Monday, December 27, 2010

Chinese explanation/Spiegazione in cinese/中文说明




Our blog’s subject is Wet and Dry. It’s made by Alessio, Cristina and Yuan. We expand it from advertising, architecture, proverb, movies, music, philosophy, and various angles. I hope it never rains but it pours.
About this there is something special in Chinese culture that the ancient scholars like the mood of listening to the rain in a small building. Now I’m ending with a famous poem of LI Qingzhao from Song Dynasty.


昨夜雨疏风骤,
浓睡不消残酒,
试问卷帘人,
却道海棠依旧
知否,知否
应是绿肥红瘦。

It was a bad weather last night, I Slept by drinking.
The maid told me that the begonia that were still there.
Don't you see, don’t you see
The red is thin as the green is fat.



Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Stockfish/Stoccafisso/柴魚



n pl -fish, -fishes
(Cookery) fish, such as cod or haddock, cured by splitting and drying in the air
[of uncertain origin. Perhaps from stock (in the sense: stem, tree trunk) because it was dried on wooden racks. Compare Middle Dutch stocvisch].
 
Collins English Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003.



 Stockfish up for drying




 
Dried fish
  


Matera/马泰拉











 Map of Matera - Giambatista Albrizzi - 1761


I Sassi rappresentano la parte antica della città di Matera. Sviluppatisi intorno alla Civita, costituiscono una intera città scavata nella roccia calcarenitica, chiamata localmente “tufo”, un sistema abitativo articolato, abbarbicato lungo i pendii di un profondo vallone dalle caratteristiche naturali singolari e sorprendenti: la Gravina. Strutture edificate, eleganti ed articolate si alternano a labirinti sotterranei e a meandri cavernosi, creando un unicum paesaggistico di grande effetto.

The Stones are the oldest part of the city of Matera. Have developed around the Civita, constitute an entire city carved into the rock calcarenitic, locally called "tufa", a housing system articulate, clinging to the slopes of a deep valley from the unique and surprising natural features: the Gravina. Structures built, elegant and articulate alternate underground labyrinths and the cavernous depths, creating a unique landscape to great effect.


Links: Stones of Matera, Municipality of Matera


 
 

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Japanese rock garden/Giardino Zen/枯山水




 


The Japanese rock gardens (枯山水 karesansui) or "dry landscape" gardens (often called "Zen gardens" and waterless stream gardens) are typically associated with Zen Buddhism, and often found in the front or rear gardens at the residences (houjou 方丈) of Zen abbots. The main elements of karesansui are rocks and sand, with the sea symbolized not by water but by sand raked in patterns that suggest rippling water. Representative examples are the gardens of Ryoanji Temple and Daitokuji Temple, both in Kyoto. Plants are much less important (and sometimes nonexistent) in many karesansui gardens. Karesansui gardens are often, but not always, meant to be viewed from a single, seated perspective, and the rocks are often associated with and named after various Chinese mountains. The first-ever Zen landscape garden in Japan is credited to Kenchoji Temple in Kamakura. Founded in 1251, this temple was the chief monastery for the five great Zen monasteries that thrived during the Kamakura era (1185-1333). It became the center of Zen Buddhism thanks to strong state patronage.

 
 

The Rolling Bench








  Sungwoo Park - 2008



 

Paint Or Die But Love Me


 





Friday, December 3, 2010

Humidifier Design/ Umidificatore Design/ 加湿器设计

It is designed by Naoto Fukasawa (深澤直人), a Japanese industrial designer, born in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1956.
The humidifier is like a drop of water.

Naoto Fukasawa Website







Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Chinese Literature/ Cinese Letteratura/ 中国文学

Water Margin (also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang) is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Attributed to Shi Naian, the novel details the trials and tribulations of 108 outlaws during the Song Dynasty period of Chinese history.






Monday, November 22, 2010

Panni / Clothes / 布




Lavare  i panni / Wash clothes / 洗的衣服



...In the past


today...




Asciugare i panni/ Drying clothes /



...In the past


today...





Lavare i vetri/ Washing windows / 洗窗



...in the past





today...

 



Sedia Thonet / Thonet chair /托纳特椅子




Thonet: The first chair with curved wood with steam


Michael Thonet - 1859

 

 





Aria asciutta o bagnata?/ Dry or wet air? / 空气干燥或湿?




Umidificatore / Humidifier / 加湿器





Deudimificatore / Dehumidifier / 除湿机




 

Panneggio bagnato/ Wet drapery / 湿布料



The wet drapery is a sculptural technique designed by Phidias in the fifth century BC.




Andrea Mantegna: Detail from the San Zeno Altarpiece (Padova, chapel Ovetari)



Pennello asciutto / Dry brush / 干刷



Drybrush is a painting technique in which a paint brush that is relatively dry, but still holds paint, is used. 



An example of the drybrush technique using black acrylic paint on illustration board.



Ombrello/ Umbrella/ 伞



It changes color when wet

Video


Giochi/ Games/ 游戏



Hot Wheels that changes color when wet




_______________________________________________

 Barbie doll's mermaid body lights up in and out of water



______________________________________________


"Cicciobello Pipi" if you do drink, pee





Gomma / Tyre / 轮胎

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Italian idioms/ Espressioni idiomatiche italiane/意大利成语





Bagnato



Bagnato come un pulcino

Completamente bagnato, zuppo, come un pulcino uscito dall'uovo appena schiuso.






Piove sul bagnato

Si dice quando succede qualcosa di dannoso dove è già successo in precedenza.






Se non è zuppa è pan bagnato

Se non è un'opzione, è sicuramente l'altra.



 ______________________________________________________________




Asciutto




A bocca asciutta

Senza il bottino che si prevedeva di ottenere. Restare a bocca asciutta.






Gettare la spugna

Arrendersi. Deriva dal gergo del pugilato quando per arrendersi all'avversario si gettava simbolicamente la spugna usata dai "secondi" per lavare le ferite del combattimento (oggi si usa gettare sul ring un asciugamano).











Dry declaration/Dichiarazione asciutta/干声明

Wet declaration/Dichiarazione bagnata/湿声明







Single cover


Album cover


Coldplay - “Yellow” - Second single from the first studio album “Parachutes” (2000)




Music video:





______________________________________________________________









Single cover

 


Album cover


James Blunt - "You’re Beautiful" - Third single from the first studio album “Back to Bedlam” (2005)





Music video: