NaVloPoMo 30 - day # 30 Turkish Delight & thanks to all the Navlopomo videobloggers!

original movie @ http://blip.tv/file/514153
blog post @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14243

Click To Play

thanks from me also - I've had fun making little videos and watching other people's - plenty to catch up on! my last one mirrors my first of the month - in my pjs again, this time after a late night flight instead of an early morning one. I took videos at the Istanbul airport last night but hadn't put my memory stick in and so none of them saved. flight was delayed so I didn't get back to Jerusalem until around 3am and slept since then. very tired! so a quick goodbye & look at some of the Turkish Delight I bought at the Istanbul airport gift shop.

see you all around on the net somewhere!

kath

NaVloPoMo 29 - day # 29 Turkish Hotel TV - 60 channels & nothing on...

original video @ http://blip.tv/file/511287
blog post @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14241

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most of the tv in the hotel is in turkish. I can't understand most of it. the american shows are overdubbed in turkish. bbc prime is in english and a couple of news channels and that's about it! nat geo had a couple of english programs the first night I was here. it's often like this when I'm onsite - I don't get to watch any regular shows - most networks tend to show old programs and movies so I'm always about 5-10 years behind on tv watching, even though we see lots of it at work each day.. lucky there's internet access!

29/11/2007

NaVloPoMo 28 - day # 28 Jerusalem cats

original video @ http://blip.tv/file/511236
blog post @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14240

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Jerusalem is full of cats roaming the streets. they all seem to be this size. my sister called the other night and said she had to put her cat down as she was really sick. sad :(

taken on Shamai St, Jerusalem 17/11/2007

NaVloPoMo 27 - day # 27 Cassata icecream at the Polat Renaissance

original movie @ http://blip.tv/file/506897
blog post @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14239

tonight's dinner! I'm staying at the Polat Renaissance in Istanbul. the food has been nice so far though I'm missing the hummous from Jerusalem a bit ;) I splashed out and ordered dessert - Cassata icecream with nut and rasberry, covered with chocolate and served with sour cherry sauce. I thought it was going to be icecream with chocolate sauce, but it turned out to be a fancy dessert! very yummy - though filling. I couldn't finish it all.

battery is running low and I still can't see what I'm filming. but this gives you an idea of life as a business nomad ;) I've been in 3 countries this month and it sounds like I might visit those 3 again in December, plus a trip back to Australia for Christmas.

27/11/2007

NaVloPoMo 26 - day # 26 Sultan Ahmed & Hagia Sofia (Istanbul / Turkey)

original movie @ http://blip.tv/file/502883
blog post @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14238

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this is part of the Old City of Istanbul - Ayasofya Muzesi / Hagia Sofia Museum and Sultan Ahmed - the blue mosque.

in Hagia Sofia there's amazing mosaics. the building is huge! the ceilings are so high. there's great acoustics inside. inside Sultan Ahmed, it's very well preserved, especially in comparison to Hagia Sofia which is under renovations.

25/11/2007

(I left my battery charger for one camera at home - here's hoping the battery on the broken camera lasts the week!)

NaVloPoMo 25 - day # 25 arriving in Istanbul

movie file @ http://blip.tv/file/502849
blog post @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14237

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this week I'm in Istanbul for work. it's my first time here. it looks like a great place from what I've seen so far (which admittedly isn't much yet!). this is a quick video of the flight and a drive to the old city. I'll save the old city videos for another day

I can't see what I'm shooting so apologies for framing!

video taken (today) 25/11/2007

NaVloPoMo 24 - day # 24 Succoth preparations

video file @ http://blip.tv/file/501455
blog post @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14236

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this video was taken on 25/09 - I went to the Mechane Yehuda markets in Jerusalem where there was a special area setup to sell the etrogs (citrons), and reeds. during this time of year, huts are setup around the city restuarants and people's houses - some people live in them for the week. it's serious business choosing the citron - it's meant to be beautiful, without marks.

NaVloPoMo 23 - day # 23 sun setting over the Dead Sea

video @ http://blip.tv/file/501431
blog post @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14234

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the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the Earth. I've been a couple of times. the first time was late afternoon so there was a beautiful sunset behind the mountains. these mountains are not far from Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.

28/07/2007

NaVloPoMo 22 - day # 22 sun setting over Asia

video file @ http://blip.tv/file/501406
blog post @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14233

Click To Play

this is the sun setting over Asia during my flight from Bangkok to Tel Aviv in July 2007.

the song is "Sun Rising" by Beloved (I don't have a sun setting song and I love this track)

NaVloPoMo 21 - day # 21 English football in Tel Aviv

video file @ http://blip.tv/file/498364
blog entry @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14230

last night I went to Tel Aviv to the MASH Bar (more alcohol served here) to watch the England versus Croatia football game with one of the guys in my department who was here for the week. there was also an Israel game on around the same time so the bars in Jerusalem were showing it instead, or showing the England vs Croatia match without sound. England lost shilesh - steim (3 to 2 to Croatia) which means they have failed to qualify for Euro 2008. apparently the coach was sacked today..

this is a video of England scoring their first goal and the crowd in the bar's response. I broke my camera so can't see what I'm shooting anymore. most of the people in the bar were England supporters apart from a few Russians who were going for Croatia (as there was also a Russia vs Andorra match on at same time - Russia won this so they were happy!). so the crowd roared when England scored!!

21/11/2007

NaVloPoMo 20 - day # 20 water at Israel Musem

video file @ http://blip.tv/file/498305
blog entry @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14229

the children's pavillion at the Israel Museum had an exhibit on water. so this has a few parts of the exhibit plus the sculptures and fish pond outside.

the music is "Walk on Water" by Oforia on the BNE Life Is... album (Israel label)

video taken on 13/09/2007

NaVloPoMo 19 - day # 19 Tel Aviv Balkan Beat Box

original video file = http://blip.tv/file/493120
blog post = http://www.aliak.com/node/14223

this is Tel Aviv in the summer (at least one day of it..) - a slide show video or some of the buildings, the grafitti, beach, Mediterranean Sea, crowds on the beach, the cafe/bars on the beach. the music is Balkan Beat Box "Hermetico". the music store owner where I bought this cd said this band is really popular with the Israeli kids these days. the video is a bit long - I probably should have cut out half the photos or split it into sections but it was a nice day so I remember it more when I see the photos.

27/07/2007

NaVloPoMo 18 - day # 18 - new apartment on Thchernechovsky St

video file @ http://blip.tv/file/491033
blog post @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14222

I can't pronounce the name of the street properly yet - the security guy at work had a little smirk when I said the name as he was calling me a taxi, but here's a quick look at my new apartment. I'm used to living in hotel rooms so this place is HUGE in comparison! I thought the last one felt big. I moved in this morning which took all of 5 minutes. luckily I recognised it this evening when I came home - many of the buildings look similar in Jerusalem and definitely on this street! it's near the Jerusalem Theatre and not far from Aza (Gaza) St where there's cafes etc. so more places to explore! plus now I have my OWN internet connection - I'm no longer sharing with the neighbours who like to connect internet phone boxes which cause the wireless to drop out :(

the only bad thing is that yesterday I dropped my camera on the floor - the stones are really hard here. it landed on the lcd viewfinder which smashed internally. there's no mini eye viewfinder - just the lcd screen, so I'm now shooting blind. true point and shoot ;) luckily it's still taking photos and videos or I'd really be crying!

original video file @ http://blip.tv/file/489338
blog entry @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14218

the This Is Not Art festival is one of my favourite arts / music festivals - I try to make it along each year if I'm in Australia. it happens each year in Newcastle, north of Sydney in Australia. It comprises multiple festivals - TINA, Electrofringe, National Young Writers Festival, National Student Media Festival, Radioactive (community & student radio), and others (changes each year). At the end of the festival there's a market / zine fair. by this stage everyone is worn out from attending all the workshops, performances and nightly gigs. and the creative juices have been flowing for the past week. I didn't make it back home for this year's TINA, but this video is a quick snapshot of the 2006 zine fair - become the whale! indeed!

http://www.thisisnotart.org

NaVloPoMo 16 - day # 16 the chaos & randomness of Rotorua mud pools

original video @ http://blip.tv/file/489262
blog post @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14217

I don't know what it is about these mud pools but I could watch them all day. I'm mesmerised by them - the sounds, trying to guess which one will explode the highest or next. it's a mathematical problem just waiting to be solved!!

video taken @ Rotorua, New Zealand - April 14th 2007

I've been doing an online course called "The Crazy Wisdom of Philip K Dick" at Maybe Logic Academy for the past 8 weeks. the teacher is Erik Davis, a PKD scholar (amongst other topics). it's been great. each week we read parts of a book (The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch & VALIS) or watch a film (Bladerunner & A Scanner Darkly), then answer questions posted on the MLA course forums. the discussions have been great - I've learnt so much from it and have many things to keep researching. lots of different topics - religion, technology, parallel worlds, different meanings of time, gnosticism, philosophy, modern culture, and many more.. I'm sad it's over really.

I'm also doing the Technologies of Persuasion course with Douglas Rushkoff teaching - though I've fallen behind in this one. Also I've just enrolled in a self-study class of Robert Anton Wilson's (RAW) called Tales of the Tribe - so far it's about studying ideas in different literature works.

so if you're looking for a short course to do that will make you think - I highly recommend these!!

http://www.maybelogic.net

http://www.maybelogic.org

http://techgnosis.com

original movie file @ http://blip.tv/file/489020
blog post @ http://www.aliak.com/node/14216

NaVloPoMo 14 - day # 14 Ben Yehuda B-Boys

source file = http://blip.tv/file/484657
blog post = http://www.aliak.com/node/14213

the bboys were back in Ben Yehunda mall as I was coming home from work tonight. usually I've seen them there Thursday nights (equivalent to Friday back home as the weekend is Fri-Sat here not Sat-Sun as it is back home). they were just warming up I think. trying a bit of popping & locking this time.

14/11/2007

NaVloPoMo 13 - day # 13 NZ - Corromandel drive

http://blip.tv/file/480062 = source file
http://www.aliak.com/node/14210 = blog post

Watch the video

whilst I seem to have a fast net connection I thought I'd upload this one. it was taken earlier this year, I forget the date - sometime between feb-june I'd say. I was in Auckland, New Zealand. a couple of guys from work came on a driving trip and I wasn't driving so took the opportunity to take some video. it's a little bumpy and I haven't edited it, but Corromandel is such a beautiful part of the world I wanted to keep it as is. it's sooo laid back there. we found a nice little gallery / store and it turns out the girl who owns it was originally from Brisbane. Australians.. what can I say.. they get around and find the good spots!! :)

NaVloPoMo 12 - day # 12 - drive to work in Jerusalem

http://blip.tv/file/479974 = source file
http://www.aliak.com/node/14209 = blog post

Watch the Video

this is about 3 and a half minutes of my drive to work in Jerusalem - taken this morning. most days the taxi driver takes me through the religious area. sometimes along the freeway 'begin north'. I like going through the suburbs as it's more interesting to see people on their way to work or doing their daily tasks in the morning. at night it's late and dark so it's harder to take video. I sometimes worry about filming people, but the compression and reduction in size has made the people unrecognizable, and yet enough to trigger my memory. I love the Jerusalem stone buildings (limestone I think) - there's a rule that says all the buildings in Jerusalem have to be made of Jerusalem stone. I think it helps keep it's character. the old buildings are large blocks of stones, the newer ones are just 1inch veneer and some are starting to incorporate plates of glass.

the song is "My Life" by Echotek, an Israeli artist - from the album "Life Is... Dimensions" on Israeli label BNE records. I bought a few of their releases during my last visit - great sounds!

12/11/2007

(it's just cut edited in QT pro with the raw clips and was a bumpy ride - I must go to a lot of places with potholes..)

Watch the video

this is a video of my friend Tim's band - Personal Space Invaders aka PSI. it was taken a couple of weekends ago at Hope and Anchor in Islington, London where they performed live. the crowd loved them!

I was standing to the side so the audio for vocals was lost a bit by my camera. :(

27/10/2007