalk ‘n behoefte was na werkskaarte. Ek het in SA o.a. vir Gr4-Gr6 Afrikaans onderrig – wat ek natuurlik verskriklik geniet het. Ek het later o.a. begin om my eie werkskaarte op te stel deur begripsvrae en Taalkunde-vrae. Dit is ‘n probleem met boeke wat jy koop in die handel. Daar is goeie boeke meeste van die tyd, maar ek het altyd geglo dat ek my werk beplan rondom die kinders wat voor my in die klas gesit het. Jy kan nie ‘n boek koop en net so gebruik en dink dis altyd voldoende vir die spesifieke kinders in jou klas – jy as Onderwyser moet maar gedurig aanpassings maak.
Met die werkskaarte kan jy die vragies afknip en verander volgens jou behoefte. Ek het die Word-dokumente omgeskakel in pdf, slegs omdat dit netjieser lyk. Die storie van die Reëndruppels het ek uit ‘n Daan Retief-boekie gekry met daardie titel – ‘n dierbare storie wat ek altyd met Gr3 gedoen het sodra ons by die waterkringloop gekom het. Die kinders het die storietjie baie geniet.
Hierdie pdf’s wissel vir kinders Gr3-Gr4. Selfs vir kinders in Gr 5/6/7 wat die taal as tweede taal het. Jy sal die kinders in jou klas ken en jou eie oordeel gebruik.
Verder het ek ‘n paar van my gunsteling boeke – wat natuurlik van ‘n goeie paar jaar gelede is – maar van ons top Afrikaanse skrywers/skryfsters. Dit is ook boeke wat kinders graag gelees het in die tyd wat ek in beheer was van die Mediasentrum – vir 14 jaar. My groot gunsteling skrywers/skryfsters: Dolf van Niekerk, Maretha Maartens, Elsabe Steenberg, Hester Heese, Freda Linde, W. A. Hickey – net om ‘n paar te noem!
Die Pianis
Met sensitiewe vlinder-vingers wip jou hande oor swart en wit en wit en swart raak-raak hier, rus-rus daar ‘n lange, ‘n korte ‘n agtste en die molle en kruise en linkerhandtekens, kom lê hier warm op my hart. Met solo’s en duete het jy jouself tot in my siel begelei en jy trap nou die pedale van my emosies met jou sagte-sagte voete. Met donderslae en diep akoorde speel jy jouself al dieper in my wese in, tot jy weer tikkel, tokkel flidder, fladder, iewers ver agter die Baby Grand, so ver, so onbereikbaar ver, dat jy netsowel ‘n opname kon gewees het. Oor swart en wit en wit en swart en grys het nie ‘n plek nie, en c’s en e’s en vir jou bestaan ek nie verder as g nie. maar vir my is jy alles, want jy het jouself met geoefende vingers onlosmaakbaar déél van my gemaak, jouself in my in getoonleer.
Maryke Wennick
DIE PADDA
Padda, jou grootoog ding,
Kan jy wip of kan jy spring?
O, jy kan wip,
Wip-wip tot op die klip.
Ek kan tog sing
jou skurwe ding:
Ka-tjie-rie, Ka-tjie-rie
My ouma het ‘n kie-rie,
‘n kier-rie.
Vir wat spring jy nou weg?
Jou maniere is maar sleg.
Ek praat dan nog met jou,
Ek wil net vra:
Hoeveel vratte het jou vrou?
Tot siens jou skurwe ding,
wat met jou paddaboudjies
in ons visdam spring!
Al die volgende PDF’s maak in ‘n nuwe venster oop. Sien verder in die inskrywing nog PDF’s wat bygewerk is. [opgedateer Augustus 2011 – ek wou nie die werkskaarte ‘delete’ nie en het dit goedgevind om dit ook hier te plaas en hoop iemand sal dit kan gebruik!]
Kinders sonder fantasie ontspoor later Elfra Erasmus Sy het ‘n groot droom, sê die bekroonde kinder- en jeugboekskrywer Elsabe Steenberg. ‘n Droom oor busse vol boeke wat op al die dorpe in die land aandoen en waar kinders (en grootmense), soos oorsee, boeke op straat kan koop. Elsabe se jongste publikasie, die kleuterboek Kariena Karyn, oor ‘n meisietjie wat vir die donker bang is, het pas by J.L. van Schaik-uitgewers verskyn. In die verhaal gesels Kariena met die goudvis, wat ”borrel-orrel-gorrel”, en die botterblom, wat sy stingel swaai en kraai van die lag, oor hoekom sy snags so skreeu. Die boek, wat in Engels heet Katie Colly Wobbles, is fraai geïllustreer deur Alida Bothma. Elsabe meen daar het ‘n verandering (en gelukkig ‘n verbetering) plaasgevind in die kinderboektemas oor die jare. Vroeër is ”verskriklik afgeskryf op kinders”. Die boeke het gehandel oor sake waarin grootmense geïnteresseer was. Deesdae is kinderboeke egter meer ”kindgerig”. Maar lees kinders nog? ‘n Mens bekommer jou daaroor sê sy, maar sê sy hoor bemoedigende verhale oor kinders wat nie meer as ses boeke by die biblioteek mag uitneem nie en vir wie dit ‘n allemintige probleem is dat hulle eers twee dae later weer ses mag uitneem! Om die jong TV-geslag voor die vervlietende prentjies op die stel weg te kry, is daar net een oplossing: ouers moet kinders van kleins af lief maak vir boeke. Sy het vir haar kinders begin stories lees voordat hulle twee jaar oud was en vir haar een seun bly lees totdat hy elf was, bloot omdat hy daarvan gehou het. ” ‘n Kind betree ‘n boek soos hy die wêreld betree, dit word deel van sy ervaring van die lewe.” Die skool maak nie juis in hierdie verband ‘n positiewe bydrae nie. Onderwysers is so besig om die kinders te léér dat daar nie meer tyd gemaak word sodat hulle net kan sit en lees nie. Is daar in ons moderne samelewing plek vir sprokies, of moet dit, soos in sommige kleuterskole in Pretoria, verbied word omdat dit nie die ”werklikheid” is nie? Kinders het sprokies en fantasie besonder nodig, sê sy. In sprokies is altyd ‘n element van geweld, maar dit word ”deurgewerk”. ”Elke mens het geweld of woede in sy onderbewuste wat deurgewerk moet word. Kinders moet dit van kleins af leer.” Fantasie bevat gewoonlik ‘n dieper waarheid en is nodig om ‘n kind gebalanseer groot te maak. Kinders wat daarsonder grootword, ontspoor heeltemal. Hulle ontwikkel later persoonlikheidsversteurings omdat hulle reeds te veel werklikheid moes hanteer. ” ‘n Mens kan byna sê, wat bly oor as daar nie fantasie is nie. Sonder fantasie is die lewe so eendimensioneel.” Oor of stories ‘n les moet bevat, voel sy sterk. ”Ek gril daarvoor. Stories moet ‘n kind laat groei omdat dit oorspronklik anders is. Dit moet nooit ‘n versuikerde preek wees nie. Kinders is te fyn, hulle let dit dadelik op.” Dis juis hoekom sy vir kinders skryf. Omdat hulle eerliker is as volwassenes. Soos die bekende Nederlandse kinderboek-skrywer Guus Kuijer gesê het: jy kan nie kinders bluf met literêre foefies nie. ”Die terugvoer wat ek van kinders kry, is heerlik. Omdat hulle so eerlik is, sal hulle nie aan my skryf as hulle nie werklik die boek geniet het nie.” As kenner van kinderboeke is sy bekommerd oor die toekenning van pryse vir kinder- en jeugboeke in Suid-Afrika. ”Daar moet gewerk word aan die keurders.” Kyk ‘n mens na die boeke wat bekroon word, is dit duidelik die mense wat dit beoordeel, het nie kennis van kinders nie. Sy sonder egter die die laaste paar jaar se toekenning van die Scheepers-prys uit as meer in die kol. * Dr. Elsabe Steenberg is reeds verskeie kere bekroon, onder meer met die J.P. van der Walt-prys vir Klawervyf (1975), die Sanlam-prys vir Boom bomer boomste (1980), die Tafelberg-prys vir Eendoring met lang bene (1979), Goue fluit my storie is uit (1986) en die Zoeloe-vertaling van Masilo en die monster (1991) is bekroon met Maqhawe Mkhizi-HAUM-Daan Retief-prys vir kinderliteratuur. Op skool is verskeie van haar boeke voorgeskryf, onder meer Rooi kanarie Hoepelbeen, Waar is Pappa se panfluit en Ken jy die weerligvoël. http://152.111.1.251/argief/berigte/beeld/1992/09/3/2/2.html Boekeblad Elsabé was altyd ‘n wenner Marina le Roux MISKIEN is Elsabe Steenberg in haar ryk en vol lewe nie na waarde geskat nie. Benewens kreatiewe en produktiewe skryfster was sy immers ook nog vrou en moeder, vertaler, resensent, akademikus, geliefde dosent en gewilde spreker by leeskringe en skryfskole. Maar daar was moontlik nie genoeg literêre bekronings nie. Die J.P. Van der Walt Prys twee maal, vir Klawervyf en vir Eendoring met lang Bene, die welverdiende Sanlam Prys vir Boom bomer boomste, en in 1993 die erepenning van die Akademie, het sy besonder waardeer. Maar sy het ‘n pragmatiese siening oor skryfpryse behou: “Dis so ‘n gedwonge soort ding. Wie wen, berus soms op wie die pryse toeken”, het sy by geleentheid gesê. Elsabé Steenberg was egter altyd ‘n wenner: onder haar toegewyde en getroue lesers, waaronder kleuters, kinders, tieners en volwassenes, en ‘n wenner oor die “draakstasie” in haar lewe. Nou is sy bevry van die rolstoel waarin sy die afgelope 20 jaar ‘n “vasgerankte” was. Ten spyte van die uitmergelende aanslae van veelvuldige sklerose, het sy steeds onwrikbaar geglo in die terapeutiese vennootskap met die letterkunde. Sy kon selfs met humor skryf oor haar siekte, die “gog”, die bedreigende “draakstasie” in haar outobiografiese werk Twee hang bo die Pad, vier Loop op die Mat:”Met genoegsame genade sal ek nou nie toelaat om die kern van dit wat ek is, aan te tas nie. Eerder sal jy my sterker maak, ‘n verbete vegter, ‘n dankbare mens. Maar ónderkry? O nee, onderkry sal jy my nie”. Hierdie lewensbeskouing het Elsabé Steenberg ten grondslag gelê. Sy was een van die mees prolifieke Afrikaanse skryfsters, veral dan van kinder- en jeuglektuur. As tiener het sy alreeds kortverhale gepubliseer, en haar eerste boeke het in 1968 verskyn : Die Moerasloper en Dat ek mag sien, wat vir televisie verfilm is as Sien jy nou? Sedertdien het daar ‘n wye verskeidenheid boeke, kortverhale, eenbedrywe, resensies en vaklektuur uit haar pen verskyn, vir volwassenes sowel as vir kinders Sy het egter altyd verkies om vir kinders te skryf, “omdat hulle tegelykertyd wond-baarder en oper is as grootmense én beter gewapen deur die vermoë tot verbeelding”. Die “wondbaarheid” van kinders is dan ook die herhalende tema in Steenberg se oeuvre. Gebore op Vrede, staan sy nou in die gees op Horeb, die hoogste piek van die Rooiberge by haar geliefde Clarens, en sy sien die beloofde land, sy glo en begroet dit.
In Engels…Tree more-Tree most Update: August 2011 – Opdateer: Augustus 2011 – Ek hoop dat die volgende PDF-lêers ook bruikbaar gevind sal word. Maak seker oor die Woordeboekbladsynommers in die vragies, want dit sal verseker nie dieselfde as jou klas s’n wees nie.
Eendag beland ‘n piepklein muisie in die poot van ‘n yslike groot leeu. “Ek het jou gevang, Meneer Muisie, jy is myne!” brul die yslike groot leeu.”Asseblief, Grote Leeu, Koning van die Diere, moet my nie seermaak nie. Laat my asseblief los. My kinders wag vir my en die son sak al laag. As jy my loslaat, sal ek vir jou ook eendag ‘n guns bewys”, pleit die muisie.”Jy weet”, brul die yslike, groot leeu, “ek dink nie jy sal enige nut vir my wees nie. Jy is glad te klein om vir my gunste te bewys. Maar loop maar, ek sal jou lewe spaar ter wille van jou kinders. Toe, loop nou, voor ek van plan verander.”Piepklein Muisie skarrel vinnig weg en verdwyn in die bosse.’n Paar dae later word Grote Leeu in ‘n strik gevang. Hy is vas en kan nie roer nie. Hy brul en brul, maar kan nie loskom nie. Skielik hoor hy ‘n “piep-piep” hier naby hom. Sowaar, dit is dieselfde muisie wat hy ‘n paar dae tevore gevang het.”Lê stil”, piep die muisie, “Ek sal gou-gou die toue deurknaag, dan sal jy los wees.””Ag, ou Muisie,” kla Grote Leeu moedeloos, die toue is so dik en jou tandjies is so klein. Hoe sal jy dit regkry?”Maar die muisie hou net aan met knaag en sowaar, kort voor lank is daar ‘n yslike gat waardeur Grote Leeu kan kruip.”Baie dankie, Kleine Muisie. Jy het vandag my lewe gered. Al is jy baie, baie klein, het jy my gered toe ek magteloos was. Ek is jammer dat ek gedink het dat jy te klein is om my te help. Ek sal vir jou en jou kindertjies ‘n groot geskenk gee.” Hulle was vir ewig vriende. Source: Connexions
Die Skilpad en die Haas
‘n Skilpad is ‘n dier wat baie stadig beweeg.Eendag sê die uitgeslape skilpad vir Haastige Hasie: “Ek wed jou ek sal jou wen as ons twee resies hardloop.” Die hasie kyk verbaas na skilpad en dink by homself: “Ek het seker nie reg gehoor nie. Glo hierdie trapsuutjies nou regtig hy sal my wen? Weet hy nie hoe vinnig ek kan hardloop nie? Hier is nie ‘n hond op hierdie plaaswerf wat my kan vang nie!””Nou goed”, sê Haas, “ons kan môre resies hardloop en dan kyk ons wie kom eerste by die wenstreep aan.”Die volgende oggend het al wat dier is bymekaar gekom om hierdie resies dop te hou.Skilpad en Haas staan gereed.”Op julle merke, gereed en weg is julle!” roep die olifant en hy blaas die fluitjie so hard dat dit deur die bos weergalm.Haastige Haas spring met ‘n vaart in die pad.’n Groot stofwolk agtervolg hom en hy verdwyn heeltemal daaragter.Skilpad stap maar voetjie vir voetjie aan.Hy is baie rustig en glimlag vir homself.Hasie dink toe dat hy genoeg tyd het om nou eers ‘n bietjie te rus en ‘n bietjie te eet.Hy gaan lê uitgestrek in die koelte van ‘n groot boom en begin knibbel aan die smaaklike, vars, groen grassies wat daar naby hom groei. Dit smaak heerlik, dink hy, en lê agteroor.Hy lê so lekker dat hy insluimer en vergeet van Ou Skilpad.Skilpad is bult-op en bult-af.Hy kyk nie regs nie en ook nie links nie.Hy hou net aan.Uiteindelik is hy twee tree van die wenstreep.Dis toe dat Hasie wakker skrik en onthou!Hy spring soos ‘n weerligstraal daar weg, maar te laat!Skilpad is oor die wenstreep!Al die diere juig en klap hande vir die wenner.”Jy sien”, sê Skilpad, “dit is waar wat hulle sê: HOE MEER HAAS, HOE MINDER SPOED. Jy het gedink jy is vinniger as ek en toe het jy te gerus geraak.”Skilpad stap weg met ‘n glimlag wat nou nog breër is.
It was Monday when the music of Villa Rides suddenly – without a warning! – entered my thoughts and managed to settle there and it hasn’t left me since! When I got home, I couldn’t wait to search the internet to see if there’s somewhere a downloadable file, but to no avail! All I could do, was to order this cd to satisfy my Villa Rides-thirst! When I was at secondary school, I used to do my homework on Saturdays outside with classical music playing…picture this…a farm, huge oak trees – five of them – in front of the house, about 20m away from the house, birds chirping around you…..and you…doing homework! (I loved school homework and wished always for more! haha do you think I’m insane/crazy!?) with the music playing loudly — Villa Rides was definitely on my music-menu during homework time! Even the pesty baboons in the mountain opposite the house had come closer to take a listen! wow! hehehe…I’ve decided to be generous again and to share some tasters with you. The first one is the theme music from the movie with the same title…Villa Rides! And, best of all, I didn’t even know about this movie! I was so surprised when I discovered that it was actually from a movie with even the same title! Why am I the last person to know this! The second and third also only “tasters” from this cd. I like Mantovani’s music and would like to put him in the same class/category as Waldo de los Rios.This is what I call music if I have to define music! I also have more info on Fierro and Pancho Villa…very interesting – the Mexican Revolution – on which the movie was based. Do enjoy! Enjoy the music of Mantovani and his orchestra with…Villa Rides, the theme music from the movie with the same title, Hora Staccato and the third track…Hungarian Rhapsody no2.
Rodolfo Fierro Villa in grey suit in center. General Rodolfo Fierro at far right.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodolfo_Fierro Rodolfo Fierro (b. 1880 d. October 14, 1915) was a railway worker, railway superintendent, federal soldier and lieutenant in the army of Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution in the Division del Norte. Fierro and his counter part and fellow lieutenant, Tomas Urbina, have been cited as the two halves of Pancho Villa, Fierrorepresenting his malicious side. It is believed Fierro met Pancho Villa in 1913 following the Madero revolution. Originating from Sonora, Fierro was a former federal officer having taken part in fighting against the Yaqui Indians. Following his role as a federal officer, Fierro went on to work as a railway man, eventually being absorbed into Villa’s ranks.
Soldier Fierro’s prominence is often cited back to the Battle of Tierra Blanca on November 23, 1913. The battle included 5,500 of Villa’s soldiers, against an estimated 7,000 federal soldiers. Before the battle began Fierro had been sent South to destroy the railroad tracks, forcing the federal soldiers to halt. As Villa flanked the well armed federal soldiers with cavalry, a locomotive filled with dynamite and percussion caps was rammed into the federal soldiers train cars, the resulting explosion caused the federal soldiers to flee to nearby undamaged train cars in retreat. Fierro is then noted as riding on horseback after the escaping locomotive, climbing on to the locomotive, running across the roofs of the train cars, and shooting dead the boilerman and conductor, pulling the train to a complete stop. All federal soldiers captured were executed and in the battle Villa captured 4 locomotives, 7 machine guns, horses, rifles and 400,000 rounds of small arms ammunition. The death toll during the battle stood around 1,000 federal soldiers killed and 300 of Villa’s.
Fierro is most known as Villa’s executioner, known as el carnicero (English the butcher).Fierro’s nom de guerra originates from a story documented by Martín Luis Guzmán. Guzmán describes events following the capture of over 300 soldiers known as Orozquistas. The captured soldiers were led into a large field with Fierro on one end, and a wall on the other. They were informed, if they were to reach the opposite end and climb over the wall they would be allowed to continue on free. In groups of ten the captured men were set out to run, Fierro alone firing his pistol at them as they ran, his soldiers handing him fresh pistols to continue firing without delay. One captive is noted as making it over the wall and to freedom, only after Fierro stopped to massage an achy trigger finger.The shooting went on for two hours. It is said that Fierro would ask each prisoner if they would rather return to their family, or join the army of Pancho Villa. Those deciding to return to their family were seem as men who would head back to their old regiment and were executed. Those choosing to join Pancho Villa were provided with a horse, a gun, and three bullets.
Other stories exist of Fierro shooting a man dead in public in the state of Chihuahua. The person, sitting across from Fierro, argued that a man shot would fall backwards, Fierro disagreed. To settle the bet Fierro shot the man, and watched as he fell forward, confirming to Fierro that he was correct.
While working as Villa’s railway superintendent, Fierro was publicly reprimanded by Villa for a train of supply water running 35 minutes late. Villa, when the train arrived is said to have shot the conductor dead as an act of vengeance for his humiliation. This incident sparked strife amongst the railway workers, who primarily supported Villa. In another incident, a drunken Fierro killed a railway worker for bumping into him, this final incident caused Villa to act. Villa permitted a judge to begin collecting evidence against Fierro into his actions, a judge who begged to be removed from the case for fear of repercussion. The case never went to trial but Fierro was removed from the position of railway superintendent. It is often stated the case was a sham, simply to continue to retain support from the much needed railway workers.
Fierro is also known for the murder of William S. Benton on February 17, 1914, an Englishman and land owner in Mexico who had his land confiscated by Villa’s forces. Numerous stories exist around what happened. Benton is cited as having stormed into Villa’s headquarters in Ciudad Juárez, demanding his land back from Villa, in which Villa refused. Following his refusal, Villa maintains Benton unsuccessfully attempted to draw a six-shooter pistol, he was wrestled to the floor and given a formal court martial and found guilty of attempted assassination, he was then executed and buried. A conflicting story exists in which Benton drew his pistol but was detained and removed from the town at night. He taken to the desert, where a hole was dug and Fierrois believed to have struck Benton in the head with a shovel, dumping into the grave without checking to see if Benton was still alive.
On October 14, 1915, Fierro died after being thrown from his horse and landing in quicksand. At the time, Fierro was marching toward Sonora when he encountered the quicksand at the Casas Grandes Lagoon. The weight of his belt, loaded with gold is said to have prevented him from being able to escape.
Doroteo Arango Arámbula also known as Pancho Villa
Charles Bronson as Villa and Yul Brynner as Fierro
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was fought from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836 between Mexico and the Texas (Tejas) portion of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas
Please click ON THIS LINK to read more about it. The link will open in a new window.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/unluckypuppy/482675237/in/set-72157594195589241/ I know Wipneus is going to freak out about these images from “unluckypuppy” on flickr. She’s a “stargazer!” and loves anything about space. This lily-flower’s name is also Stargazer! I think it’s beautiful! When I came across these images, I had to post it with some poems and I’ve found these lovely poems, enjoy them with the song by Don McLean–Starry, Starry Night! I like Van Gogh’s art too, so thought you would enjoy his “Starry Night” at the same time, also, I’ve Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata for you to enjoy too! and the link where you can download it.
Image:pickupflowers.com
A Sonnet of the Moon
Look how the pale queen of the silent night
Doth cause the ocean to attend upon her,
And he, as long as she is in his sight,
With her full tide is ready her to honor.
But when the silver waggon of the moon
Is mounted up so high he cannot follow,
The sea calls home his crystal waves to moan,
And with low ebb doth manifest his sorrow.
So you that are the sovereign of my heart
Have all my joys attending on your will;
My joys low-ebbing when you do depart,
When you return their tide my heart doth fill.
So as you come and as you do depart,
Joys ebb and flow within my tender heart.
I saw thee once — once only — years ago:
I must not say how many — but not many.
It was a July midnight; and from out
A full-orbed moon, that, like thine own soul, soaring,
Sought a precipitate pathway up through heaven,
There fell a silvery-silken veil of light,
With quietude, and sultriness, and slumber,
Upon the upturn’d faces of a thousand
Roses that grew in an enchanted garden,
Where no wind dared to stir, unless on tiptoe —
Fell on the upturn’d faces of these roses
That gave out, in return for the love-light,
Their odorous souls in an ecstatic death —
Fell on the upturn’d faces of these roses
That smiled and died in this parterre, enchanted
By thee, and by the poetry of thy presence.
Clad all in white, upon a violet bank
I saw thee half reclining; while the moon
Fell on the upturn’d faces of the roses,
And on thine own, upturn’d — alas, in sorrow!
Was it not Fate, that, on this July midnight —
Was it not Fate, (whose name is also Sorrow,)
That bade me pause before that garden-gate,
To breathe the incense of those slumbering roses?
No footstep stirred: the hated world all slept,
Save only thee and me. (Oh, Heaven! — oh, God!
How my heart beats in coupling those two words!)
Save only thee and me. I paused — I looked —
And in an instant all things disappeared.
(Ah, bear in mind this garden was enchanted!)
The pearly lustre of the moon went out:
The mossy banks and the meandering paths,
The happy flowers and the repining trees,
Were seen no more: the very roses’ odors
Died in the arms of the adoring airs.
All — all expired save thee — save less than thou:
Save only the divine light in thine eyes —
Save but the soul in thine uplifted eyes.
I saw but them — they were the world to me.
I saw but them — saw only them for hours —
Saw only them until the moon went down.
What wild heart-histories seemed to lie enwritten
Upon those crystalline, celestial spheres!
How dark a wo!, yet how sublime a hope!
How silently serene a sea of pride!
How daring an ambition! yet how deep —
How fathomless a capacity for love!
But now, at length, dear Dian sank from sight,
Into a western couch of thunder-cloud;
And thou, a ghost, amid the entombing trees
Didst glide way [[away]]. Only thine eyes remained.
They would not go — they never yet have gone.
Lighting my lonely pathway home that night,
They have not left me (as my hopes have) since.
They follow me — they lead me through the years.
They are my ministers — yet I their slave.
Their office is to illumine and enkindle —
My duty, to be saved by their bright light,
And purified in their electric fire,
And sanctified in their elysian fire.
They fill my soul with Beauty (which is Hope,)
And are far up in Heaven — the stars I kneel to
In the sad, silent watches of my night;
While even in the meridian glare of day
I see them still — two sweetly scintillant
Venuses, unextinguished by the sun!
On this link, you can find all Poe’s works and his biography too.
Image: flickr…unluckypuppy..follow the link at the first image
Starry, starry night.
Paint your palette blue and grey,
Look out on a summer’s day,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and the daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills,
In colors on the snowy linen land.
Starry, starry night.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze, Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand.
For they could not love you,
But still your love was true.
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night,
You took your life, as lovers often do.
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you.
Starry, starry night.
Portraits hung in empty halls,
Frameless head on nameless walls,
With eyes that watch the world and can’t forget.
Like the strangers that you’ve met,
The ragged men in the ragged clothes,
The silver thorn of bloody rose,
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.
Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they’re not listening still.
Perhaps they never will…
I’ve seen Romeo and Juliet ages ago, I can only recall certain parts of it, think I need to go and see it again. The Dance of the Knights is quite fresh in my mind…I’ve found the music for you to download too if you want to! Take a listen and enjoy the youtube movie. You can also read about the “Knight’s tour” in chess…almost like the “Dance of the Knights”;) The music was composed by Prokofiev and was also the theme music of the tv program “The Apprentice”. If you click on links, it will open in a new window.
History..links open in a new window.
The pattern of a Knight’s Tour on a half-board has been presented in verse form (as a literary constraint) in the highly stylized Sanskrit poem Kavyalankara written by the 9th century Kashmiri poet Rudrata, which discusses the art of poetry, especially with relation to theater (Natyashastra). As was often the practice in ornate Sanskrit poetry, the syllabic patterns of this poem elucidate a completely different motif, in this case an open knight’s tour on a half-chessboard.
The first algorithm for completing the Knight’s Tour was Warnsdorff’s algorithm, first described in 1823 by H. C. Warnsdorff. Read more on this link.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight’s_tour
Please click HERE to play through annotated videos of the games of Anand and Kramnik, 2008. The link will open in a new window. It is also the “movies”-link on my blog..top page.
Images: Official site
The big day has arrived! Opening ceremony on today…Monday 13th October
LIVE CHESS…click on the link on the top right of my blog! Follow this new link with the games I blog and chess graphics about their games….
14th October – 2nd November 2008….Who is going to be the winner?? The battle for the highest Chess Title! You can find the OFFICIAL LINK on my side-bar in the “Admin”-section as well in the “Chess” section…look out for the same image as the image in top of this post…I will be following the Championships and blog about it too…you can also find a link underneath my “welcome” image…on the side bar of my blog..(right hand side- top – the link will open in a new window) Please click hereto look at statistics between the 2 players on Wiki…the link will open in a new window. Schedule for the World Chess Championship 2008:
All games start at 3pm! 2pm UK local time and 9am Eastern USA time. Game 1 Tuesday October 14 —1/2 Game 2 Wednesday October 15 Game 3 Friday October 17
Game 4 Saturday October 18 Game 5 Monday October 20
Game 6 Tuesday October 21
Game 7 Thursday October 23
Game 8 Friday October 24
Game 9 Sunday October 26
Game 10 Monday October 27
Game 11 Wednesday October 29
Game 12 Friday October 31
Tiebreak Sunday November 02
On this link of Chessgamesyou can play through Kramnik and Anand’s games where they played one another. A new window will open when you click on the link! If you slide down to Anand, you will find more games to play through and at the bottom of this post you will find more links on my blog…- with games to play through- that were all played during tournaments.
Where: Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn
Overall Prize fund: 1,5 Million Euro
The match will consist of twelve games, played under classical time controls, in the period from October 14 to October 30, 2008. If there is a tie at the end of these games a tiebreak will be played on November 02, 2008. The prize fund, which will be split equally between the players, is 1,5 million Euro (approximately 2,1 million US Dollars) including taxes and FIDE licensee fees.
V. Kramnik and V. Anand. World Chess Championship Tournament Sep. 2007, Mexico City
Image: Official Site
1886 – 1946
Wilhelm Steinitz (Austria/USA) was the first official World Champion in the chess history. In 1886, he defeated Johannes Hermann Zukertort in the first classical tournament for the World Chess Champion title. They played 20 games against each other – and Steinitz won by 12.5:7.5 points. Steinitz defended his title up to 1894. Emanuel Lasker (Germany) deprived Steinitz of his title and remained champion for 27 years – a unique record in the chess history. The next World Chess Champions were José Raoul Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine and Max Euwe.
1948 – 1993
Since 1948, World Chess Federation (FIDE) started to organize the World Chess Championships. After Alekhine´s death in 1946, the new World Champion had to be determined. Thus, there was a tournament with several players where Mikhail Botvinnik (USSR) became a winner. Since that time, the reigning Champion should defend his title in a match against a challenger. Vassily Smyslov, Mikhail Tal, Tigran Petrossian and Boris Spassky – all of USSR – were the next World Champions. In 1972, Bobby Fischer (USA) broke through the dominance of the Soviet players by defeating Boris Spassky in Reykjavik. In 1975 Fischer refused to fight for his title, and as a result his challenger Anatoly Karpov was appointed as new Champion. Karpov – who played two times against Viktor Korchnoi and once against Garry Kasparov – kept his title until November 1985. Then it was Kasparov, who defeated Karpov by 13:11 points and became the new World Champion. 1986, 1987, and 1990 Kasparov succeeded in reserving his chess crown against Karpov, before he broke away from FIDE in 1993.
1993 – 2006
In 1993 Kasparov refused to defend his title under the conditions provided by FIDE – and together with his challenger Nigel Short (England) the World Champion decided to leave FIDE by holding the Championship match under the auspices of the new founded “Professional Chess Association” (PCA). Kasparov won the match against Short and retained the title of “Classical World Champion”. Two years later he won the next title match against Viswanathan Anand (India) in the New York World Trade Center. Finally it was Thursday, the 2nd November 2000, when Kasparov’s era ran out: with 8.5:6.5 victory Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) dethroned Kasparov, who did not manage to win a single game. Kramnik, at that time 25 years old, became the 14th Classical World Chess Champion. In October 2004 the next Championship took place: In Brissago (Switzerland) Kramnik held out against the attacks of the Hungarian Peter Leko and kept his title. Leko was qualified for this match by having won the Candidates’ tournament in 2002 in Dortmund.
On the other hand, FIDE continued organizing its own World Chess Championships from 1993 on. The FIDE title holders between 1993 and 2006: Anatoly Karpov (1993), Alexander Khalifman (1999), Viswanathan Anand (2000), Ruslan Ponomariov (2002), Rustam Kasimdzhanov (2004) and Veselin Topalov (2005).
The split of the chess world into two competitive championships ended in 2006. The duel between the Classical World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik and FIDE World Chess Champion Veselin Topalov took place in Elista from 23 September to 13 October 2006. In a historic battle this unification match combined both titles in one FIDE World Chess Championship. Having won this important event, Vladimir Kramnik became an undisputed World Chess Champion. Continue to read more on the Official site here: http://www.uep-worldchess.com/
Image: chessgames.com
VLADIMIR KRAMNIK
(born Jun-25-1975) Russia
Vladimir Kramnik was born in Tuapse, on June 25, 1975. In 1991 he won The World Under 18 Championship, and began a string of international success. At the Manila Olympiad 1992, he achieved a gold medal for best result on reserve board. Major tournament triumphs were soon to follow, such as Dortmund 1995, Tilburg 1997, and Wijk aan Zee 1998. Dortmund became a favorite stop, as Kramnik would go on to win seven more times, either as shared champion, or clear first. In 2000 Kramnik won his first Linares tournament, completing his set of victories in all three of chess’s “triple crown” events: Corus, Linares, and Dortmund. Kramnik would later capture additional Linares victories in 2003 (shared) and 2004.
In 2000 Kramnik reached the pinnacle by defeating long-time champion Garry Kasparov for the World Championship in London by the score of 8 1/2 to 6 1/2. Kasparov was reported as saying, “He is the hardest player to beat in the world.” The year 2002 saw Kramnik play an eight-game match against the program Deep Fritz (Computer) in Bahrain. The match ended in a 4-4 tie, with Kramnik and the computer each winning two games and drawing four. In 2006 the German organization Universal Event Promotion (UEP) would stage a return match of six games, which Kramnik lost, +0 -2 =4.
In 2004, Kramnik successfully defended his title by drawing a 14 game match against Hungarian GM Peter Leko in Brissago, Switzerland. His next title defense was in 2006, in a reunification match with the holder of the FIDE world title, Veselin Topalov. As part of his preparation for the match, Kramnik played first board for Russia in the 37th Chess Olympiad (2006), where he won the gold medal for best performance rating of all participants (2847). He also took part in the Dortmund Sparkassen (2006) supertournament, tying for first place with Peter Svidler.
The $1 million Kramnik-Topalov World Championship Match (2006), was played in Elista from September 21 to October 13, and drew record numbers of online followers on most major chess sites. After much controversy surrounding a forfeit in round 5, Kramnik won in the tiebreak phase, thereby becoming the first unified World Chess Champion since the schism of 1993.
Kramnik lost the unified World Champion title when he finished second to Viswanathan Anand at the Mexico City FIDE World Championship Tournament (2007). Kramnik will exercise his entitlement to a match for the World Championship against Viswanathan Anand in Bonn, Germany, starting 14 October 2008.
NOTABLE GAMES:
Kramnik vs Leko, 2004 1-0
Kasparov vs Kramnik, 1996 0-1
Leko vs Kramnik, 2004 0-1
Gelfand vs Kramnik, 1996 0-1
Kramnik vs Kasparov, 1994 1-0
Kramnik vs Kasparov, 2000 1-0
Leko vs Kramnik, 2004 1/2-1/2
Kramnik vs Anand, 2004 1/2-1/2
Kramnik vs Kasparov, 2001 1-0
Kramnik vs Morozevich, 2007 1-0
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Kasparov-Kramnik World Championship Match (2000)
Kramnik-Leko World Championship Match (2004)
Kramnik-Topalov World Championship Match (2006)
It is an almost senseless challenge to describe Vladimir Kramnik in only a few lines. His personality has too many facets; his areas of interests are too diverse. What is clear is that Kramnik is not solely fixated on chess. Current affairs interest him just as intensively as numerous sport and cultural activities, several of which he regularly engages in. The cosmopolitan would love to enjoy life ever more intensively, but his drive to succeed holds this inclination within limits. What is it that marks out a world chess champion in him even though he doesn’t focus exclusively on chess?
People close to Kramnik often claim that this has something to do with his creative nature and strategic gifts. Kramnik considers chess less as a sport and more as the art of carrying out a long-term plan. The harmonious interplay of his pieces and the beauty of his game are already legendary. He is always searching for creative and new solutions, particularly when he is playing.
In many games, they say, he sees things that no computer can calculate and no other grandmasters could discover. The ingenious ideas would come to him quite easily, providing him with moments of pure joy. The artistic vein in the 32-year-old Muscovite must have been given to him in his cradle. His father Boris is a well-known sculptor; his mother Irina a music teacher. No wonder that journalists all over the world have dubbed Kramnik an “artist” or “painter”.
Kramnik started to play chess at the age of five. At 12, his enormous talent was recognized in Moscow and encouraged. As a teenager, Kramnik got better and better – at only 16, he won the U18 World Championship. The list of his victories is long. He has already finished all major tournaments in the world as the victor. And he holds a record which made sporting history: Kramnik was unbeaten at the highest level in 86 classical games over 18 months up to July 2000. World Championship
Thursday, November 2, 2000, London: Vladimir Kramnik became the World Chess Champion with a brilliant 8.5-6.5 result against Garry Kasparov (Russia), who could not win a single game. After Garry Kasparov had congratulated him, the greatest dream of his life became true. Exulting, Kramnik threw his arms up into the air in triumph. The audience’s applause and the subsequent tumult will not be forgotten. It was a historic moment in the history of chess: Kramnik had not only won the lion’s share of the two-million dollar prize money; his victory had ended Kasparov’s 15-year-long reign on the chess throne.
First Challenge
In 2004, he faced off in another World Championship Match, this time in Switzerland : Kramnik successfully defended his title against the Hungarian super grandmaster Péter Lékó. In a complex strategic battle, he pulled off a supreme coup, winning in the 14th game – the last in the match – with a 7:7 tie. Kramnik was lucky because it was agreed before the match that he had to be beaten outright based on points – the challenger Lékó came heart-wrenchingly close to doing so.
2005 was a year of ups and downs for the World Champion. Kramnik was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, entered intense medical treatment, and disappeared from the tournament hubbub for six months. The break seemed to rejuvenate the Russian – at his comeback in the 2006 Chess Olympiad in Turin , he had the best individual score of all 1,000 participants. Kramnik was successful in several tournaments thereafter and on 1 January 2008 he again occupied the no. 1 position in the FIDE world ranking list.
The Unification Match
In October 2006, Kramnik faced the biggest challenge: the unification match that would decide who the next unique, absolute World Champion would be. In a historic fight against all sort of adversities, Kramnik defeated the FIDE champion Veselin Topalov ( Bulgaria ) to become the first unified World Champion after 1993, the one and only official World Chess Champion. His win in Elista was one of the most impressive victories in all of sports history.
Highlights:
– World Chess Champion 2000-2007
– Undefeated in three World Championship Matches
– Three-time Olympiad winner as a member of the Russian team
– Russian Honoured Master of Sport
– Current ELO rating: 2788
Please click HERE to play through Kramnik’s games on chessgames.com The link will open in a new window.
VISWANATHAN ANAND All games on these links will open in a new window.
Please click HEREto play through a ‘Petrov Defence’- game which was played in 2003. This Sicilian game was played in 2001and this Sicilian Najdorf was played in 2003. (born Dec-11-1969) India
Viswanathan Anand, or “Vishy” as he is known to his fans, became in 1984 the youngest Indian to earn the title of IM at the age of fifteen. At the age of sixteen he became the Indian Champion. In 1987, he became the first Indian to win the World Junior Championship. At the age of eighteen, he became India’s first grandmaster. His prowess at quick-play chess earned him the nickname “The Lightning Kid.”
Anand contested a match with Garry Kasparov for the PCA World Chess Championship in 1995, but lost. Three years later he won a knockout tournament in Groningen to qualify to play for the FIDE title against Anatoli Karpov, but was defeated in rapid tie-breaks. a game by them in 1996 with the Reti-opening.
In 1998, he won the strongest Linares tournament ever, with an average rating of 2752, making it a category 21 event. In 2000, he beat Alexey Shirov to become the FIDE World Chess Champion. He is a four-time winner of the Chess Oscar award and the 2003 FIDE World Rapid Chess Champion. In spring of 2006, following a record-extending fifth victory at Corus Wijk aan Zee (2006), Anand became only the fourth player ever to crack the 2800-Elo mark in FIDE ratings, following Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik, and Veselin Topalov. 2007 was a year of two memorable milestones for Anand. First, he finally achieved his longtime goal of becoming world #1 in ratings. After winning his second victory at Linares-Morelia (2007), he overtook Topalov to claim first place on FIDE’s April list. His second great success came at the FIDE World Championship Tournament (2007). Leading throughout the event, Anand captured the unified World Chess Champion title with an undefeated +4 score. A few months later, he won the Morelia-Linares (2008) outright for the third time. Anand’s first title defense will be in a match against challenger Vladimir Kramnik in October 2008. Please click HERE to play through the games of Anand. The link will open in a new window.
NOTABLE GAMES: Karjakin vs Anand, 2006 0-1
Anand vs Topalov, 2005 1/2-1/2
Anand vs Lautier, 1997 1-0
Anand vs Bologan, 2003 1-0
Anand vs Kasparov, 1995 1-0
Anand vs Ponomariov, 2002 1-0
Radjabov vs Anand, 2002 0-1
Kramnik vs Anand, 2004 1/2-1/2
Anand vs Karpov, 1996 1-0
Anand vs Kramnik, 2005 1-0
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Kasparov-Anand World Championship Match (1995)
Karpov-Anand World Championship (1998)
FIDE World Championship Knockout Tournament (2000)
FIDE World Championship Knockout Tournament (2001)
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Kasparov-Anand World Championship Match (1995)
Karpov-Anand World Championship (1998)
FIDE World Championship Knockout Tournament (2000)
FIDE World Championship Knockout Tournament (2001)
Acclaimed as the Fastest Brain in the world, Viswanathan Anand is the World Number one and World Champion. It is his success in the world scene that has made this ancient Indian game, a mass sport in India.The critics rate him as one of the biggest natural talents ever in the history of chess. His hallmark lightening speed and intuitive play came to be recognised when he became the first Indian Grandmaster in 1987.
On 29th September 2007 Anand became World Champion for the second time in his career. By winning the event in Mexico Anand becomes the Undisputed Champion, ending many years of schism in the chess world. An feat that is unique as he achieved it while being the World No.1. A honour shared by a select few. Anand became the first Asian to win the World Championships in 2000. In 2007 Anand reached the number one spot on the world ranking lists by winning the prestigious Linares tournament. He becomes the seventh person in modern chess history to reach the coveted spot. This is the first for an Indian and Asian . He won the prestigious Melody Amber, Blind & Rapid chess in Monaco in 2003, 2005, 2004(Rapid), 2006, 2007(Rapid). The Leon Magistral for the seventh time, Corsica Masters five times & the Mainz Classic a staggering ten times. His results in rapid chess make him one , if not the greatest player ever in chess history . If his talent as a Rapid chess player is legendary, his records in classical chess have been superlative. In January 2006, he became the only player in chess history to win the Corus Chess event 5 times in the tournament’s 70-year history. He has won the prestigious Corus event 5 times (1989,1998,2003,2004 & 2006), Linares Super Tournament 3 times (1998 , 2007 and 2008), Dortmund Sparkassen 3 times (1996,2000 & 2004) and other important events like, Madrid Masters, Biel etc.
One of the few non-Soviet players in the sport, Viswanathan Anand has been feted with many international awards. He is the proud recipient of the Chess Oscars given for the best player of the year . He received this award four times. (1997,1998, 2003,2004) (An unique distinction he shares with Bobby Fischer).In India he has received the civilian awards, Padma Vibhushan,Padma Bhushan, the Padmashree and the Arjuna Award. He is the first recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. He has received other prestigious awards from private organisations .
Having travelled to close to 50 countries, Anand is also fluent in Spanish and German. One of the projects closest to heart is the NIIT Mind Champions Academy which aims at taking chess to over 1 million children from both Government and Private schools in India . Known as the Gentleman Champion in the chess world, Anand is a spokesperson for Vidyasagar, a NGO that crusades for the Inclusion of children with cerebral palsy and he also represents Avahan, the Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation initiative on AIDS. Anand is a keen follower of current affairs, world business and astronomy. Source: http://www.uep-worldchess.com/
On all of these links – on my blog – you will find games of Kramnik or Anand which you can play through — games they played during different tournaments.
Is jy ‘n GEEL persoon….are you a YELLOW person? Read and decide! Lees en besluit of dit jou persoonlikheid is! Enjoy the mosaic of yellow-images from my pc…which I’ve found on google…of course you will always find Africa/South Africa/Chess in my mosaics! How can I NOT have it…I do love yellow as a colour…more sunflower-yellow. I will never use colours if I can’t use yellow too. I can’t imagine life without yellow. Even my eyes have some tiny yellow spots which people find fascinating…with the green of my eyes. Have a YELLOW day today! Click on this link to see what colour is your aura. Mine is blue! http://www.blogthings.com/whatcolorisyourauraquiz/
Blues are the most caring, nurturing and protective personalities in the color-spectrum. They live out of their hearts and their emotions. Their life purpose is to serve, help and love others. Blues have an inner knowledge and wisdom and they feel and know what is right without needing facts or data for substantiation. The moment they become quiet inside, they will recognize or hear an inner voice or guidance, which will tell them what to do. They can easily tune into other people and feel precisely what is going on. Blues are the most emotional of all the color personalities. Blues are more concerned about others then they are about themselves They are born caretakers and mothers. They remember other people’s birthdays, are concerned about the sick and have always a shoulder for others to cry on. They are born advisers, counselors, caretakers and nurses. Many people enjoy being with Blues because they transmit love, acceptance and forgiveness. Blues cry easily and primarily release their emotions, joy, sorrow, sadness and happiness, through tears. The other color personalities often have problems understanding the Blues intense emotionality. However, this emotional depth gives them the ability to be warm, sympathetic and protective. Read more about “blues” on this link…http://www.geocities.com/goddesslit/blueaura.html
ODE TO SOME YELLOW FLOWERS
Rolling its blues against another blue,
the sea, and against the sky
some yellow flowers.
October is on its way.
And although
the sea may well be important, with its unfolding
myths, its purpose and its risings,
when the gold of a single
yellow plant
explodes
in the sand
are bound
to the soil.
They flee the wide sea and its heavings.
We are dust and to dust return.
In the end we’re
neither air, nor fire, nor water,
just
dirt,
neither more nor less, just dirt,
and maybe
some yellow flowers.
PABLO NERUDA
MIND/BODY
Yellows are the sunniest, happiest and most childlike personalities in the color-spectrum. “All I want to do is have some fun!” is a song which is a wonderful representation of Yellows and shows their easy going, light and sunny character. These playful people have a wonderful sense of humor. They love to laugh and intimately enjoy life from many different angles. They advocate relaxation, the pure joy of life and live spontaneously. They are always reminding other people to not take life too seriously and to always look on the bright side. Life and work should both be enjoyed.
A Yellow’s primary motivations are enjoyment, entertainment and creativity. They measure life by how happy and content they are and how good they feel. “Life is like a box of chocolates, it is sweet and a lot of fun.” Yellows are intelligent, bright and radiant personalities. They learn easily and receive information without asking about the deeper connections or reasons behind it. They love to work with their minds and equally love to play and occupy themselves with philosophies, mental ideas and concepts. They also enjoy discussing all aspects of life, from politics to spirituality. Yellows can be spontaneous and overflowing with artistic and creative ideas. However, their focus is much more on enjoying than it is on creating. They have an abundance of energy, which is easily recognized by their physical activeness. It is difficult for them to sit still for a long period of time. However, when this occurs, they have a constant need to be moving their hands.
In harmony Yellows are very creative. They love to work with their hands and enjoy doing such things as writing, painting, repairing things or sculpting. They know how to enjoy mental-creative and physical reality with all its variations. In balance Yellows are happy and content personalities. They inherently know how to accept whatever is happening in their lives. Yellows are the most child-like personalities in the color spectrum and they never want to grow up. As a result they generally look younger then they actually are. They love to travel, to see the world, to relax on a wonderful beach and have fun dancing all night long. You will immediately recognize if a Yellow is happy, sad or feels uneasy, because they emit unusually strong body language. A Yellow body never lies. It always shows the truth. They are sensitive and intuitive through their physical bodies and also through their touch. Therefore, Yellows are often found in occupations such as healing or massage. They love to be around people and they enjoy helping people. They have healing hands and a healing, light attitude towards life. All these qualities make Yellows excellent healers or therapists.
Yellow personalities have a fear of relationships, commitments and obligations. They will often run away from their problems and difficulties or simply ignore them. Various forms of running away could be expressed as constantly making excuses for things, sleeping all day long, being lethargic, being just plain lazy or continually moving from one location to another. Many Yellows are late on a regular basis. Even though they have difficulty in being on time they will always come up with creative and sufficient excuses. Because of their sensitive, physical, bio-chemical bodies, Yellows do not like pain or even the thought of having to experience it. They will do nearly anything to avoid any form of discomfort. Fun-loving Yellows are addictive and physically dependent personalities. They have a driving need to experience a physical “high” or a euphoric state of mind. If they focus on positive activities they remain energetic, joyful and creative.
SOCIAL LIFE
Yellow personalities are social people. They have many friends and are constantly looking forward to meeting new ones. They enjoy all varieties of get-togethers. Yellows are welcome at any party because of their joyful, easy going and often-funny attitude toward life and their intellectual brilliance. They are group conscious whether in organized, team sports or simply with their friends. They are typically the center of attention and seem to be surrounded by friends all the time. Yellows enjoy a sense of sharing and communion through their constant physical activity and always being with several friends. They are good friends, communicate openly with others and love to bring people together.
RELATIONSHIPS AND INTIMACY
Yellows have a need for relationships. They can be sensitive and caring in both relationships and also partnerships. They prefer partners, who can laugh with them, support and take care of them, and will not challenge or take away their freedom. Yellow personalities have a deep seeded fear of commitment. They want to be independent and free to enjoy everything life has to offer. As a result, many Yellows live as singles with regular partners or in semi-committed relationships. Yellows love to flirt and are emotionally charged by the excitement of meeting new and different people. For these addictive, color personalities the other sex is a way of connecting with life and also compensating for their own energy deficiencies. They need to see and understand the differences between being independent, but loving and committed, and using a relationship as a substitute for their own problems.
CAREER AND FINANCE
Yellows love being spontaneous, initiative and stimulative. They are the perfect selection for new projects but sometimes have difficulties finishing them. Money is not a primary issue for them. They can make money easily because they are not afraid to work hard. Yellow personalities are creative problem solvers. They have the ability to create new, unusual and innovative solutions. On the other hand, they also have difficulties in finishing projects or solving problems completely. They are good at starting things and keeping others enthusiastic. If they decide to take action and solve problems, Yellows will find simple, unique and inventive solutions. However, they often don’t want to do the serious work, which is needed to accomplish or finish a project.
Yellows are good team members and lead others by example. They enjoy demonstrating and showing others how things work or how things could be done. They utilize their strong qualities of motivation and creativity. Yellows are the most likely of all the different personalities to have fun in their work or occupation. Typical “Yellow” occupations are: Athlete, comedian, musician, painter, artist, student, philosopher, psychologist, massage therapist, health practitioner, waiter, mechanic, cook, stewardess or travel guide.
HEALTH, WELL-BEING AND GROWTH
Yellows need to take care of their physical bodies more then other color personalities. Their body is like an “energetic” antenna. They sense other people’s feelings, thoughts or even vibrations in a room. If they do not stay in power their body will show imbalances and can be heavily effected by outside influences. They also know exactly what the Mind/Body connection means. They are perfect examples of how emotions and thoughts influence and are interconnected with the physical body.
Yellows need to emotionally understand that commitments and relationships can help them reach deeper levels of intimacy and self-awareness. This same understanding will also bring more fun, excitement and freedom into their lives. Their problems will not simply disappear just by avoidance or running away from them. They can create successful solutions by confronting all aspects of life with joy and an easy attitude. To achieve harmony in their life, Yellows need to find creative and playful ways of expression. Actively expressing their physical and creative energies will allow them to live an easy going, happy and joyful life. Positive addictions such as physical exercise and movement, healthy and playful sex or meditation and prayer are extremely important. Activities like bicycling, tennis, dancing, jogging or other long-muscle exercises are recommended for Yellows and should be practiced daily. Source…
Monday’s child is fair of face.
Tuesday’s child is full of grace. Wednesday’s child is full of woe. …so have some tea! Thursday’s child has far to go.
Friday’s child is loving and giving.
Saturday’s child works hard for a living,
But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day
Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.
I was in the hostel during the first term of the start of Secondary School…and on Wednesdays, we used to say…today is DVPV-day…in Afrikaans it says “Dank Vader Poeding Vandag“…(English….Thank God Pudding Today)…hehehe…that’s only if you were in the school hostel you would say that…lol! but as it’s Wednesday today…and according to this rhyme…Wednesday’s child is full of woe…Enjoy a cup of tea with me…and aint these flowers beautiful!?
Alida Bothma’s biographical detail Born and bred in Pretoria, and now a Greyton resident, Alida obtained a diploma in Graphic Design, with distinction, at the Cape Town Technikon in 1973 and then worked as an illustrator with an advertising agency.
At the age of 26 she had her first international recognition when her work was included in a watercolour exhibition in Western Germany. The early 1980’s saw the beginning of her involvement in the illustration of children’s books and to date they number over 150.
Her paintings are often inspired by the written word or thoughts, prose, poetry and Scripture. Alida works in a variety of techniques and usually uses a mixture of different media.
She is the recipient of many national awards, among others, the Katrine Harries Medal in 1985; the MER Medal in 1988 and the ATKV Awards in 1993, 1997 and 2000. Her work has extensively been seen abroad in Japan, Belgium, Canada, Italy, the Slovak Republic, Iran and India.
In 1994 she received a merit award and in 2005 a bronze medal from the NOMA Concours (Unesco), Tokyo, Japan. Her work is represented in South Africa and internationally and she has held numerous solo exhibitions. She and her husband relocated from Port Elizabeth to Greyton in 2014, where she now has her studio.
I came across Alida Bothma’s art when searching for a topic and then remembered how beautifully she used to illustrate South African children’s books. In 2004 she was a runner-up in the Noma Concours Picture Book illustrations-award.
The Noma Concours for Picture Book Illustrations has been organised biennially by Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) supported by Noma International Book Development Fund. This Concours is to discover up-and-coming illustrators, graphic designers and artists in Asia (except Japan), the Pacific, Africa, Arab States, and Latin America & the Caribbean, to provide an opportunity at which they can present their works to offer incentives for their creative activities.
Goue Lint My Storie Begint..(A book of verse for little children also Illustrated by Alida)
The Katrine Harries Award, originally the only and most prestigious award in South Africa for children’s book illustrations, but which had been dormant for the past nine years, will soon be awarded again.
Protea Boekhuis has kindly agreed to sponsor the Award on a continuous basis. The award that was made for the first time in the early 1960’s by the SA Library Association and later the South African Institute for Library and Information Science (SAILIS) has been awarded to South Africa’ s most well-known illustrators: Katrine Harries personally received the award twice before it was named after her. Thereafter illustrators such as Niki Daly, Joan Rankin, Alida Bothma, Cora Coetzee, Jeremy Grimsdell, amongst others, have received it, with Jude Daly finally receiving it in 1997 for Gift of the Sun. Resource: http://scbwigauteng.blogspot.com/2007/09/katrine-harries-award-for-childrens.html
These two images immediately captured my attention! Deeply Morbid by Stevie Smith
Deeply morbid deeply morbid was the girl who typed the letters Always out of office hours running with her social betters But when daylight and the darkness of the office closed about her Not for this ah not for this her office colleagues came to doubt her It was that look within her eye Why did it always seem to say goodbye?
Joan her name was and at lunchtime Solitary solitary She would go and watch the pictures In the National Gallery All alone all alone This time with no friend beside her She would go and watch the pictures All alone.
INTERNATIONAL: 1. Merit award: NOMA Concours (UNESCO), Tokyo, Japan 1994 – illustration in “Die Wit Vlinder by Corlia Fourie. 2. Bronze Medal and Runner-up award: NOMA Concours (UNESCO), Tokyo, Japan 2005 for a volume of poetry, Woordreise. NATIONAL: 1. Katrine Harries Medal for illustration in 1985 for two books: All Everest’s Birds (Rona Rupert) and The Earth must be free (Pieter W. Grobbelaar). 2. M.E.R. Medal in 1988 for illustrations in the book Goue Fluit my storie is uit (compiled by Linda Roode). 3. ATKV Award for illustrators in 1993, 1997 and 2000 for the books Caty Collie Wobbles (Elsabe Steenberg), Stippe Stappe Stories, and Steweltjies na Wonderland (Hester Heese).
All art below: see her Facebook page: Alida Bothma Art.
Moeg? Tired? Wat doen jy as jy so moeg is dat jy voel jy kan nie meer nie. Where do you go if you feel you’re so tired that you can’t move an inch! To a place like this? I think I would prefer a waterfall and the silence of the night, with only the sounds of nature all surrounding me! But, if you’re in an overcrowded city with zillions of feet moving about, horns sounding, police/ambulance sirens, ambulances speeding up and down after accidents, cars zooming down the roads, where exactly do you go then? No waterfalls near you, no silent night with the sound of nature. I’ve come across these images and thought it was really cool, but I don’t think those chairs are really comfortable for a tired body! Read about it and I’ve also the link to the designer’s official site to have a sneak peek there too.
To conclude my series on Tokyo’s Café boom, I’d like to show a more recent work by Ichiro Katami and Uichi Yamamoto. SO TIRED opened in April of 2006 in the business district of Marunouchi. The concept was to create a church-like atmosphere where businessmen can relax after (or during) a hard days work. The stained glass is a nice touch that creates a unique environment, very uncommon to Japan. But what’s even more impressive are the chairs. If you look closely you’ll notice that on the rear of the chairs there is a bible holder. These are actual church chairs imported from Europe.
SO TIRED serves a blend of Cantonese and Western cuisine. And, quite contrary to what the name suggests, high-octane woks and energetic staffers characterize the general feel of the shop.
The design is comforting, but not too noisy or overpowering, something that the 2 designers emphasize in all of their work.
Since 1997 to the present, their stores have been met with enthusiastic intrigue. Is it a coffee shop? Is it a restaurant? That ambiguity was probably what was needed to interfere with the rigid structure of day-to-day Japanese lifestyle. That ambiguity was probably what was so relaxing about cafes, and what kept people coming back. Ichiro Katami and Uichi Yamamoto possessed the foresight to identify the needs of Japanese consumers, proposing solutions through elegantly designed cafes. Perhaps that, over their artistic skills, was the true genius behind the duo.Source—http://www.spoon-tamago.com/2008/08/15/japans-cafe-boom-part-4/
It’s not Christmas yet! But maybe an early Christmas present for Alexandra with the World Women’s Chess Championship’s final starting this coming Sunday between Alexandra and 14 year-old Hou Yifan of China! Saturday 13 Sept is a free day. The finals start on Sunday…see schedule:
Please click HERE to play through the games of Alexandra Kosteniuk and Hou Yifan’s games in round 5. The link will open in a new window. Please click here for the Official site that will open in a new separate window.
Schedule — all games start at 15.00 (GMT +3) Sunday 14 September Round 6, game 1, Yifan vs Kosteniuk–0-1
Monday 15 September Round 6, game 2, Kosteniuk vs Yifan–1/2
Tuesday 16 September Round 6, game 3, Yifan vs Kosteniuk–1/2
Wednesday 17 September Round 6, game 4, Kosteniuk vs Yifan–1/2
Thursday 18 September Tiebreaks/Closing Ceremony
So the Women’s World Chess Championship Final will be between 24 year-old Alexandra Kosteniuk of Russia and 14 year-old Hou Yifan of China (pictured).
Image: chess.com
Hou Yifan earned her place in the final the hard way by beating favourite Humpy Koneru of India in a blitz tie-break playoff.
Yifan won the first rapid game only to be pagged back by Koneru in the second. Yifan again took the lead by winning the first blitz game and this time Koneru failed to stage another comeback and was finally eliminated.
So it’s Russia versus China in a 4-game final for the World Chess Championship. In the red corner it’s GM Alexandra Kosteniuk – a former Women’s World Championship finalist from 7 years ago, she’s now practically a veteran compared to her opponent. In the errr…other red corner , a full 10 years younger, is Hou Yifan who has also qualified as a GM and is a remarkable chess phenomenon.
Saturday is a rest day, so the final starts on 14 Sept (Sunday) and finishes on 17 Sept (Wednesday). If the scores are level there will be tiebreaks on the 18 Sept to determine the winner.
So what story will be written? Is it to be the tale of Kosteniuk returning after many years to go one better and finally win the title she covets? Or is to be Hou Yifan, a world champion at just 14 years of age?
I am Alexandra Kosteniuk, an International Woman Grandmaster (WGM) –1998– and an International Master among men (IM) –2000–. During the FIDE Congress in Calvia –2004–I was awarded the title of Grandmaster (Men), thus I became 10th woman in the whole history of chess who got this title. I am the Women’s Vice Champion of the World, a title I got at the World Championships in Moscow in December 2001. I am the European Champion 2004 and Russian Champion 2005.
I was born in the Russian city of Perm on April 23, 1984. I have been living in Moscow since I was one year old. I graduated from the Russian State Academy of Physical Education in July 2003 and am now a certified professional chess trainer. It’s my dad, Konstantin Vladimirovich – who taught me to play chess when I was 5 years old and I am very grateful to him for that.
I improved in chess rapidly. My first great achievements came in Junior tournaments. In 1994 I became the European Champion among girls under the age of 10, and a month later shared first and second places at the World Championship under the age of 10. Later, I had the same major achievements in other age categories, for example I became World Champion of girls under 12, in 1996.
In 1997, I became a Woman International Master (WIM) at the age of 13, they say that I reached this mark slightly quicker than Maya Chiburdanidze, but I don’t give much significance to that. I scored all necessary WGM norms in February of 1998 that is at the age of 13 years and 10 months but the GrandMaster title was officially given to me in November 1998 at the 33rd World Olympiad in Kalmykia.
My current ELO rating as of July 1, 2005 is 2516, which makes me now the fifth strongest woman in the world. My official rating in the USCF Rating list of August 2005 is 2565 and so I am the highest rated woman on the USCF Rating List at this moment.
I also have many other interests but chess, I write poems (some of them are published in my book), and I like sport in all its forms. I also love to do fashion modelling, and I even played a part in a movie, which by far was the most fun thing I have ever done in my life.
My first book How I became Grandmaster at age 14 has been published already in three languages (Russian, English and Spanish). My dad and I have worked on it for almost two years, and I feel that its genre is very original. It is a manual in which I teach to play chess and at the same time I tell how I learned to play chess starting from the age of 5. The book contains many annotated games and pictures, including color ones. I hope that it won’t disappoint you. I think that many parents could purchase it as a present for their children. Perhaps not everyone who reads it will become a Grandmaster at the age of 14, but many readers will learn to play this most intelligent and most beautiful game in the world.
Enjoy the music of Sweet People and Barcarolle..and as I said before, knowing now how to give you a taster only…you can now only listen to about 3/4 of the track…sorry!
This mosaic has got different pictures and I don’t want to say too much. In short…you can see pictures from Loweswater Lake…I’ve blogged about Cockermouth and Mockerkin before and if you read my entries about it, you will also know where Loweswater is…in the Lake District. You can see a few pictures about Hawkshead, where Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top farm is, I have done an entry about her two days ago, read and see more images on this link. On this link you will also find the Cockermouth/Mockerkin-links….https://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/2008/09/10/beatrix-potters-hill-top-farm/Then you can see pictures that I took at Hadrian’s Wall and at Whitehaven. I’ve got some links for you to follow and to read about. The best to view this mosaic, is to click on it and you will see a lovely large picture. Do enjoy it!Please clickHERE to read more about Hadrian’s wall-trails…
Image: aboutscotland.co.uk…click on the image for a larger view
On the map, nr 3, is where we visited Birdoswald Roman Fort and remains of the wall. The third last picture on my image is a photo which I took at the Fort. In two pictures in the bottom row you can see remains of the wall. Read on this link why Hadrain built this wall. http://www.aboutscotland.co.uk/hadrian/wall.html
On this map I’ve indicated where the actual remains start…at Brampton, near Carlisle. Click on the image for a larger view.
Whitehaven….has many links with the USA, but perhaps the most famous link of all is that of John Paul Jones. Jones was born in Scotland, but raised in Whitehaven and trained as a seaman. These skills were transferred to the American military as Jones became the founding father of the US Navy. In an amazing turn of events, Jones, and his fleet, attacked Whitehaven during the American war of Independence, in 1777. Read also on this great link more about this Georgian town. http://www.visitcumbria.com/wc/whaven.htm
Love one another, but make not a bond of love.
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup, but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread, but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone.
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.
For only the hand of life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together.
For the pillars of the temple stand apart.
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.
On this link HERE you can download Peter Rabbit MP3-stories for free! The link will open in a new window
We recently visited the Lake District and in particular, the western area, where you can see the purple-pinkish spot at Cockermouth. We stayed in an apartment at Mockerkin, just about 7 miles from Cockermouth. See my entry about Cockermouth here:https://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/i-wandered-lonely-as-a-cloud/ and about Mockerkin here….https://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/mockerkin/. For my South African readers reading here…I know it’s funny to say “miles”, but in England, all distances are in miles, which was a ‘surprise‘ to us, as we are used to kilometers and the metric system in South Africa. I grew up with the metric system, but they try to keep the Imperial System in England….sort of part of “tradition”.
On this map you can see whereabouts the farm of Beatrix Potter is…the other purple spot at Hawkshead. It’s also at “Near Sawrey”…we travelled about an hour from where we stayed to Hill Top farm. You have to buy a timed ticket. We went really very early, bought our ticket -for 5 past 12. You can choose your time, but we didn’t as we wanted to go as early as possible…..so we had just more than an hour to wait. To while the time away, we were doing some sightseeing. They don’t allow many people to go in at any one time and they’re very strict. If your ticket says 5 past 12, you can’t try to slip in at 3 min past 12…ask me!! lol! You have to wait till they call the time your ticket says! On the map you will also see a spot at Carlisle…and that will be my next stop with a next entry…as we visited Hadrian’s Wall there. The remains are actually more near to Brampton…which is near Carlisle. Just south of Cockermouth you will see Whitehaven, a coastal town and it has a historical ‘story’ too. I’ve got some great images which I took there, Whitehaven has an American “connection”. If you’re curious, you can go and read about it…I will upload images about it later.
This image was taken in front of Hill Top farm
Part of the house, as there were many visitors, it was difficult to take a complete picture without any visitors. We were not allowed to take any pictures from the inside of the house, but I have images from “The tale of the Roly Poly pudding”….and if you visit the house, you are given this book and as you wander through the house, you can look at images in the book and the house too, as Beatrix Potter was an illustrator herself, you will see how perfectly she illustrated her books. In particular this tale, the setting was Hill Top farm! I also have a link where you can read the complete story online.
Front door
Part of the house that is not accessible to tourists. A farmer lives here and I think he looks after the farm too. Beatrix extended the original house, but it was asked in her testament that this part will not be accessible to tourists.
hmm…think you know what this is…this was taken a few meters away from the front door..
Samuel Whiskers! The title of this tale is…”The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or the Roly Poly pudding.” Of course you can’t leave this place without a little book and I bought myself this very tale as it has images that will remind me of the house…as the setting of this tale is this house!
‘Tea time at Hill Top ‘ by..Stephen Darbishire – Image: visitcumbria.com/amb/hilltop.htm
This piece of art gives you a great idea of what the kitchen looks like. I love it!
Beatrix Potter was born on 28 July 1866 in South Kensington, London. She lived a lonely life at home, being educated by a governess and having little contact with other people. She had many animals which she kept as pets, studying them and making drawings.
Her parents took her on three month summer holidays to Scotland, but when the house they rented became unavailable, they rented Wray Castle near Ambleside in the Lake District. Beatrix was 16 when they first stayed here. Her parents entertained many eminent guests, including Hardwicke Rawnsley vicar of Wray Church, who in 1895 was to become one of the founders of the National Trust.
His views on the need to preserve the natural beauty of Lakeland had a lasting effect on the young Beatrix, who had fallen in love with the unspoilt beauty surrounding the holiday home.
For the next 21 years on and off, the Potters holidayed in the Lake District, staying once at Wray Castle, once at Fawe Park, twice at Holehird and nine times at Lingholm, by Derwentwater, famous now for its rhododendron gardens. Beatrix loved Derwentwater, and explored Catbells behind Lingholm. She watched squirrels in the woods, saw rabbits in the vegetable gardens of the big house. She made many sketches of the landscape. They still kept in touch with Rev Rawnsley, who after 5 years at Wray, moved to Crosthwaite Church just outside Keswick.
Rawnsley encouraged her drawings, and when back in London Beatrix made greetings cards of her pictures, and started a book. Rawnsley encouraged her to publish, and eventually Frederick Warne published ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’ in 1902. Her third book, ‘Squirrel Nutkin’ had background views based on Derwentwater, Catbells and the Newlands Valley. Fawe Park featured in ‘The Tale of Benjamin Bunny’.
In 1903 Beatrix bought a field in Near Sawrey, near where they had holidayed that year. She now had an income from her books, Peter Rabbit having now sold some 50000 copies. In 1905 she bought Hill Top, a little farm in Sawrey, and for the next 8 years she busied herself writing more books, and visiting her farm. In 1909 she bought another farm opposite Hill Top, Castle Farm, which became her main Lakeland base. Seven of her books are based in or around Hill Top. Tom Kitten and Samuel Whiskers lived there. Hill Top is still as it was then, and is now the most visited literary shrine in the Lake District.
Beatrix Potter married William Heelis, a solicitor in Hawkshead, in 1913. Then started the next stage in her life, being a Lakeland farmer, which lasted for 30 years. The office of William Heelis is now the National Trust’s ‘Beatrix Potter Gallery’.
In 1923 she bought Troutbeck Park Farm, and became an expert in breeding Herdwick sheep, winning many prizes at country shows with them. Beatrix continued to buy property, and in 1930 bought the Monk Coniston Estate – 4000 acres from Little Langdale to Coniston – which contained Tarn Hows, now Lakeland’s most popular piece of landscape.
In 1934 she gave many of her watercolours and drawings of fungi, mosses and fossils to the Armitt Library in Ambleside.
When she died on 22 December 1943, Beatrix Potter left fourteen farms and 4000 acres of land to the National Trust, together with her flocks of Herdwick sheep. The Trust now owns 91 hill farms, many of which have a mainly Herdwick landlord’s flock with a total holding of about 25000 sheep. This was her gift to the nation, her own beloved countryside for all to enjoy. Beatrix was the first woman to be elected president-designate of the Herdwick Sheepbreeders’ Association, which continues to flourish.
Read more on this link… http://www.visitcumbria.com/bpotter.htm
Beatrix Potter bought Hill Top in 1905 with the royalties from her first few books, written at her parents home in London, but inspired by her annual holiday visits to the Lake District. She visited as often as she could, but never for more than a few days at a time, sketching the house, garden, countryside and animals for her new books.
After she bought the house, she busied herself writing more books, and visiting her farm. In 1909 she bought another farm opposite Hill Top, Castle Farm, which became her main Lakeland base.
Beatrix wrote many of her famous children’s stories in this little 17th century stone house. Characters such as Tom Kitten, Samuel Whiskers and Jemima Puddleduck were all created here, and the books contain many pictures based on the house and garden.
Beatrix bought many pieces of land and property in and around Sawrey, including the Old Post Office, Castle Cottage and a number of small farms. In 1913, aged 47, she married William Heelis in London and moved to Lakeland, living at Castle Cottage which was bigger and more convenient than Hill Top.
When she died in 1943, she left Hill Top to the National Trust with the proviso that it be kept exactly as she left it, complete with her furniture and china. http://www.visitcumbria.com/amb/hilltop.htm
Roly Poly pudding–from uktvfood.co.uk
Ingredients
200g plain flour
pinch of Salt
1 tbsp Baking powder
115g suet
50g light brown sugar
150ml water
5 tbsp Jam, warmed
2 tbsp Milk
1 tbsp demerara sugar
custard, to serve Method 1. Set the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder.
3. Stir in the suet and sugar.
4. Add enough water to bind to a stiff but not sticky dough.
5. Roll the dough out on a floured surface, until it is about 5mm thick.
6. Spread with warm jam, leaving a border of 1 cm around each side.
7. Roll up loosely and pinch at the ends.
8. Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush with milk. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
How do astronauts pass the time in between whatever it is that they do whilst they are up there in space? There’s not much room to move about, so physical activities are pretty much out. You could listen to music or read, but what if you feel the need for a bit of friendly competition with ground control?
Greg Chamitoff is a 46 year-old American astronaut currently orbiting the earth as one of the crew of the International Space Station. He also happens to be a keen amateur chess player and didn’t want a little thing like being in space to stop him playing a game or two. He therefore took a lightweight chess set into orbit with him and challenged all the various mission control centres on earth to a joint game.
Millions of miles and 30 moves later, Greg was victorious. Buoyed by his success, he has now challenged each mission control centre to an individual game.
Read more about Greg Chamitoff here on his Wikipedia site and the his flight here on Nasa’s site.
Original article on Chess com where you can play through his game! This post entry was post no 980!
I found this newspaper article on yahoo…very interersting what they say about people’s personality. I myself is a great lover of classical music in particular and I’ve blogged some classical music before…here’s two entries to follow and I have 3 tracks for you to enjoy.Please click HEREto read my entry about Waldo de los Rios and I personally think my Symphony of Toys-entryis really one of my best entries so far. Don’t miss it if you haven’t read it..
The first track is called…Symphony No. 101 in D..”The Clock” part 3 “Rondo” and it is actually a four min piece of music. You really have to turn your sound up with the start of this track, otherwise you’re going to miss the clock!! The clock can be heard throughout the music, but the music starts with only the clock playing… The second track is of course the Toy Symphony…Minuetto…but I’ve discovered it was composed by Mozart’s dad..Leopold and not by Haydn. This cd indicates it was composed by Haydn. The 3rd track is Beethoven’s Symphony no 6 in F opus 68 ‘Pastorale’ part 5! This is such wonderful music, but sadly, this is only almost half of the track, think you know why I can’t upload the whole track, although I would love to! but since I’ve discovered how to go about to upload only a “taster”, I will stick to the rules! Make sure the volume is turned up!
Image: sybervision.com
A study by a psychology professor has found links between personality and music taste.
The Heriot-Watt university professor Adrian North said: “We have always suspected a link between music taste and personality. This is the first time that we’ve been able to look at it in real detail. No-one has ever done this on this scale before.
“People do actually define themselves through music and relate to other people through it but we haven’t known in detail how music is connected to identity.”
According to the study heavy metal fans are gentle, indie music listeners lack self-esteem and lovers of pop music are uncreative.
He found that country and western fans are hard-working, rap fans outgoing and jazz and classical music supporters are innovative and bursting with self-confidence.
Contrary to the stereotype, heavy metal fans are gentle and at ease with themselves but they tend not to be hardworking.
Those who listen to heavy metal and classical music share character traits of being creative, at ease and introverted.
But classical music fans have high self-esteem while heavy rock fans lack self-belief.
More than 36,000 people around the globe took part in the survey, the biggest of its type ever conducted.
They were asked to rate 104 musical styles in the study and were also questioned on aspects of their personality.
I looooooooove this piccie! It was one of those “make way”-moments that you get used to when travelling in the Uk…but it suited me…as I could take this pic the same time! Click on images for a larger view.
“Drive slowly”…the second small sign says…this is one entrance to Mockerkin…
“….them sheep, them sheep, them sheep…everywhere!”
“I can see clearly now…” why these mugs look like they do! hehe These were some of our mugs in the apartment…cute hey!
On this google-map you can see where Mockerkin is! On the edge of the Western part of the Lake District! Cockermouth is 7 miles away, the nearest town with a Saintsbury’s and that’s also where Wordsworth’s house is. I’ve done an entry on Wordsworth’s house a few days ago.
First I want to apologise…I’m one day too late! Ok, for not being English, you can’t blame me…at least I knew about the fire and when it took place…I worked with an English guy and he knew about it, but he didn’t know the date…and I felt quite proud of myself…that I could tell him the date. We used to play this game…”When/Who…”-types of question…he and one other guy always had a question ready to be answered…more general knowledge-type of games…and this was my question set to him…the younger guy…but I will excuse him, as he’s still young..lol! Samuel Pepys kept a diary and also a diary of the fire…you can read all about “The Great Fire of London” and also read his account of the fire on the links I’ve given you.
The Great Fire of London, a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of London from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666, was one of the major events in the history of England. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall. It threatened, but did not reach, the aristocratic district of Westminster (the modern West End), Charles II’s Palace of Whitehall, and most of the suburban slums. It consumed 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and most of the buildings of the City authorities. It is estimated that it destroyed the homes of 70,000 of the City’s ca. 80,000 inhabitants.The death toll from the fire is unknown and is traditionally thought to have been small, as only a few verified deaths were recorded. This reasoning has recently been challenged on the grounds that the deaths of poor and middle-class people were not recorded anywhere, and that the heat of the fire may have cremated many victims, leaving no recognisable remains.
The fire started at the bakery of Thomas Farriner (or Farynor) on Pudding Lane shortly after midnight on Sunday, 2 September, and it spread rapidly around London. The use of the major firefighting technique of the time, the creation of firebreaks by means of demolition, was critically delayed due to the indecisiveness of the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas Bloodworth. By the time large-scale demolitions were ordered on Sunday night, the wind had already fanned the bakery fire into a firestorm which defeated such measures. The fire pushed north on Monday into the heart of the City. Order in the streets broke down as rumours arose of suspicious foreigners setting fires. The fears of the homeless focused on the French and Dutch, England’s enemies in the ongoing Second Anglo-Dutch War; these substantial immigrant groups became victims of lynchings and street violence. On Tuesday, the fire spread over most of the City, destroying St. Paul’s Cathedral and leaping the River Fleet to threaten Charles II’s court at Whitehall, while coordinated firefighting efforts were simultaneously mobilising. The battle to quench the fire is considered to have been won by two factors: the strong east winds died down, and the Tower of London garrison used gunpowder to create effective firebreaks to halt further spread eastward. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_London
Samuel Pepys, FRS (23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, who is now most famous for his diary. Although Pepys had no maritime experience, he rose by patronage, hard work and his talent for administration, to be the Chief Secretary to the Admiralty under King James II. His influence and reforms at the Admiralty were important in the early professionalization of the Royal Navy.
The detailed private diary he kept during 1660-9 was first published in the nineteenth century, and is one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period. It provides a combination of personal revelation and eyewitness accounts of great events, such as the Great Plague of London, the Second Dutch War and the Great Fire of London.
Alfred Noyes (September 16, 1880 – June 28, 1958) was an English poet, best known for his ballads The Highwayman (1906) and The Barrel Organ.
Born in Wolverhampton, England, he was the son of Alfred and Amelia Adams Noyes. Noyes attended Exeter College, Oxford, leaving before he had earned a degree.
At 21 years of age, he published his first collection of poems, The Loom Years. From 1903 to 1908, Noyes published five volumes of poetry books, including The Forest of Wild Thyme and The Flower of Old Japan and Other Poems.
In 1907, he married Garnett Daniels. He was given the opportunity to teach English literature at Princeton University, where he taught from 1914 until 1923. Noyes’ wife died in 1926, resulting in his conversion to Roman Catholicism. He wrote about his conversion in The Unknown God, published in 1934.
Noyes later married Mary Angela Mayne Weld-Blundell, from an old recusant Catholic family from Ince Blundell in Lancashire. They settled at Lisle Combe, near Ventnor on the Isle of Wight and had three children: Hugh, Veronica, and Margaret. His younger daughter married Michael Nolan (later Lord Nolan) in 1953.
He later started dictating his work as a result of increasing blindness. In 1953, his autobiography, Two Worlds for Memory, was published.
Noyes died at the age of 77 and was buried on the Isle of Wight. He authored around sixty books, including poetry volumes, novels, and short stories.
During the next five years, Noyes published five additional volumes of poetry, including Poems (1904). One of Noyes’ most ambitious works, Drake: An English Epic, was first published in 1906. The twelve-book, two hundred page epic is thought to be too long by some critics, but nonetheless, an impressive example of Noyes’ talent and creativity. Arguably Noyes’ most beloved poem, The Highwayman, was published in Forty singing seamen and other poems in 1907.
Noyes spent much of the Second World War in North America, returning to Great Britain in 1949. Two Worlds For Memory, in which he described his life between America and Great Britain, was published in 1953. He published his last volume of poems in 1956, A Letter to Lucian, and his last book in 1957, The Accusing Ghost, or Justice for Casement. (During the First World War Noyes, while engaging in propaganda work for the British government, publicly alleged that the recently-exexcuted Irish Nationalist Roger casement had been a homosexual. After WB Yeats published a poem on Casement in the 1930s attacking Noyes by name, Noyes announced that he now believed the diaries cited as evidence of Casement’s homosexuality were forged. THE ACCUSING GHOST argues this case. The diaries were not then available to the public; they were released after Noyes’ death and most (though not all) commentators now believe them to be genuine.)On 25 June 1958, Alfred Noyes died on the Isle of Wight and was buried in the Roman Catholic cemetery at Freshwater.”
The Highwayman a poem by Alfred Noyes
The wind was a torrent of darkness upon the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight looping the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding
Riding riding
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door.
He’d a French cocked hat on his forehead, and a bunch of lace at his chin;
He’d a coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of fine doe-skin.
They fitted with never a wrinkle; his boots were up to his thigh!
And he rode with a jeweled twinkle
His rapier hilt a-twinkle
His pistol butts a-twinkle, under the jeweled sky.
Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard,
He tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred,
He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord’s black-eyed daughter
Bess, the landlord’s daughter
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.
Dark in the dark old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked
Where Tim, the ostler listened–his face was white and peaked
His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay,
But he loved the landlord’s daughter
The landlord’s black-eyed daughter;
Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say:
“One kiss, my bonny sweetheart; I’m after a prize tonight,
But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light.
Yet if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,
Then look for me by moonlight,
Watch for me by moonlight,
I’ll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way.”
He stood upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand,
But she loosened her hair in the casement! His face burnt like a brand
As the sweet black waves of perfume came tumbling o’er his breast,
Then he kissed its waves in the moonlight
(O sweet black waves in the moonlight!),
And he tugged at his reins in the moonlight, and galloped away to the west.
He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon.
And out of the tawny sunset, before the rise of the moon,
When the road was a gypsy’s ribbon over the purple moor,
The redcoat troops came marching
Marching marching
King George’s men came marching, up to the old inn-door.
They said no word to the landlord; they drank his ale instead,
But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed.
Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets by their side;
There was Death at every window,
And Hell at one dark window,
For Bess could see, through her casement, the road that he would ride.
They had bound her up at attention, with many a sniggering jest!
They had tied a rifle beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast!
“Now keep good watch!” and they kissed her. She heard the dead man say,
“Look for me by moonlight,
Watch for me by moonlight,
I’ll come to thee by moonlight, though Hell should bar the way.”
She twisted her hands behind her, but all the knots held good!
She writhed her hands till her fingers were wet with sweat or blood!
They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like years,
Till, on the stroke of midnight,
Cold on the stroke of midnight,
The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers!
The tip of one finger touched it, she strove no more for the rest;
Up, she stood up at attention, with the barrel beneath her breast.
She would not risk their hearing, she would not strive again,
For the road lay bare in the moonlight,
Blank and bare in the moonlight,
And the blood in her veins, in the moonlight, throbbed to her love’s refrain.
Tlot tlot, tlot tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hooves, ringing clear;
Tlot tlot, tlot tlot, in the distance! Were they deaf that they did not hear?
Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,
The highwayman came riding
Riding riding
The redcoats looked to their priming! She stood up straight and still.
Tlot tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot tlot, in the echoing night!
Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light!
Her eyes grew wide for a moment, she drew one last deep breath,
Then her finger moved in the moonlight
Her musket shattered the moonlight
Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him with her death.
He turned, he spurred to the West; he did not know who stood
Bowed, with her head o’er the casement, drenched in her own red blood!
Not till the dawn did he hear it, and his face grew grey to hear
How Bess, the landlord’s daughter,
The landlord’s black-eyed daughter,
Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.
Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky,
With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high!
Blood-red were his spurs in the golden noon, wine-red was his velvet coat
When they shot him down in the highway,
Down like a dog in the highway,
And he lay in his blood in the highway, with the bunch of lace at his throat.
And still on a winter’s night, they say, when the wind is in the trees,
When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
When the road is a gypsy’s ribbon looping the purple moor,
The highwayman comes riding
Riding riding
The highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door.
Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard,
He taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred,
He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord’s black-eyed daughter
Bess, the landlord’s daughter
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.
English readers…scroll down to the green writing…Omtrent twee maande gelede, mag korter wees, het ‘n besoeker op my blog my ‘n booskap gelos op een van die inskrywings wat ek gemaak het oor die area waar ek groot geword het. Sy kantoor kyk uit op die “Kloof” waarvan ek geskryf het. Ek het nie op my laat wag nie en hom dadelik gekontak via email. Na die oor-en-weer nuus uitruil, besef ek dat sy ma my gr1-st1-Onderwyseres was destyds toe die plaasskooltjie nog bestaan het, voordat ons na die dorpskool moes oorskuif na die sluit van die plaasskool. Ons was natuurlik hartseer, want die plaasskooltjie was natuurlik ‘n groot bederf! Sement-swembad reg langs die skool, sop op koue dae…en ek kan nog onthou hoe ek as 5 jarige op Vrydae skooltoe gegaan het, r-gebrei het en al die groter kinders my op hul skoot geneem het en r-woorde laat sê het sodat hulle kon “oe!” en “a!” oor die “oulikgeit” daarvan! Ook het ek mooi foto’s gekry van die waterval waarheen ek (ons) so baie gestap het…die waterval was sowat 1.5-2km se stap vanaf die plaashuis op in die kloof verby ‘n paar ander plase, maar steeds deel van ons plaas. Die plaas waar ek groot geword het – ek was 5 toe ons vanaf Pretoria na die familie-plaas verhuis het – was jare terug…in my voorgeslagte…een groot plaas en toe later opverdeel. Op hierdie oomblik behoort slegs die kerkhof aan ons – en ek wil my verstout om te sê dat minerale regte ook uitgehou is. In elk geval, ek wil vir julle hierdie foto’s wys wat Christo vir my gestuur het…en dit was wonderlik om te hoor dat sy ma nog leef ook en goeie gesondheid het! Sy was ‘n dierbare onderwyseres en nog al die jare sing ek lofliedere oor haar. Al die jare het ek my tafels 100% geken…te danke aan haar in st 2! toe sy saam met ons dorpskool toe gegaan het. Ek kan ook nog onthou ons het ‘n “leeskompetisie” gehad in die dorpskool – toe ek nog omtrent st 1 was – en ons was na ‘n vertrek met omies geneem en ons moes daar stukkies voorlees…destyds het dit vir my soos die ouetehuis gevoel! lol! almal omies met brille en het so belangrik en vol wysheid gelyk! Ons het natuurlik die dorpskool uitgestof met die “kompetisie” en roomys daarna gekry…maar vandag dink ek terug en dink dit was maar seker ‘n span inspekteure wat hulle daardie tyd vermom het as die “ouetehuis-omies”..of is dit vir ons vertel om ons dalk nie op ons senuwees te maak nie…hehehe…sal graag wil weet! Hierdie foto’s het my hierdie volgende “gediggie” laat aanmekaarslaan!
English readers: These pictures are from the farm where I grew up as a child. I used to go for long walks in the mountains and you can see the waterfall too. One visitor to my blog had me very excited awhile ago when he said that his office overlooks the place where I grew up and he sent me these images! I used to spend many a day walking to the waterfall and enjoying nature! When I uploaded these images it inspired me to write a little poem and it’s here in Afrikaans…it’s all about the fantastic memories of those days in the field/mountains/nature etc. December is summer hols in South Africa and then it was the time when the extended family visited us and us kids sometimes camped at the waterfall just for fun! The bottom picture reminded me a lot about the farm when I found it last night…
Die holtes van my gedagtes As kind het ek
die punte van my siel
laat ploeg in die akkers
waar mensestemme
voorheen opgeklink het
Skrams het ek gevoel
hoe die tuimelende bergstilte
‘n deursigtige telegram
van vrede laat deursypel
na die binnekamers van my hart
Die diggeweefde bergstilte het
spatsels waterdruppels moeiteloos
in my gemoed afgeprent
en ek smag na die
holtes van my gedagtes
Vroeër vanjaar het ek die gedig geplaas met ‘n waterval-foto wat my laat dink het aan die een op hierdie foto…in hierdie gediggie het ek verwys na die waterval…en die rante…nou sien julle presies waarna ek verwys het!
Suid-Afrika – my skaduwee
In die skadu’s
van die groot ou Eik
stoot ek weer in die sand
Boeta se karretjies een-vir-een
‘is verstommend hoe die mierleeus uit hul tonnels
krioel met kierang-hier en kierang-daar
Langs die waterval
sit ek, halfbewus
my gedagtes vind perspektiwiteit
en rol ragfyn ligstraaltjies voor my uit
op die kabbellende water
Op die meulwiel van vervloë
versamel ek babakatjies
pas gebo’, versteek
teen elemente daar buit’
en ek streel die sagtheid
wat ek koester
verder op my reis
Ek verdwaal tussen rante
soekend na onweerstaanbare
toktokkies en miskruiers
‘k neem ‘n honger teug
uit die kom van fluisteringe
“ons-vir-jou-ons-vir-jou”
Hoe sal ek jou kan vergeet
jou alledaagse ontwykende
en eindlose horison
onwetend
bly jy daar vir my
en ek vir jou
Hoe kán ek dan
Vergeet van: “ons-vir-jou”…?
En hier is die eintlike waterval [vol-foto] deur Francois vdM aangestuur na my in Junie 2011. [Dankie Francois] – hy is ‘n groot pêl van Christo – hierbo genoem.
Hierdie volgende liedjie het in my gedagtes opgekom en ek weet nie eens of ek hom korrek het nie, dus, enige hulp sal waardeer word indien ek moet korrigeer!
Die berge, bome, blomme
Die berge, blomme, bome
Die helder water strome
Hul wink ons van daar ver (2x)
Ons sing en klap die hande
Ons klim en stap die rante
Uit pure lewenslus! (2x)
tra-lie-trala, tra-lie-trala… uit pure lewenslus, uit pure lewenslus!(2x)
Ek het geen idee of dit die hele liedjie is, ek het net dink hy pas so goed hierby toe hy in my gedagtes opskiet! dus…help asseblief…of sê my as dit reg is!
ARONIAN Levon IVANCHUK Vassily –1-0
CARLSEN Magnus RADJABOV Teimour–1-0
TOPALOV Veselin ANAND Viswanathan–1-0 Image: chess.com The organisers are certainly making original efforts to make chess more accessible to spectators by placing the players in an “Aquarium” i.e. a giant, soundproofed glass box. This innovation was first seen earlier this year at the M-Tel Tournament, but in Bilbao the “Aquarium” will be situated outside in The Plaza Nueva in Bilbao.
Round 1 Round 3…Carlsen vs Topalov..image:chess.com Round 5 …6th Sept
Bilbao will receive from September 2 to September 13, the strongest tournament of the History of the Chess. A tournament of the category XXII with Elo’s average of the participants of 2775,63. Further more, for the first time ever an event of such characteristics will take place in the street, in the Plaza Nueva, right in the centre of Bilbao’s Old Town.
The six players participating are currently among the world’s top ten chess players headed by world’s champion and number one Viswanathan Anand. Along with him, Magnus Carlsen (number two), Vasili Ivanchuk (number three), Véselin Topálov (number six), Teimur Radyábov (number seven) and Levon Aronián (world’s number ten currently) will compete in Bilbao. No tournament had managed so far to gather such a high Elo’s average level (scoring system to order players’ ranking).
For the first time in a world’s elite tournament and surrounded by a strong international controversy, the Final Masters is going to apply the football scoring system, earning three points per game won and one point per draw, though players will not be allowed to agree a draw being the competition’s referee who will determine it.
The Final Masters has the official recognition of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and it will be played in a double round league during ten days (plus a two-day break). The total prize money amounts to €400,000, sum only exceeded by World Chess Championships: €150,000 for the first classified, €70,000 for the second one, €60,000 for the third one, €50,000 for the fourth one, €40,000 for the fifth one and €30,000 for the sixth one.
Another great novelty in this tournament will be the playing place: the street, allowing a lot of people to follow the games live and directly. A huge soundproofed and air-conditioned glazed case is under construction to this purpose and it will be placed in the Plaza Nueva in Bilbao under a marquee which will also accommodate The Agora for analysis and comments, a space located by the glass case where the audience will also be able to enjoy comments from Chess Grandmasters among whom we can name Boris Spassky and Susan Polgar.
Standings after round 3..click on the image for a larger view
Pairings and results: round 3 — 4th Sept 2008 RADJABOV Teimour vs IVANCHUK Vassily–1/2
ARONIAN Levon vs ANAND Viswanathan –1/2
CARLSEN Magnus vs TOPALOV Veselin–0-1
Rounds 3-10…Pairings…source:chessbase
Anand I couldn’t care less about my mental power or whatever it is said about me in the chess encyclopaedias in a hundred years time”. Viswanathan Anand is no doubt one of the greatest genius in chess history in the last fifteen centuries. But his easy-going character makes him the complete opposite of Fischer, Kárpov and Kaspárov. World champion and number one at the age of 38, he lives in Collado Mediano (Madrid), the rapid of Madras wants to polish even more his record in Bilbao at a month from the struggle for the crown with Russian Vladímir Krámnik.
“Although it is my second world title, this one is more valuable because in 2000 chess was suffering from a schism and there were two champions. Now I am the only one. The dream has come true” he explained in Mexico City on 1st October 2007, before calling his parents who live in Chennai (former Madras) and his “Spanish father”, Mauricio Perea.
Carlsen
The ‘Mozart of Chess’
His second places at the Wijk aan Zee Corus (Holland) 2008 and at the Ciudad de Linares 2008, where he repeated his 2007 achievement, are a sign that this 17 years old Norwegian is already mature for even greater achievements. Magnus Carlsen recommends parents of child prodigies: “to give them support but without putting pressure on them. My father taught me to play chess when I was 5, but I wasn’t interested at the time and he left me alone”. At the age of 2 he already solved difficult jigsaws; at 5 he remembered the capitals, flags, areas and inhabitants of every country.
At 8, Magnus felt jealous one of his sisters played chess and that is where a career only comparable in precociousness with the ones of the sacred manes began. At 13 Carlsen became the youngest chess grandmaster in the world; and today, at the age of 17, he is among the world’s top five players in the rankings. He sleeps up to eleven hours, is a passionate fan of the Real Madrid and Spain is the country he knows best. When he is not travelling he attends a special school for sports talents. He has his particular opinion about money: “I don’t really know what to do with it”. I spend much less than I earn”.
Ivanchuk An adorable absent-minded wise man
His sensational victory in the Mtel Masters, Sofia 2008 gave him the right to be in the Bilbao Final Masters. But even without this feat, Vassili Ivanchuk deserves a place among the top-class chess players: at almost 40, he is the oldest luminary though he is nevertheless at the peak of his career. Chess lover to the core, tireless worker of encyclopaedic knowledge he is a genius absent-minded wise man of whom everybody – even his most bitter rivals- speaks very fondly.
“My secret is I don’t know how I managed to win those five first games one after the other. I certainly did have a little bit of what it is called the luck of the champions. But the key is I wasn’t aware of what I was achieving; otherwise I would have never managed to do it. I believe I am at the best of my career. I don’t feel a bit old to stay in the elite; particularly if I compare myself to Víktor Korchnói, who is at his 77 years old still in the front line!”. So modestly explained Ivanchuk his win in Sofia –undefeated, with eight of ten possible points-, one of the best results in chess history.
Topalov An exemplary fighter on his way up
He defeated Kasparov in what was to be his last game (Linares 2005) and he is a clear symbol of the differences between the current chess elite and the times of the Ogre of Baku.Natural, modest and very friendly, a fighter and well disciplined about his everyday training, and tries to keep a good image. That’s Veselin Topalov, the 33 year-old Bulgarian from Salamanca world chess champion in 2005 and currently number four in the chess rankings, with the clear aim to take up again the crown in 2009.
“I will never forget what happened to me when I was 8 years old in Ruse, my native city. After defeating me, one of the best players of the area gave me a row, he pulled my ears and almost hit me because I had played too fast, without thinking. A year later I played with him again in the same tournament, and I won, he remembers about his childhood in Bulgaria.
Topalov admits that it is impossible to be among the world’s top ten chess players without innate talents: “If we put it into round numbers, 60% of my success is due to the effort and 40% to the talent”.
Radjabov The kid that knocked out Kasparov
Even though chess is along with music and mathematics the activity that more child prodigies produces, very few have impressed so much as Teimur Radyabov. At 12, when he became European Champion U-18, he already showed a strategic depth and good manners not expected from someone of his age. At 14 he became grandmaster. At 15 he defeated Kasparov with the black pieces in Linares. Today he is 21 and has settled among the elite, though everything shows that he’s still got a long way to go, as he will most probably demonstrate in Bilbao.
One has to go back as far as the legendary Bobby Fischer in the 60’s to find feats as resounding as when Radyabov defeated Kasparov in 2003. Also born in Baku, he had never lost with white pieces to a human rival in the classical game since May 1996. Bearing in mind that both of them were born in Baku and were Guéidar Alíyev’s protégées (President of the Azerbaijan KGB when Kasparov was young and of the Azerbaijani Government when Radyábov was a child) one can better understand Kaspárov’s angry outburst that night: he did not shake hands with the winner and had a very late dinner, thumping his fist on the table while having chicken.
Aronian
An easy-going winner
He could be the boy from the shop around the corner, jet he is a great chess luminary: he is only 25 years old but has already won the World Cup and the Linares and Wijk aan Zee (twice) tournaments. That naturalness, his universal style and belonging to a country where chess is the national passion, as well as a balanced nervous system configure the 25 year-old Armenian Levon Aronian as a very solid value.
“I’m not prepared to compete with the big ones. The only advantage I have over those beasts is my total ignorance and fresh thinking”, Aronian said at Christmas 2005, a few days after having won the World Cup in Siberia and some days just before his debut in the Wijk aan Zee Corus Tournament (Holland), where he shared the 7th place of 14 participantespants. Just a month later he triumphed in Linares, the chess Wimbledon, so surprisingly as convincingly.
Images from different rounds from the Official site.
About.com…classic chess…64 great chess games ever played…follow this link
Round 6 Image: zeenews.com Fifth draw for Anand in Chess Grand Slam Bilbao, Sept 09: India’s Viswanathan Anand continued to search for his first win of the Chess Grand Slam Final being staged here, as he played yet another draw in the sixth round.
The world champion, who is back by Tech giant NIIT, Monday drew with Vassily Ivanchuk in 32 moves and took his total to 2.5 points on the traditional points system.
But here in Bilbao with draws fetching one point and wins three, Anand has five, while the leader is young Magnus Carlsen with 11 points from three wins and two draws and one loss.
The Ivanchuk-Anand game was a staid draw coming out from a Slav Defence, with Ivanchuk making a token effort to gain advantage and Anand thwarting this effectively for a 32-move draw.
Anand’s game has been somewhat subdued leading to the feeling that the world champion is not revealing any of his major preparations that he may have made for the world title match against Vladimir Kramnik next month.
Veselin Topalov, who beat Anand in the fifth round, and has 10 points with two wins and four draws, follows Carlsen. Lev Aronian, the only player with two losses, is third with six points, and Anand, Teimour Radjabov and Ivanchuk have five points each.
The tournament is a six-player double round robin event, one of the strongest in the history of the game.
The scoring system in this tournament is different and experimental. Players get three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for losing a game. For rating purposes the traditional 1-½-0 system will be used.
The prize fund for the event is 400,000 Euros, with the winner receiving 150,000 Euros, the second place 70,000 Euros, and so on, with the sixth player getting 30,000 Euros. The sums are unprecedented for an event like this. Only world championships have exceeded the amount.
The Topalov-Radjabov clash was more volatile, with the Bulgarian GM looking set to chalk up another victory in Bilbao. But after massive trade-offs after the time control Black had solved all his problems and in fact undertook some tentative attempts to play for a win. The draw came with a repetition at move 73.
Carlsen continued his great run with a solid win over Aronian. He sacrificed a pawn, which was part of theory, but then young Carlsen played a novelty which involves a second sacrifice on move 15. It loosely resembled the Gelfand-Kramnik game in Mexico City 2007, but that ended in a draw.
The novelty led to Carlsen forcing Aronian’s king to be stuck in the middle. Carlsen got one pawn back and then launched a blistering attack. He wrapped up the game in 32 moves.
In the seventh round, Anand will have black pieces against Radjabov, while Carlsen clashes with Ivanchuk and Aronian meets Topalov.
Scores after six rounds: Carlsen (11 points); 2. Topalov (10 points); Aronian (6 points); Anand, Radjabov and Ivanchuk (5 points each).
A couple of days ago, he asked me to translate this poem: “I am an African” into Afrikaans and I felt it was an honour to be asked by him to do it. I’ve tried my best, as all my Afrikaans-bloggers know I’m no expert in translations, but I do try to convey the “message” of the poem, but sometimes, specially when not asked to do a translation, I might want to change the poem slightly to what I like, although I will keep the overall “message”, like the poem written by Wordsworth…”I wandered lonely like a cloud.” Wayne also understands Afrikaans. He liked my interpretation of Wordsworth’s poem and I felt happy that a professional poet could also view his opinion, as you would agree that you sometimes don’t know really if you do any poem justice by translating it. I’ve done some translations from Afrikaans to English too and if you want to read some poems of some of South Africa’s best poets…you can click on the page that says…”my poems-gedigte” and read a few there. You will find Eugene Marais’s poem…”The dance of the rain” and Totius’s poem…”oh the painful thought..” and some others too. I do like to write my own too, which you will find on that page too. I want to stress it out …that I’m no professional, so enjoy whatever you find here and there’s always poetry sites where you can find poems written by professionals! Today, Sunday 7th Sept 2008, I had two people putting in “Is Wayne Visser an Afrikaans writer” in a search and were directed to my blog…as far as I could see, he doesn’t write in Afrikaans, I couldn’t find any of his poems or works in Afrikaans, but he does understand the Language…he speaks Afrikaans too. I do hope this helps, you can contact him via his website address…link at the bottom of this post – and email him!
Image: DK-images…Langebaan, Cape Town
Ek is van Afrika
Ek is van Afrika
Nie omdat ek daar gebore is
Maar omdat my hart met Afrika klop
Ek is van Afrika
Nie omdat my gelaat donker is
Maar omdat Afrika my gedagtes omgrens
Ek is van Afrika
Nie omdat ek van haar leef
Maar omdat my siel tuis is – in Afrika
Wanneer Afrika oor haar kinders ween
Is my wange deur traandruppels deurweek
Wanneer Afrika haar voorvaders eer
Buig my hoof in respek daarheen
Wanneer Afrika oor haar slagoffers rou
Is my hande in gebed gevou
Wanneer Afrika haar oorwinnings vier
Dans ek op die maat van die oorwinningslied
Ek is van Afrika
Met haar asemrowende ylblou lugruimtes
Laat sy die toekoms skitterend skyn
Ek is van Afrika
Waar ek gegroet word asof familie
En ek ervaar die gevoel van meervoudig
Ek is van Afrika
Want haar wildheid bring vertroosting vir my siel
En bring my nader na die bron van Lewe
Wanneer Afrika-musiek in die wind weerklink
Volg my polsslag die ritmiese klop
En word ek een met die klank
Wanneer die Afrika-kleure in die son glinster
Verdrink my sintuie in haar reënboog
En is ek die natuur se pallet
Wanneer die Afrika-verhale om die vure op-klink
Volg my voete hul tydlose ‘wink
En is ek die spore van die verle’
Ek is van Afrika
Want sy’s die krip van geboorte
En troetel die oer-oue wysheid
Ek is van Afrika
Want sy leef in die skadu van die wêreld
En brand met ‘n gloeiende inspirasie
Ek is van Afrika
Want sy is die land van môre
En ek eer haar tydlose geskenke
I am an African
Not because I was born there
But because my heart beats with Africa’s
I am an African
Not because my skin is black
But because my mind is engaged by Africa
I am an African
Not because I live on its soil
But because my soul is at home in Africa
When Africa weeps for her children
My cheeks are stained with tears
When Africa honours her elders
My head is bowed in respect
When Africa mourns for her victims
My hands are joined in prayer
When Africa celebrates her triumphs
My feet are alive with dancing
I am an African
For her blue skies take my breath away
And my hope for the future is bright
I am an African
For her people greet me as family
And teach me the meaning of community
I am an African
For her wildness quenches my spirit
And brings me closer to the source of life
When the music of Africa beats in the wind
My blood pulses to its rhythm
And I become the essence of sound
When the colours of Africa dazzle in the sun
My senses drink in its rainbow
And I become the palette of nature
When the stories of Africa echo round the fire
My feet walk in its pathways
And I become the footprints of history
I am an African
Because she is the cradle of our birth
And nurtures an ancient wisdom
I am an African
Because she lives in the world’s shadow
And bursts with a radiant luminosity
I am an African
Because she is the land of tomorrow
And I recognise her gifts as sacred
In South Africa, today it’s the first day of Spring! Everybody in South Africa…ENJOY SPRING!! I’ve got a couple of our wonderful poems that can be sung too and they’re all about Spring…there’s many more, but these are some of my favourites. I’ve got the audio file of the last one (instrumental only) and I hope you enjoy it!
DIS HEERLIKE LENTE
Woorde: THEO W. JANDRELL en G.G. CILLIÉ
Musiek: Wysie uit die Alpe; verwerk: G.G. CILLIÉ
Dis heerlike lente, die winter’s verby;
weer nooi berg’ en klowe vir jou en vir my.
Hol-la-dri-o-ha, hol-la-dri-o. Hol-la-dri-o-ha, hol-la-dri-o!
Die bergklim is heerlik, dit hou mens gesond.
Woorde: C. LOUIS LEIPOLDT
Musiek: J. WEBER; verwerk: PIETER DE VILLIERS
Al die veld is vrolik; al die voëltjies sing;
al die kriekies kriek daarbuit’; elke sprinkaan spring.
Al die koggelmannetjies kom om fees te vier;
hier galop ‘n goggatjie, daarso dans ‘n mier.
[KOOR]
Nou gaan die kinders draai, nou gaan hul speel!
Kom Sus, gee handjie! Almal moet draai!
Boet gee ook handjie! Nou gaan ons swaai–
dis tog so prettig! Wie dans met my?
Al in die rondte, vrolik en bly!
Kom Sus, gee handjie! Almal moet draai!
Boet gee ook handjie! Nou gaan ons swaai–
dis tog so prettig! Wie dans met my?
Al in die rondte, vrolik en bly!
Selfs die vissies spartel teen die kafferskuil;
in die groot ou eikeboom droom ‘n oupa-uil.
Oral in Karooland is ‘n ruik versprei:
boegoeblom en appelkoos–kan jy beter kry?
[KOOR]
Nou gaan die kinders draai, nou gaan hul speel!
Kom Sus, gee handjie! Almal moet draai!
Boet gee ook handjie! Nou gaan ons swaai–
dis tog so prettig! Wie dans met my?
Al in die rondte, vrolik en bly!
Kom Sus, gee handjie! Almal moet draai!
Boet gee ook handjie! Nou gaan ons swaai–
dis tog so prettig! Wie dans met my?
Al in die rondte, vrolik en bly!
Bind vir my tesame katjiepiering wit,
bobbejaantjies blou en bont, rose in gelid,
varings van die klippe, oral, ai só mooi,
rooi kalkoentjies uit die vlei–blomme uitgestrooi.
[KOOR]
Nou gaan die kinders draai, nou gaan hul speel!
Kom Sus, gee handjie! Almal moet draai!
Boet gee ook handjie! Nou gaan ons swaai–
dis tog so prettig! Wie dans met my?
Al in die rondte, vrolik en bly!
Kom Sus, gee handjie! Almal moet draai!
Boet gee ook handjie! Nou gaan ons swaai–
dis tog so prettig! Wie dans met my?
Al in die rondte, vrolik en bly!
Vrolik is die wêreld, vrolik rant en vlei!
Elke koggelmannetjie het sy maat gekry.
Elke gons’rig’ goggatjie is getroud of vry:
vrolik is die wêreld hier, vrolik veld en vlei!
[KOOR]
Nou gaan die kinders draai, nou gaan hul speel!
Kom Sus, gee handjie! Almal moet draai!
Boet gee ook handjie! Nou gaan ons swaai–
dis tog so prettig! Wie dans met my?
Al in die rondte, vrolik en bly!
Kom Sus, gee handjie! Almal moet draai!
Boet gee ook handjie! Nou gaan ons swaai–
dis tog so prettig! Wie dans met my?
Al in die rondte, vrolik en bly!
KYK, DIS SEPTEMBER WEER
Woorde: C.G.S. DE VILLIERS
Musiek: Italiaanse melodie; verwerk: CHRIS LAMPRECHT
[2x]
Kyk, dis September weer; laat al die vure brand!
Dan hou ons weer ‘n keer braaivleis doer by die strand.
[REFREIN] Laat alle boeke tuis, laat sorge agterbly;
Jeug en lentetyd gaan snel verby, ja, hulle gaan verby.
Laat alle boeke tuis, laat sorge agterbly;
Jeug en lentetyd gaan snel verby, gaan snel verby.
[2x]
Lente is oral weer, blou branders aan die strand,
velde vol blommefleur; knoop nou die liefdesband.
[REFREIN]
Laat alle boeke tuis, laat sorge agterbly;
Jeug en lentetyd gaan snel verby, ja, hulle gaan verby.
Laat alle boeke tuis, laat sorge agterbly;
Jeug en lentetyd gaan snel verby, gaan snel verby.
Meer Volksliedere wat jy kan aflaai op hierdie link! Kliek op die musieknoot vir die musiek en op die liedjie-naam vir die woorde. Dit is almal midi-leêrs wat jy lag-lag kan omskakel in ‘n MP3! en ek plaas nog ‘n gedig van Leipoldt…wat ek op Laerskool moes leer! Pragtige gedig…Die Beste!
update: 1/9/2013 – Gelukkig het blerkas net geskuif na ‘n nuwe link, die ou link het ‘verdwyn’.
Geil lusern in die laagste landjie,
geil groen blare en blomme blou;
aalwyn rooi op die voorste randjie,
rooi soos bloed teen die rotse grou;
somer en son en saffier daarbowe,
ruik van die keurbos rondgesprei;
kort klein skaduwees oor die klowe;
somer en son en saffier vir my !
Wonder van kleure uitgesprei –
wat is daar meer die dood te rowe ?
Somer en son en saffier vir my !
Spoken by great men:"Give me 20 divisions of American soldiers and I will breach Europe. Give me 15 consisting of Englishmen and I will advance to the borders of Berlin. Give me two divisions of those marvellous fighting Boers and I will remove Germany from the face of the earth." - Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery, Commander of the Allied Forces during WW2.
"The Americans fight for a free world, the English mostly for honour, glory and medals, the French and Canadians decide too late that they have to participate. The Italians are too scared to fight, the Russians have no choice. The Germans for their Fatherland. The Boers? Those sons of Bitches fight for the hell of it." American General, George 'Guts and Glory' Patton.
….
Chessalee 
