The story continues…

28 July 2019
by Arnaldo Pellini
Uncategorised

I find it nice to re-read books I have read when I was in my teens. So, here I am back to War and Peace. Almost to the end of book 1. I have the memories of when I read the book maybe 20-25 years ago. The memories have blurred with the passing of time. Re-reading the book is discovering it anew.

It’s 1809. The Rostov family has moved temporarily to St Petersburg. The whole family attend the grand ball hosted by a noble man on New Years which has a guest of honor the Emperor Alexander I.

It is the first grand ball of Nataša Rostov. There she meets again Prince Andréj Bolkonsky who is struck by her beauty, falls in love with her and decides to ask her hand. He consult with his long time friend Pierre Bezuchov who tells prince Andéj to follows his feelings. Nataša notices also Pierre at the grand ball.

Prince Andréj asks his father, Prince Nikolai Andreich Bolkonsky, permission to meet Nataša’s father and ask the hand of his daughter. Prince Andréj’s father is not happy about his son’s proposition and gives his permission under the conditions that his son would wait one year before marrying Nataša. He tells him to leave the country. Travel to Europe. If in one year, his and Nataša’s feelings have not changed they would then marry.

Prince Andréj is re-born. He feels life, love, compassion which he thought he had lost and goes to the Rostovs to ask to marry Nataša. Permission is granted. Nataša accepts as well and feel the join for the love towards him and the sandees for his imminent departure.

The story continues …

50 years ago on the moon

20 July 2019
by Arnaldo Pellini
Uncategorised

“Though I’m past one hundred thousand miles
I’m feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much she knows
Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you “Here am I floating ’round my tin can
Far above the moon
Planet Earth is blue
And there’s nothing I can do”
DB

Finnish language exercises

10 June 2019
by Arnaldo Pellini
Uncategorised

Minä meni torin keskustassa. Minä halusin ostaa porkanat. Torilla oli hyvät porkanat/porkanoita ja houono porkanoita. Porkanat olivat halpa kosak nyt on kesä. Talvella, porkanat ovat kallis. Minä tulin takaisin kotin ja menin keittiöön koska haluisin tekee ruoka. Minä olin nälkä.

Hyvä – huono
Kuma – kylmä
Vaikea – helppo
Pieni – iso/suuri
Uusi – vanha
Kaunis – ruma
Lämmin – viileä
Paljon – vahan
Valoisa – pimeä

London tube

28 January 2019
by Arnaldo Pellini
Black and White
20180115-ap-london-tube-series-223231-final_edit_bw
Baker Street, 2018

It was late that night. He opened the Tube app to check until what time the trains were running. There was still time. Few more trains before they would shut the doors of the stations until the early morning.  He had to change train in Baker Street and walked slowly to the platform.  A train had just stopped but he did not rush. He had his headphones on and had stumbled upon an interview on BBC Ulster. The host was interviewing Ciara O’Neill. They were speaking about her new album. They were talking and his mind rushed back to memories of living in Scotland, to a trip he took in Ireland (though not Northern Ireland) many many years before. He remembered the winters up in the north. The strong winds. The waves in the ocean. The rain. The hills. The daily runs along the river. The warm pubs. All that came back in a matter of seconds and the distance to the train changed and there was no need to rush anymore. He listened to their nice Irish accent and then she sang one of the new songs. He thoughts about her courage to pursue her dream and become a songwriter up there in Northern Ireland and, for a moment, in Baker Street’s tube station as well.

Winter wonderland series / 9

20 January 2019
by Arnaldo Pellini
Uncategorised
Over the knoll, 2019

The countryside in Eastern Finland, close to the border with Russia is more hilly than in the west of the country. There are these soft hills which resemble waves in the open sea. About 150 years ago this part of Finland was covered by forest and bug rocks. The farmers who settled here cleared the land one tree at a time, one rock at a time. Some of those rocks were used to build the foundation for the farmhouses. Hard work that in the winter had probably to stop to wait for the spring and the summer.

This is the last photograph fo this series. Next week I will start a new series of nine photographs from a different country. Different life stories.