Sunday, June 07, 2026

Nautical art of Dominic Serres

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Dominic Serres (1722–1793) was born in France. After studying at a seminary, he moved to Spain where he became a merchant sailor. Eventually, in the Caribbean, he was captured by the British and imprisoned. While in prison he took up painting. Upon release he moved to England and began his career as a painter of maritime subjects, most generally warships of the time. 

Dominic Serres

Wednesday, June 03, 2026

Walking in Bukit Bintang

Bukit Bintang is an upscale shopping district located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Compared to many of the areas we've walked through in this series, it is very nice looking. The place is lively, with a lot of shops, restaurants, cafes, and food stalls.

 

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Paintings of windows

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Windows are a transparent division between the inside and the outside. You can view things from either side of a window, looking into privacy or out to the fragment of the public world outside. Of course, they can be metaphorical -- windows into the soul and whatnot -- but mainly they let in light and generally you really just look through them to enjoy the view.

Friday, May 29, 2026

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Baking bread in the sand

For some reason I have oddly large number of Mongolian posts on this blog, at least more than you would expect. This one is from Inner Mongolia, which is within Chinese territory. It starts with a video of some nomads baking bread in the sand. They heat up the sand with dung and then bury the dough and leave it to cook. The dunes are amazing, a very desolate looking place. 

The next video is of a Mongolian family having breakfast. What is particularly interesting about the video, to me at least, it is the furnishings and decor of their home. We end by touring a ranch which ends in some sort of incomprehensible 'fire ceremony' at the end of the day.

I have featured Artger's videos before -- a meal with a Mongolian opera singer, a hot pot delivery, and the Mongolian versions of hamburgers and hotdogs.  

 

Monday, May 25, 2026

Memorial Day remembrance

His Bunkie by William James Aylward

The Death of a Soldier - Wallace Stevens

Life contracts and death is expected,
As in a season of autumn.
The soldier falls.

He does not become a three-days personage,
Imposing his separation,
Calling for pomp.

Death is absolute and without memorial,
As in a season of autumn,
When the wind stops,

When the wind stops and, over the heavens,
The clouds go, nevertheless,
In their direction.