Mediterranean Lifestyle

As we conclude our trip of the Mediterranean, we should take a cue from the cultures of this region on how to live life. The cultures that are situated in the basin of the Mediterranean are known to have a well balanced lifestyle and they understand how to make it happen. The priority is family. People in the region try to spend as much time they have with their loved ones. Eating together as a family or Sunday lunch with extended family is still being practiced. In southern Spain most people still practice siesta, for a few hours people take a nap and rest to replenish their energy in the middle of the afternoon and later return to work. And the evenings are special for the family to meet and enjoy supper where each family member talk and unwind.

During weekends families and friends take their time to stroll the plazas or go to bars and cafes just to enjoy each other's company. People also revel in festivals and in social events. These events keep the community closer as they celebrate different feasts that define their culture. They know how to stop working and enjoy life to its fullest in the most simple ways.

The tradition of attending church services or mosque services is also part of their culture. Some might not agree but when one has a spiritual life, the challenges of one's mundane and ordinary life becomes more easier to tackle. The people's attachment to the spiritual and the divine makes them more resilient and strong.

The Mediterranean lifestyle: the life that defines a balance of fun, food, family, and spirituality.

Photo Credit: Fallas Festival in Valencia, Spain
Photographer: Stuart Chalmers
Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gertcha/

The Mediterranean Kitchen

The flavor of the Mediterranean basin is diverse as the cultures that dwelt within its region. The Mediterranean can be divided into three culinary regions - that of North Africa which includes Morocco, the eastern Mediterranean which includes the cuisine of Egypt, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey and the southern European side of the Mediterranean which include Italy, France, and Spain.

From Morocco comes the flavor of exotic spices, from Egypt, Greece, and Israel are the tender veal and lamb, the couscous and the falafel, and from the southern parts of Italy, France and Spain are the wines, herbs and rich seafood from the Mediterranean sea. The natives of the Meditarranean region also use eggplants, squashes, cucumburs, artichokes, okra, peppers, mushrooms, a lot of greens and lettuce. Beans like fava beans and green beans is also part of the region's cuisine. Fresh herbs such as rosemary, basil, cilantro, parsley, oregano, mint is part of everyday cooking. Onions, garlic and tomatoes and the olive oil of course stands out as the basic ingredients of the region's cuisine since ancient times.

The Mediterranean Sea has been generous to the people of the region, shellfish from the sea is used for soups, stews and pasta dishes. Anchovies and a variety of white fishes including octupus and squid are also popular as well. Cheese from goats and sheep abound, meat from lamb, goats, sheep and pork and chicken are favorites. Finally the best thing about Mediterranean cooking is that most of the cuisine have the home-cooked flavor which gives one the warmth of the gentle region and its different cultures.

Photo Credit: Greek Falafel Salad
Photographer: Yanni Chalkias
Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kinggyrosgreekfoodcolumbus/

Photo Credit: Olive Oil
Photographer: Bob Long Jr.
Photographer: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bossbob50/

Mediterranean Interior Design

Like its architecture, Mediterranean interior is one of the most popular design that will never go out of style. It has always been the theme of many homes, mansions, villas and hotels in the world. Mediterranean interiors are known to predominantly have textured walls, giving it an aged appearance. The color of the wall and interior is a refelection of the sky, the sea and the warmth of the earth and white is the basic color. The interior walls are accented with mosaic tiling. These beautiful tiles are inlaid around door frames, the kitchen area and the bathroom. The furniture are elegantly crafted from hardwood. The wooden furniture's accent may include tiles, iron or marble. The use of glass, iron and terra cotta are also the basic materials that can be found in Mediterranean interiors. The use of tapestry, urns, candelabras, oversize pots and jars are also used to add that final Mediterranean touch.

Photo Credit: Mediterranean Interior
Photographer: Unknown
Photo Link: http://www.home-improvement-decorating.com/index.html

Mediterranean Architecture

As a frustrated architect and as an observer of beautiful homes and architecture, I always look up and admire the simplicity and strong beauty of Mediterranean architecture. The first thing I like about its architecture is the excellent ventilation that is perfect for the warm climate. The architecture is both functional and elegant and it allows breezy air into the building or the house.

Mediterranean houses and villas have several bedrooms and are more than one floor. The interior design can be simple or intricate. The colors of the wall are basically white though some houses are painted in neutral colors or pastel colors from which aqua blue or sky blue is used to evoke the beautiful color of the Mediterranean Sea. They have courtyards and terraces, gardens, fountains. Some villas have colonnades and others porticos and some doorways or gates have arched entrances. The staircase are spiral and most have balconies with parapet walls and roofs have eaves and are either hipped or made of red tiles. A few of the houses may have swimming pools as well. The architecture is an inspiration from cultures within the Mediterranean basin like the Moorish style from Northern Africa and Southern Spain, Tuscan style from Italy or Grecian style from the small islands of Greece and even some architectural style from ancient Roman and Greek temples or the intricate style of the Byzantine empire.

Mediterranean architecture is one style that will never go away!

Photo Credit: Villa Petritis in Paxos, Greece
Photographer: Rick Watrous
Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/petritis/

The Mediterranean

I am genuinely interested in all cultures and all peoples of the world. I am always fascinated by different traditions and beliefs that are different from mine. One place which happens to be special for me is the Mediterranean region where a kaledeiscope of culture may be found. Since the the dawn of time this region has been the melting pot of different civilizations: the ancient Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Persians, Phoenicians, Jewish, Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians, Arabs and Turkish cultures established the history and cultural blueprint of this lovely place on earth.

Today this region is as beautiful or sometimes as volatile as it was during the eras gone by. The European countries part of the Mediterranean region are Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Slovania, Spain and Turkey. In the Middle East the countries are Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel and Syria and in Africa the countries are Algeria, Egypt, Lybia, Morocco and Tunisia. If you notice the countries are old civilizations and most of them are highly cultured.

For the next few days, we will enjoy the lifestyle of the warm and sultry Mediterrenean and what it has to offer.

Photo Credit: The Church and the Mediterranean Sea in Santorini, Greece
Photographer: Lucio
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48568322@N00/

New Orleans Mardi Gras

The other celebration that is quite famous globally is Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Like the the carnival in Rio and in Venice, the New Orleans celebration is a festival before the start of the Lenten season. The tradition was introduced to Northern America by the Le Moyne brothers who are French. The brothers Pierre and Jean-Baptiste, were sent by King Louis XIV to defend France's claim on its territory of Louisiane in the late 17th century. During that time the French territory included what we now know as the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

By 1720, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne ordered his engineer, Adrien de Pauger, to draw plans for a new city. In 1721 the eleven-by-seven block rectangle plan was drawn and that area is what is now known as the French Quarter. Le Moyne named this new city La Nouvelle Orleans, in honor of Philippe II, Duke of Orleans, Prince Regent of France. In 1723, New Orleans became the capital of French Louisiana.

The New Orleans festival is best known for its parties, parades, marching bands, dancing and unfortunately bar fights and rowdiness. Beads are the hot item during this event. Revelers believe that the more beads you earn, the more popular you are and likeable...it is funny to think that people literally expose themselves to the public to earn beads and more beads. Although I must say that the celebration is simply much nicer if you hang out with your friends and listen to the bands play. New Orleans, certainly the Big Easy - the place to kick-off a great party right before forty days of Lent.

Photo Credit: Bands of the Mardi Gras
Photographer: MChoquette Jr.
Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mchoquettejr/

Carnevale di Venezia

The Venetian Carnival or the Mask Festival is another global celebration. The festival is celebrated a week before the season of Lent and culminates on Fat Tuesday or the Mardi Gras. This event's main theme is the farewell to eating meat and the preparation of oneself for repentance and reflection for Lent. The word carnival is derived from the Latin word carnevale which means giving up meat or even the love or lust for the flesh.

As for its history the festival has its origins dating back to the 11th century to commemorate the victory of the Venetian Republic against Ulrico, the Patriarch of Aquilia. Dances, processions, magicians and a new form of theatre the commedia dell’ arte all constituted the carnival. The celebration became a tradition and the wearing of mask began during the 16th century up to the 18th century. The celebrations were curbed during the French and Austrian occupation and definitely ended during Napoleon's invasion of Venice. Though during the early 80's the festival was revived and until now it is one of the world's major event attended by thousands of local and international tourists and revelers.

A colorful event, the revelers wear beautiful costumes made of fine fabric. The two costume types are the carnival costumes and the historical costumes. The popular masks worn are the Bauta: mask that comes with a small cloak over the shoulders with large hat. The Moreta: oval mask for women. The Gnaga: mask for men disguising themselves as a woman. The Pantolone: a beaked nose mask. The festival participants usually attend street processions and various evening masquerade balls in the city.

This festival is a favorite of mine. I find this event classy and stylish, it's as if one is transported in a fairy tale in a mythical kingdom far away.

Photo Credit: Lady in Red
Photographer: Simone
Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/belsim/

Photo Credit: Sun, Moon and Star
Photographer: Kevynlomax
Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13977903@N02/

Carnaval Brasileiro

People around the world and in every culture love festivals. Since the dawn of civilization, all peoples have gathered and celebrated to commemorate an event - a thanksgiving from the gods, an anniversary of a royal figure, the independence of a nation, a patron saint's feast day, and the list goes on.

One of the major world festivals that all of us very well know is the Rio de Janiero Carnival in Brazil. This is one of the most colorful and beautiful festival or celebration in the world. The annual festival is held forty days before Easter. This is the last day of worldly revelry before the observance of the Lenten Season. The festival basically is a symbol of bidding farewell to bad things before one goes through forty days of religious discipline and repentance as one prepares for Christ's death and ressurection.

The Rio Carnival involves the participation of samba schools and the blocos. The blocos are small pageant groups that parade through city avenues performing on instruments and dancing. The blocos are usually seen in local neighborhood dressed in their costumes or special T-shirts with logo identifying the bloco. Then there is the officially organized parade wherein competitive samba schools and performers including top Brazilian actresses participate. This is the much publicized event which is well attended by tourists and locals alike.

The carnival has its roots from European festivals but the Brazilians incorporated the influence of the Portuguese, African and native Brazilian Indian culture. The samba music is usually an original composition and the performers or groups parade their colorful costumes and floats as they compete for the best samba school. The best spots where the Rio Carnival can be fully experienced are in Copacobana, Ipanema, Leblon, Lagoa, Jardim Botanico and of course downtown Rio de Janiero. Samba, samba Brasilia!!!

Photo Credit: Baianas de Carnaval
Photographer: Brazilcarnival.com.br
Photo Link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30718554@N04/4186809895/in/set-72157618577635154/

Eclectic: Modern Scuplture

The dawn of modern sculpture began around the time when Pablo Picasso revolutionized the art of sculpture by creating constructions combining disparate objects and materials into one piece of sculpture. This was the the period when surrealist art was becoming accepted. Artist Constantin Brancusi's abstract scuplture and reduction sculpture was having such an impact and acceptance which is very different from the naturalism of Rodin's sculpture. Throughout the 20th century the emergence of modern sculpture was either hailed or unfavorably looked upon but there was no stopping its popularity. The Modernist trend in the 1950's which adheres to abstract and figurative style dominated the art world. From then on different variations of modern sculpture can be seen everywhere. Modern sculpture eventually became part of the art world and gained respect globally just like ancient sculpture and the classical sculpture of the East and the West.

Modernist sculpture movements basically include: geometric abstraction, De stijl, suprematism, constructivism, dadaism, cubism, surrealism, futurism, minimalism, formalism, abstract expressionism, pop-art and installation art. Materials can be anything from cement or concrete, iron or steel, paper or cardboard or to anything that comes from the artist's wildest imagination. Some modern scuplture are suggestive and offer some shock value especially those that are conceived by controversial artists.

My final take on modern sculpture - I like its simplicity and how the materials used are twisted, bent or presented, etc. and I respect the artist for his/her concept. On the other hand, I cannot really enjoy modern art compared to classical art which is my favorite. Perhaps it does not have the intricacy that I find in classical sculpture but then again some modern sculptures are intricately done. Maybe then it is not a representational artform and hardly can the viewer tell if the sculpture is human, an animal, or simply a huge piece of polished junk. In the end as an artist at heart...I am inclined to believe that in every piece of modern sculpture the soul of the artist is communicating with us and more than ever the artist would like to contribute the beauty and the style of his/her work for us to enjoy. So I should just shut up and visually see the positive side and the beauty that modern sculpture has to offer.

Photo Credit: Joan Miro Sculpture in Barceleno, Spain
Photographer: Joan Canals
Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotocanals/

Exotic: African Sculpture

African sculpture and art just like any other artform strongly represents the culture of African tribes or the region where the art work originally came from. In general though the African art or in particular African sculpture are based on common themes. I did pull out an article from the website www.africaguide.com to help us understand and appreciate the meaning of African sculpture.

According to the website's information the common themes of African art and sculpture are:
A couple
A woman and a child
A male with a weapon or animal
An outsider or "stranger"

Couples are most commonly shown as freestanding figures of relatively the same size and stature. They may be representative of ancestors, a married couple, twins, or community founders. This is representative of the importance placed on two as one. Most art of this type was developed for shrines or for positions of ceremonial honor. Sexual intimacy is rare in African carvings. This in that it is rare for men and women to display their affection publicly. The most common theme of the male and female couple is that of strength and honor; not love and intimacy.

The mother and child couple is often representative of mother earth and the people as her children. African women will generally have a very strong desire for children as well however. The strong desire that a woman has to bear children further shows the strong mother child relationship that is a vital part of African culture

A male with a weapon or animal (commonly a horse) is commonly produced to show honor to departed ancestors. Animals are rarely sculpted for the purpose of showing the inward or outward beauty of the animal; but to give status to the person. Even today, many in Africa would consider the ownership of a horse to be of greater status than the ownership of an automobile. Showing a person with a horse would then be giving great honor to them. Sometimes people are shown with animals that are not really ridden; possibly even mythical. The purpose is to show the power given to one who rides such an animal; and the wealth that they must have.

As women achieve significance through their children, men will often be honored in warfare. The one who goes into battle must have physical, emotional and spiritual energy to survive and to conquer. Thus the emphasis on weapons and the spoils of war in many African works.

A final common representation in African art is that of the stranger. In Africa, a stranger is someone from a different country or tribe. They would usually not be welcomed; and the more distorted the portrayal of the stranger, the greater the gap that is normally symbolized. Sometimes strangers; especially white foreigners; are given a form of respect based on their relatively great weaponry and other powers.

End of the article.

Photo Credit: Chokwe Male Figure, Angola
Photographer: Ras Marley
Photo Stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32357038@N08/collections/

Photo Credit: Akan Akuaba fertility Statuette, Ghana
Photographer: Ras Marley
Photo Stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32357038@N08/collections/

Immortal: Egyptian Sculpture

Egyptian sculpture is one of the most admired work of art. The Egyptian statues in general is a masterpiece by itself. They have captivated artists, art lovers and antique collectors for thousands of years. The materials the ancient Egyptians used to sculpt are basically stone, clay, metal, wood and minerals. Soft stones were used and these stones were shaped using chisels, bow drills, saws, blades and points. They also used hard stones placed in a mud brick wall lit with fire and doused with water.

After a piece was done they cover it with gesso which is a white paste substance that gives the sculpture a polished look. After the gesso application the Egyptians will paint the piece, basically using the colors red, yellow, brown and blue. They do not paint the entire piece but only certain parts like the lips, eyes, dress, and headgear. They created their sculpture in statuary form and relief form using mass material such as wood and stone. If you are very observant of ancient Egyptian art you will notice that in the relief form the subject's body is frontal view but the face is in profile. The face shows one full eye and both the feet are same angle with the face with one foot in front of the other. Egyptian sculpture are usually commissioned by the Pharaohs and the pieces are sculpted images or illustrations of gods and godesses, the pharaoh, the priests and the royal court and the ordinary Egyptian citizen. The statues representing the Egyptian royals and nobliity are often lifesize or massively huge and statues representing the ordinary citizen are often small and usually depict them as workers or slaves.


In general I am not a huge follower of Egyptian sculpture but do not get me wrong, I still marvel the Egyptian culture and I will never tire seeing ancient Egyptian artifacts of antiquity, they fascinate me but I do not have as much excitement when I compare them to Roman classical sculpture. The one thing though that I find breathtaking as far as Egyptian sculptures are concerned are the massive scupltures that we all know and these are the ones that we see at the Valley of the Kings and of course the ancient Sphinx. Egyptian sculpture - timeless and powerful.

Photo Credit: Sculpture at the Temple of Karnak in Luxor
Photographer: Flavio Jota de Paula
Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fjota/

Photo Credit: Egyptian Couple (British Museum)
Photographer: Ian Smith
Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23941865@N02/

Solemn: Buddha Statue

One of the most serene sculptures in the world is the Buddha. The Buddha evokes peace and grace and if you are observant of the statue, you will notice the delicate face and hands of the Buddha and the ripples of the fabric he wears. The Buddha's statue conveys meaning such if the the hands are resting in the lap this represents meditation, if the hands are crossing over the chest they are a symbol of Dharma or a state of "being" and in the earliest Buddha statues, the figure has both hands raised with the ring finger on the left hand touching the thumb and the index finger on the right hand is touching the thumb to make a circle with the three other fingers held aright whose meaning is unknown. There are many different materials a sculptor can use to create this beautiful statue such as wood, bronze, brass and even gold or ceramic. The ones we see today are made from marble, wood carving and jade.

I am not a big fan of the Buddha sculpture but lately when I started this blog and when I wrote blogs about India, that opened my mind how beautiful Asian art is. The other issue that made me appreciate the Buddha statue was when I saw this news a few years ago about the colossal Buddha sculpture in Afghanistan which by the way is carved out from the side of a mountain thousands of years ago and sadly was blown by dynamite by the Taliban (since they do not believe in representational art), I cannot help but realize that the image of Buddha is in fact truly an authentic work of art!

Talking about interior design for a bit I also observe that people of taste use the Buddha to accent their living rooms or bedrooms. The Buddha statue is a great accessory to your interior if you opt for an Asian feel. Personally, I also think that you can throw-in a golden antique Buddha statue in a living room with a highly colonial interior or a baroque interior because it will certainly standout. Trust me it will be a conversational piece. As for me I am saving and working on a budget to buy a standing Buddha carved out of wood which I found in Chinatown. I really know that the approximately three-foot tall Buddha would add a great touch in my tiny apartment's living room. What about you? Why don't you check out some Buddha statues in your area or go to Chinatown or perhaps if you like the super expensive large Buddhas made out of gold encrusted with jade then head out to a reputable antique store or better yet fly to Cambodia, Thailand or Myanmar to get one. Ending this blog, I think the Buddha is both a symbol of the spiritual and the face of style.

Photo Credit: Buddha Teaching the Law
Photographer: Murnis in Bali
Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/95231269@N00/

Strong: Classical Scuplture

Classical sculpture is my favorite. The classical type has its roots from ancient Greek and Roman art. This type of sculpture usually involves free standing statues. They emphasize the human form and elaborate decorative scenes. The subjects that are used are people, women, children, animals and domestic scenes. In ancient Greece and Rome, the sculpture is commissioned by patrician families for the adornment of their villas and gardens. For the Greeks, the statues of men are depicted standing with their hips slightly to the side to show more muscle definition and to show themselves as a next to the gods figure. The stance of the statue is called contraposto displaying the weight-shift of the statue's body.


As for the Romans who were attracted by Greek art and influenced by the culture of their native Etruscans, the Romans eventually adapted the Greek style but instead of using bronze as material the Romans used marble instead. The excellent result is that marble is one material that can survive the ages (better than bronze). Probably you will notice that if you visit a major museum that exhibits Roman art you will still be able to see ancient Roman sculpture made out of marble being exhibited. Though some Greek sculpture made of marble survived they are best known today from architectural context like the Parthenon.

Thanks to the age of Italian Renaissance, the appreciation for classical sculpture was revived and has its rebirth from the works of Donatello and Michelangelo. I genuinely like classical sculpture because it is realistic. I like the contours of the body and the bone structure of the faces and of course the muscle definition is detailed excellently. I would suggest that next time you go to Europe especially in Italy, France and Spain is to visit the museums, the cathedrals, the gardens and some town plazas and observe the classical sculpted statues that you will see in these places. As you observe them very well, you will see how these statues are beautifully done and composed.

Photo Credit: Bust of Herakles or Hercules
Photographer: JS
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25560381@N07/

Photo Credit: Emperor Augustus
Photographer: Nobor
Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25456269@N08/

Sculpture

Sculpture is an artform. This artform is three dimensional and it uses materials that can be moulded or modulated. There are many types of sculpture such as light scuplture, jewelery, fountain sculpture, architectural sculpture to mention a few but in the days to come I would like to talk about statue sculptures. Statue sculpture is one of my favorite, it is a representationalist sculpture depicting people, events or animals and even abstract objects.

The materials are usually bronze, marble, limestone and granite. Statue sculptures can be seen in plazas, gardens, churches, palaces, mansions and even in some private houses. I will not go on detail on how a sculptor mixes and moulds the material but I will just discuss the different forms of statue sculpture from different regions and civilizations. I think this is one artform that might not be popular to many people and hopefully my small blog will open your eyes to the beauty of sculpture.

Photo Credit: Native American Museum, NYC
Photographer: Alvin dela Pena