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Dialogue among Religions
I don’t have much time to write these days. Sometimes life is way too complicated than we can handle.
Last weekend we had been invited to a good friend’s house. She is Japanese but it’s around 17 years that she lives in Milan, alone. No, sorry, with her cute dog.
Food was fantastic. It was the first time that I had the chance to try real Sushi. It was Buonissimo. Conversations with this dear friend and an Italian couple were unforgettable. But the best of all was the subject of this picture. She showed us her private corner in the kitchen. This is the place that she prays every morning even though she is not religious at all. As you can see, there are some Japanese symbols related to Buddha, a picture of Jesus Christ and some personal dear belongings from her late lover. She has mixed everything she liked but she just believes in God. I loved the way she has made a special corner for herself in the place that she spends most of her time when she is at home.
La Casa Delle Bottiglie
I just saw this picture in "Corrier Della Sera". This Slovakian refugee family have made their shelter from bottles in Rome. It is amazing!! If they could register their design in an architectural or conceptual competition they would definitely win! Check other pictures here.
Alessi's Kettle
I'm sure all of us have some products at home or in our office that have a kind of design problem. They don't work properly because they are not well-designed. Recently I bought this Alessi Kettle because I loved its form and color but the truth is that I’m not satisfied with it. The Kettle’s major problem is its lid. Opening the lid requires too much effort and there isn’t enough space in between the lid knob and the fixed kettle handle, even for my small hands. Every time I want to open the lid my hand would be injured because it hits the handle. This product needs to be redesigned for sure. Ergonomic essentials have not been considered for this product. Maybe I should go to Alessi’s office in Milan one day and tell them about the problem and my idea for the new model :)
Memory Booster !
Something weird happened to me in last 2-3 days several time. Every time I woke up, I couldn’t recall where I was and what time it was for a few seconds. First I thought that I’m in my own room in my father’s house in Tehran. Then I remembered that I’m not living with my parents anymore and I’m married! Then I couldn’t say if I was in our apartment in Tehran or Sydney or in a hotel room in … anywhere! Finally I remembered that we are in Milan. Then I had a battle with my memory to find out if it is night or day time. Anyway, it happened 3-4 times and … I didn’t like it at all.
Today I remembered what I read in Designboom’s interviews with Zaha Hadid and Karim Rashid and some other designers. All of them say they travel a lot. Something just clicked in my mind. I guess this memory-kind-of confusion happens to everyone once in a while but those people who travel a lot experience it more. Can it be a “need” for an idea? Can we design a product or just another option for our gadgets to show or announce the place, time, date and day? It can be useful. Sometimes when you travel long distances, time difference can make you confused about the date and day as well. Just imagine a CEO of a multinational company that has to travel between Europe to Far East, Australia and USA every week. Just imagine how this little product or additional optional can be useful for him. Do you Remember Memento?
Gadgets
After I read this article about all-in-one products, I was analyzing my own consumer behavior toward all-in-ones. About mobile phones, I’ve never liked able-to-do-everything-phones. I’ve never ever used my mobile phone’s camera even if it is a 7 mega pixel just like my Nikon. Simply I can’t trust that little simple camera. I expect more from a camera than just a click and pic! I prefer to have a very simple and basic mobile phone instead of a complicated gadget. It can be mainly because of my hatred toward phones in general. My rarely use of phonebook can be -arguably- the only not-calling-kind-of-utilizing a mobile phone.
The only exception that comes to my mind now is HP all-in-ones. I love them and just can’t think about having a printer, a fax machine, a scanner and a copier separately. Who has enough space for them all? Price is another important factor. All-in-ones are really reasonable sometimes.
Alone in the Lake
I took this picture on 19/11/2006 in Centenial Park, Sydney, Australia. It was such e beautiful evening. I took this photo with Nikon D100.
* Io ho fatto questa photographia a Sydney, in Australia con Nikon D100.
Veramente io non parlo o scrivo l'Italiano bene ma io volgio tentare qualche volta.
Again
I’ve decided to keep writing an English journal several times. I’ve started each time and after a while…there is always an excuse to stop. I think the main reason is lack of self-confidence in writing in any language other than my mother tongue. For last two years, each semester when I had to write an essay, I thought about writing my English weblog everyday and keep practicing. This time there is no essay and nothing related to my studies. First of all, I’m tired of my Persian weblog. I don’t feel safe and comfortable in it anymore. Secondly, since I’m learning a third language these days – Italian – I feel I’m loosing my English. It can be nonsense but trying to write in English everyday is harmless. Another start, Va bene? I can write in Italian here too!
