Jean Baudrillard did not die on March 6, 2007

The acknowledged philosopher, who is famous for blurring the boundaries between reality and simulation, passed away. Yet for him, dying was pointless, one has to know how to disappear...

Following a long illness, French sociologist and leading postmodernist thinker Jean Baudrillard died at the age of 77. Once he wrote “Dying is pointless. You have to know how to disappear”. Did he disappear? Well, speaking his theory, his death might not have taken place...He once said “What I am I do not know. I am the simulacrum of myself”.

Here comes Baudrillard’s most renowned term “simulacrum”, meaning the virtuality of signs that are generated by culture and media that create the reality we perceive. Baudrillard posed that our perception is captured and accordingly shaped by the simulacra which creates a “simulation” of the real. This simulacra of the real surpasses the real world and thus becomes “hyperreal”, a world that is more real than real. It presupposes and precedes the real.


The Matrix of the matrix  
If you are confused, think of the famous Matrix Trilogy of Wachowski Brothers: “Welcome to the desert of the real”. This quote, voiced by the rebel chief Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) in the first episode is Baudrillard’s most famous formula. Believe it or not, Baudrillard was invited to collaborate in the sequels, but he declined. Later, he accused the film Matrix of misunderstanding his philosophy. He found the film too “Platonic” and said “The Matrix is surely the kind of film about the matrix that the matrix would have been able to produce”.

Baudrillard is famous for his “outraging” remarks that shocked the audiences and intellectual faculties alike giving him a “notorious” title or “philosophic clown” attributes.

He attracted attentions by predicting that the first Gulf War in 1991 would not take place. During the war he insisted that it was not taking place. And after the war concluded, he went on saying it did not actually take place.

What Baudrillard actually wanted to point out was that the war was conducted as a media spectacle, quite similar to a war game, or a simulation. Considering under his terms of simulacra and simulation; during the war media replaced reality with simulation through reproducing the images of the real, which were selected and displayed according to a certain ideology. People around the world watched the images of war with the same attitude that they watch an advertisement on telly. They just watched the war on TV and went to bed afterwards. Thus, the war did not take place in the realm of the real.

Baudrillard later on went on discussing that there was no need for the media to virtualise events, as in Gulf War, since the war’s participants had thoroughly internalised the rules of simulation. That means, we are all captives in the hyperreality...

Baudrillard uses a famous tale by Borges to crystallise the term “hyperreal”: A great Empire created a map that was so detailed it was as large as the Empire itself. The actual map grew and decayed as the Empire conquered or lost lands. When the Empire collapsed, all that was left was the map itself. In Baudrillard's rendition, it is the map that we are living in, the simulation of reality, and it is reality that is decomposing due to disuse.

Well, a sparkling genius in this desert of the real, Baudrillard tried to travel beyond the hyperreal to “see what happens beyond”, as he put it in his words. It remains a mystery whether he achieved or not. Jean Baudrillard, born on July 29, 1929, died on March 6, 2007.

***Published in Caretta, 2007.

Interview with Alexander Markov

Alexander Markov, one of the best violin virtuosi, left a mark on Cyprus audiences with two amazing performances in the scope of the 4th International North Cyprus Music Festival. Markov says, he considers Cyprus visits as pleasant trips instead of professional ones...

You have been to Cyprus several times before. How do you feel in Cyprus?

Cyprus is a very peaceful island, indeed. I am also very happy about the annual music festival that promotes the kind of musical activities this country longs for. I am happy to contribute on my behalf as an artist to these cultural activities in Cyprus.

You have been to this part of the world several times...

Yes. Cyprus is a wonderful place to relax and take a deep breath to slow down. However, this time we had a different kind of excitement and a fast rhythm due to a very special event to me. This year, we performed the rock concerto, and a few days later was my recital comprising a strict classical repertory. These required hard work; but it was a sweet rush because I was very pleased and excited that the festival was open to new ideas instead of adopting a strict attitude. The director of the festival, Halil Kalgay

has put his heart to not only continue but also to develop the festival and thus he is open to different musical styles. I am very impressed of the hard work he has put in the organisation of the festival over the years. If it were not for him, surely all these wonderful activities would not be happening on this island. Kalgay is a praiseworthy person doing an extremely difficult job.

You participated in this annual music festival consecutively throughout the years. Can you compare the first years of the festival and the point it stands today?

I can say the festival has developed a lot and I am sure will be developing more in the forthcoming years.

What are your impressions of the audience in Cyprus?

I think it is a very enthusiastic audience. They are open-minded people. I like to be here with these people. That’s why I come back every year.

How does it feel like performing at the Bellapais Abbey? Does the historical atmosphere have an effect on you?

First of all, Bellapais Abbey is a beautiful place, very romantic. The reverberation is so perfect for solo instrum

ents or maybe a chamber orchestra only composed of a few instruments. Apart from its historical importance and beauty, the musical sense of the abbey is extraordinary and gives me delight while playing solo violin.

Among the places you have been to give concerts, which places can you list as your favourites?

Well honestly, I really love Turkey and North Cyprus. The people are very friendly, they like coming to the concerts. They are very enthusiastic and open-minded, which is very important. I, myself, learned a lot from the audiences in Turkey and North Cyprus. Everything is so natural here. Accordingly, you feel relaxed as an artist.

You give importance to listening to the performances of young musicians. Did you meet any talents in Cyprus?

Unfortunately, not this year. But last year we had a master class with EMU students. Students in this part of the world are enthusiastic musicians. They are very hungry for some new ideas and opportunities. I believe, in order to develop and take ambition in something, one should be hungry for something. If everything is given, then

there will be nothing to explore or seek. In the west, there are a lot of good teachers, but in this part of the world, it is different. I am very glad to offer these people the ideas or opportunities they seek for.

Together with hundreds of people, we watched your amazing rock concerto performance the previous night. Can you please first give us some information about it?

When we moved to America, I fell in love with two things; the rock’n’roll and girls. I loved rock’n’roll so much that I did not just want to listen to it but I wanted to become a part of it. I wanted to do something special. Eventually I approached my musical partner, James Remington, and he designed the marvelous electric violin with 6 strings for me. If I am a violinist, why not developing the violin, I thought. And we adapted it to the rock’n’roll music. It is the only one of its kind in the world and we had a patent on this. Then the idea came to combine my classical experience with rock’n’roll. In this aspect, the rock concerto is about my life. It is partially classical, and partially hard rock or heavy metal. Then, I met with some extraordinary musicians from New York; Gregg Gerson the drummer, Ivan Bodley, the bassist.

What was your objective in composing a rock concerto? Does it claim a message?

I wanted to do something special to attract the younger audience to the world of classical music; something ultimately different that would create an effect, shake and awake the audience. Musically, the rock concerto has a revolutionary aspect. When playing classical music, you have to follow the traditions of hundreds of years. You have only a limited independent area to play interpretation. You have to follow the intention of the composer. But in the rock concerto, the music is original. You can do whatever you want as long as it sounds well. You can express yourself a hundred percent as you are. The rock concerto offers a musical journey. People do not just come to listen 50 minutes of music, but to enter a different world. I want to grasp their attention at the first minute and take them to a different world. That is basically the idea behind it.

Which countries have you performed the rock concerto so far, and where did you get the most crowded audience? And, why, do you think?

Well, actually rock concerto is quite a new project. The premiere was held in America only two months ago. Apart from that, we mainly performed it in Turkey. We played in Izmir, Bursa, İstanbul and Eskişehir. We also played once in Israel. The most crowded we got was in İstanbul at AKM. But in Cyprus, we had an unfortunate shift of places. Because of the rain, we moved the stage and all the equipment to the EMU Sports Hall, from the Antique Theatre of Salamis. I think it is why we could not get many spectators.

You are among the very few virtuosi able to perform Paganini’s 24 Caprices at one recital. Is this extraordinary performance the result of long hours of study, or a deep love of the composer?

Both actually. Ever since I was very little, I was always fascinated by the image of Paganini. Well, for the 24 Caprices, I had an opportunity to give a recital in New York in the very beginning of my career. My father gave me the idea to do something really striking and challenging, instead of a regular list of sonatas. Thus started a hard marathon and finally the recital attracted attention. Then, we shot this film of my performance with the director Bruno Monsaingeon, which was released worldwide on DVD just a week ago.

You moved to the US from Russia with your family. Do you ever wonder where is home to you?

This is an easy question to answer, because obviously it’s US. Not to forget to mention that there is a wonderful culture in Russia. Actually nowadays, I spend more time in Turkey. Turkey is home to me for now.

Would you like to add something?

I would like to emphasize how much I am impressed with the hard work undertaken in the organisation of the music festival in Cyprus. I am very glad to participate in such a festival. I give a lot of concerts around Europe in the scope of various organisations. One or two years later, these organisations generally end up. But here, it is exactly the opposite. Thanks to the determined attitude of the festival, the interest in the culture is getting bigger and bigger every year, giving me a pleasant hope. I take pleasure in watching this grow, that is why I come back every year.

JETLAGGED!

How do you keep up with long hours of flight spent within the plane?

It is fine. I like travelling. I feel relaxed. I sleep or I can even read. It is better to fly long way than to make connections. Then, you have to spend long hours at a terminal which gives you exact boredom.

Does the long hours of travelling affect your adaptation or performance? Or what do you do to prevent this?

It does not, really. I never had any trouble. Maybe in the case of some organization problems, some times I had difficulties. But it happens very seldom indeed.

You said you enjoy coming here. Have you ever flied with CTA in one of your travels to Cyprus?

Yes, I think last year and the year before, when I was to come to Cyprus for the festival again, I travelled with CTA. It was very good experience. I enjoyed it.

Have you ever encountered something interesting in one of your flights?

Of course, I encounter a lot of interesting things on my journeys. Once, I remember, I was running very late for one of my flights from Cyprus. And, they got me directly on the plane, on the runway a few minutes before the plane takes off. I felt like James Bond.

A living legend

Alexander Markov was born in Moscow and studied violin with his father, concert violinist Albert Markov. By the time he was eight years old, he was already appearing as a soloist with orchestras. At the age of fourteen, he received a rare personal invitation from Jascha Heifetz to study with him. The Gold Medal winner at the Paganini International Violin Competition, Markov is praised by the famous violinist Lord Yehudi Menuhin with these words, “He is without doubt one of the most brilliant and musical of violinists”

***Published in Caretta, 2008.

Fragmented Spaces of Globalisation: A-pathetic Desert of Postmodern Nomad

“The deserted island is the origin, but a second origin. From it everything begins anew.”Gilles Deleuze “Desert Islands”, 13
“Nomads are motionless, and the nomadic adventure begins when they seek to stay in the same place by escaping the codes”.Gilles Deleuze “Nomadic Thought”, 261

The film Sheltering Sky begins with a nostalgia. The opening scenes of the film, shot black and white with a sort of nostalgic glance at the New York City, remind us the old flickers in the history of cinema. These flickers had a different speed of motion than what is accepted as the standard in cinema industry of today. In these movies, the images flickered and people and objects moved in a strangely and supernaturally faster speed. This is how the cinematographer Vittorio Storaro wants us to have a picture of New York on our minds for the rest of the film. New York is a melancholic nostalgia for the characters in this film. One of a quite different speed, time, and place. Actually, when one pays closer attention, it is apparent that these scenes are nothing but a montage of old archive shots showing various places and times in New York City. So, the city is shown in fragments. The film tell us in the first moment that in the memory of Port and Kit, the city is only a fragmented nostalgia.

Melancholy as Home
In the first scene after the credits, Port is shown lying in a state of distress under red and orange light – wet in anxiety, restless, uneasy. This is where the text of Paul Bowles begins - Port waking up from a dream:

“[H]e was too deeply immersed in the non-being from which he has just come. If he had not the energy to ascertain his position in time and space, he also lacked the desire. He was somewhere, he had come back through vast regions from nowhere; there was the certitude of an infinite sadness at the core of his consciousness, but the sadness was reassuring, because it alone was familiar.”

The non-being...He has just come... This description of deterritorialisation entails the comprehension of “being” as a list of attributes you hold according to the value system of the culture you are born into. This sort of reading suggests that once you moved away from it, you get stripped of your being. But here, the analogy merits attention. Port’s peculiar state that lingers between dream and wakefulness is parallelled to his journey away from home to North African deserts. In this respect, being away from home is resembled to nothing but a twilight sleep – between dream and reality. Not at an exact position in “time and space”; but floating between spaces. Port is both somewhere and nowhere, as the text suggests. Somewhere, but it is not important exactly where. He has come from nowhere, because left behind as the previous destination, now means nothing. In such a mobile position between fragments without depth, Port has only but one feeling familiar to him: sadness. Melancholy is the home of the traveller.
This melancholy can hardly be interpreted as a feeling of longing for home, though. Obviously, Port is never thinking of going back to New York, or Europe. Kit, however, believes they will “stop” and go back to New York, one day. She sometimes enjoys dreaming European cities .

Consuming Fragmented Spaces
What drives Port to such a state of mobility? He is rich, he is a New Yorker – one of those people we see in the beginning of the film, enjoying underground, skyscrapers, city lights, a metropolitan culture at its height. Renouncing the opportunities and facilities of living in one of the centres of Western society, he travels to desert. His departure off the geography he is born into might be romanticised through an interpretation that suggests that he renounced the system that governs West and went for the desert – the domain of nothingness. However, Port rather seemed to me a “consumer” – a consumer of spaces, shaped by postmodern condition : “No needs should be seen as fully satisfied, no desires considered ultimate” . Therefore, postmodern subject is driven into a state of excitement – an excitement seeker. “[A] good consumer is a fun-loving adventurer” . The postmodern subject is a nomad, travelling from one desire to another: “There is equally the restlessness, the mania for constant change, movement, difference – to sit still is to die” . The satisfaction, however, abides only in the moment of arrival. Then begins a new adventure towards a new satisfaction, which actually values so little compared to the process.
A sort of traveller like Port cannot really get into the culture he is travelling into. The lack of pathos is always existent within the postmodern nomad. In Sheltering Sky, we see Port drifting from one place to another without ever getting into real contact with the local culture, except for his mysterious journey to the tent of Marhnia. For him, the important thing is to “go”, to “travel”. As soon as he arrives in a town, he goes searching for the next bus to another city. No ultimate destination exists for Port. Port is a consumer of voyages. He is a collector of memories. He is always in exile. Although he is present in the towns of Sahara, he is simultaneously absent. He is like the “black hole” without a “white wall”. A half face without Kit . He watches everything around and registers to his subjectivity, yet he can hardly share them with Kit. There is always a sort of deferrence between the two. And this is mostly felt in the scene where the two are finally left alone as Tunner left for Messad:

“[R]ather than make any effort to ease whatever small tension might arise between them, she determined on the contrary to be intransigent about everything. It could come about now or later, that much-awaited reunion, but it must all be his doing. Because neither she nor Port had ever lived a life of any kind of regularity, they both had made the fatal error of coming hazily to regard time as non-existent. One year was like another year. Eventually everything would happen.”

Time, as non-existent...Kit determines to behave quite the contrary to her will. For she believes, time means nothing and what she longs for will happen eventually. Port undergoes a similar decision process a few lines before Kit’s. He “temporarily abandon[s] the idea of getting back together with Kit.” He takes this decision on intuitive grounds though. He believes that “when he least expect[s] it, the thing might come to pass of its own accord” .
Both are waiting for a re-union, so we learn, a re-birth of their intimate days. And to be reborn, he and Kit head for the desert - an island, surrounded by lands of different type. “A cosmic egg” – so does Deleuze call islands in his magnificent essay “Desert Islands”.

Noah’s Ark becomes a Bed of Pain
The title of Deleuze’s article, “Desert Islands” is twofold by nature. One can read it as a combination of an adjective and a noun – hence islands that are deserted, or, islands that are like deserts, or else, islands which are deserts themselves. Another reading would suggest – through noun plus noun combination – deserts as islands. Indeed, deserts are much like islands in their isolated nature.
In the case of Sheltering Sky, the desert is an island, so much as it is a deserted island for Port and Kit. Like ships around a deserted island, they wander around in distance but never really come ashore. Throughout the narrative, there are examples when Port goes for a walk into the city and meets the locals. These are only fragments, though. He can only experience the local culture in fragments. Kit’s existence, on the other hand, provides him a sort of connection to his native culture. The relationship of husband and wife is also fragmented and a parallel motif for this situation.
Desert, as a cosmic egg, in Deleuze’s sense, is expected to serve take away this fragmentedness. In “Desert Islands” Deleuze suggests:

“the formation of the world happens in two stages, in two periods of time, birth and rebirth, and that the second is just as necessary and essential as the first, and thus the first is necessarily compromised, born for renewal and already renounced in a catastrophe.”

We know that Port renounces New York when he comes to the Sahara, seeking for a new beginning in life that will come with succeeding integration and a re-birth of their marrigae with Kit. Also Kit, later on renounces her connections with that culture after the death of her husband, and she flees to the desert. There, she seeks for a new beginning with Belqassim in her new disguise.
Deleuze explains this renewal in his essay via the myth of flood; the first creation renounced and a new beginning is sought and only made possible by an island – a mountaintop circulated by flood waters around. Noah’s ark sets on this island, a sacred land in shape of egg. Remember that Port and Kit arrive in the Sahara by boat, actually they insist on coming by boat. The journey, intended for new beginnings, is therefore both an interior and exterior one.

“Nomads are motionless”
Earlier I have stated that Port was a consumer of voyages. There is no question that he is a traveller-type of fellow, as it is clearly indicated both by the narrative and by a key scene in the film. I have also stated that Port and Kit’s journeys into the desert have an interior value the aims of which are similar to the physical journey itself – the re-beginning. However, although these people try to escape from New York, from capitalist mode of production, from Western value system, they seem to be entrapped by it in some way. The very system conditions its individuals to a sort of restlessness and will to travel – remember Bauman’s point . In this sense, Deleuze discusses that the term “nomad” should actually be understood in a different way. For Deleuze, “real nomadic adventure begins when [one seeks] to stay in the same place by escaping the codes.” To seek a new beginning in the global world, one should think of travelling beyond the codes. If that is ever possible.

A Nomad in the Desert of the Real
“I think all you drinkers are victims of a huge mass hallucination” cries Port to Kit and Tunner, who are less like him in terms of postmodern restlessness.
Imagining everyone seeking a way out of this system actually as a result of the conditioning of this system, creates an image of the world as a desert. When stripped of its codes, signifiers and signifieds, its charming commodities, its conditioning media, the world is nothing but a global desert. As Baudrillard puts it: “Welcome to the desert of the real”.

A French Poet in Cyprus: Arthur Rimbaud

“It has been found again! What? Eternity.
It is the sea mingled with the sun.”

Island means escape. It means freedom. It means isolation. It calls one to chase one’s own utopia in the far distance of every civilisation. Cyprus meant all these to the French poet Arthur Rimbaud; a newfound eternity.

Imagine a stone quarry in Cyprus... Then, place a supervisor in this scene... Let this be a French fellow who mostly enjoyed hard work... Let this be Arthur Rimbaud, the poet who charmed the literary scene of Paris with his poems he wrote in his teens only; one who wrote the most innovative and influencing poem of the age when he was only 17. He burnt out all the poems he had written at once, left Europe, and came here, to Cyprus...
Renowned French poet Paul Verlaine mentioned him, “He was neither Devil nor the holy God; he was Rimbaud, a great poet, (...) a distinctive boy!”
Rimbaud was doubtless a genius who shaped the world of poetry with his four-year work, from the age of 16 to the age of 20. He took poetry out of drawing rooms and placed it in the middle of modern life by crying “from your dark poems, let strange flowers burst out, and electric butterflies! See – it’s the century of Hell!” The life of the poet, who claimed, “I is another”, passed quite congruent to this aphorism of him, extending from the world of letters into a world of hard work incorporating two different others.

The Beginning
Rimbaud is known to have a quick start in life in every aspect. He is said to be born with his eyes open in the morning of October 20, 1854. Then, we see him as an obstreperous teenager. He is young, rebellious, and restless, pushing the borders all the time. Given this image of Rimbaud, a photograph of the poet, retouched to show him wearing jeans, was used as a symbol of the student revolt in Paris in May 1968. The restless soul of Rimbaud, which pushed him leave home several times, finally took him thousands of miles, even continents far from his homeland...
The renowned French poet Verlaine receives a letter in a morning of the year 1871. This was a set of poems, one like which he receives a thousand maybe every day. But this time, it was different. The letter was signed ‘Arthur Rimbaud’, and Verlaine was impressed by the imagery of these poems. He sends a reply to Rimbaud, “We await you; we desire you” with a train ticket to Paris attached.
A forerunner of the Decadence movement in France, standing for “art for art’s sake” which will give way to later Symbolism and Aestheticism, Verlaine is shocked upon meeting Rimbaud, for what he was expecting was a 30-year old man; but what he found instead was a 17-year old countryboy. He patrons him in Paris and introduces him to the literary circles in the city. In the meantime, Rimbaud and Verlaine, whose wife is pregnant, get into a homosexual relationship. In his masterpiece ‘A Season in Hell’, Rimbaud traces this relationship. He mentions Verlaine as “a demon” whose “mysterious ways” seduced him.
When Rimbaud attempted to break apart with Verlaine, the poet shoots him in the arm and he was sent into a Belgian gaol for two years. Upon this, Rimbaud shuts him in his room for some time and writes poetry. At the point that he has many poems to fill a book, he takes them and heads for publishing houses. Nevertheless, the society of letters accuses Rimbaud for spoiling Verlaine’s life by first destroying his marriage and then putting him in the jail. Therefore, he is refused by every little publishing house he takes his poems. The young genius is deeply depressed. And this moment is the exact moment in which everything comes to an end. He throws all his poems into fire at once, the ones that compose his masterpiece ‘A Season in Hell’ mostly, and leaves the country. To become an ‘other’... It is the year 1875...

The Escape
“My day is done: I am leaving Europe. The marine air will burn my lungs; unknown climates will tan my skin.” (A Season in Hell)

The year 1878... After stopping by several cities in Africa, Cyprus welcomes Rimbaud with its tranquillity. Here in Cyprus, he works as a supervisor at a stone quarry. He turns out to be a “man of action” totally leaving aside his personality of a “ man of thought”. He takes fancy in doing hard work. Poetry is dead for him. He never mentions his ‘previous’ life and his glorious days in Paris. No one, not even his employer, knows where he is from or who he is. Upon the inquiries concerning his past he replies, “absurd” and goes on “ridiculous, disgusting”. Rimbaud, has become somebody else. He is leading a tranquil and silent life in Cyprus, where he escaped from his past or maybe from himself.
The first letter he wrote from Cyprus to his mother carries the evidences of that dense feeling of isolated loneliness that would seal his life from then on: “The nearest village is one hour away on foot. There is nothing here but a jumble of rocks, a river, and the sea. There are no houses. No soil, no gardens, no trees”. And of course, no poetry...
How come did Rimbaud end up in Cyprus? Is it an escape from love, or from poetry? Or was he only seeking adventure? Maybe... However, a more detailed look will reveal another perspective: The years that covered Rimbaud’s life was an age in which modernism was climbing very fast. Many values underwent a rapid change with the Industrial Revolution that took place in the beginning of the century. Bourgeoisie was the enemy and everything that belonged to the bourgeois world was fought against. Poets were losing their place in the society.
However, towards the end of the 19th century, bourgeoisie started to gain power steadily. In the face of all these rapid changes, the poets and writers questioned their social idealism, had problems of concern and under this pressure preferred to escape. The literary movement that found roots in this circle of writers is the ‘Escapism’.
Under the suddenly changing values of the city, poets and writers escaped to the wilderness and pristine countries. Can we say then Rimbaud was an ‘escapist’? Considering his sudden escape and disappearing from Europe, he can be labelled as an escapist for sure. The word ‘escape’ in literature brings to mind ‘island’. Island means escape, a place far from the traces of civilisation.
Considering that transportation to islands was possible only via ships in the middle of the 19th century, the most attractive place to chase one’s personal utopia was an island.
Nevertheless, Rimbaud did not have a magnificent life in Cyprus. His letters to his mother tell us that he had hard times on this island. However, who can say this life was not what he pursued, his personal utopia? Especially thinking of the dark bohemian character we have here...
Rimbaud leaves the island in 1880 upon a quarrel he has with the workers, and heads for Aden via the Red Sea gradually getting farther and farther from Europe. After 11 years of exile, he sails to Marseille, worried for a fatal ache in his right leg. Diagnosed as cancer, his right leg is amputated and only six months later Rimbaud dies at the age of thirty-seven.

The End
“Let us go... All the filthy memories are disappearing... At dawn, armed with a burning patience, we shall enter into the splendid cities...” (A Season in Hell)

Teenage rebel, innovative poet, passionate lover, lonely heart...
The poet who came to Paris on a ‘Drunken Boat’ and lived ‘A Season in Hell’ and then had his ‘Illuminations’... Today Rimbaud is renowned neither as a stone quarry supervisor nor as a foreman. He has taken his place in the history of literature as the forerunner of Parnassian movement in literature which gave way to symbolism and decadence later on by seeking “art for art’s sake”. He is remembered as an influential poet who wrote the most innovative poetry of his age though only for four years in his lifetime... He is the great poet who passed by our land that we live on...


Rimbaud’s Oeuvre
The Drunken Boat (Le Bateau Ivre) 1871
The Illuminations (Les Illuminations) 1874
A Season in Hell (Une Saison en Enfer) 1873
(copies of it discovered at a Belgian publisher in 1901)


A Poem by Rimbaud
Sensation
Through blue summer nights I will pass along paths,
Pricked by wheat, trampling short grass:
Dreaming, I will feel coolness underfoot,
Will let breezes bathe my bare head.

Not a word, not a thought:
Boundless love will surge through my soul,
And I will wander far away, a vagabond
In Nature - as happily as with a woman.


Rimbaud in various disciplines of art
Though composed poetry for only four years in his lifetime, Rimbaud was influential not only in poetry and literature but also in various fields of art. His has impacts in the powerful movements of the 20th century such as Symbolism, Expressionism, and Aestheticism. The famous composer Benjamin Britten composed his poetry in ‘Les Illuminations’ (the Illuminations). Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison take him for inspiration. The film ‘Paris Blues’ (1961) narrates the poet’s life and his masterpiece ‘A Season in Hell’ was adapted for the screen. A retouched photography of Rimbaud showing him wearing jeans was the symbol of the student revolt in Paris in 1968.
*published in Caretta Magazine, Feb 2008

The Night of Crossed Destinies

North Cyprus Turtle Project invites you to experience a marvel of nature. You can observe sea turtles laying eggs in the silence and darkness of the midnight beach… An opportunity of a lifetime …

I already knew, on our way to Alagadi, that it would be a poetic night. A full moon, the stillness of the mountains beyond the beach, and the gentle breeze carrying the salty breath of the Mediterranean… We drive to Alagadi, known alternatively by locals as the Turtle Beach. It has been estimated that as few as 300-400 green turtles and 2,000 loggerheads nest throughout the Mediterranean each year. For both species, but in particular the Green Turtle, Northern Cyprus is clearly an extremely important nesting site. Alagadi is considered to be the fifth major nesting site in the Mediterranean for Loggerhead and Green turtles.
We take the turn right and follow signposts to ‘Turtle Project’. The information office, situated some distance from the beach, is known as the Goatshed. This is our meeting point before we set out to observe the nesting of sea turtles tonight. North Cyprus Turtle Project, known as the Marine Turtle Research Group, was initiated in 1992 by Kuzey Kibris Kaplumbagalari Koruma Dernegi (Society for the Protection of Turtles in Northern Cyprus, KKKKD/SPOT), which invited staff and students from Glasgow University to conduct a survey of the nesting beaches in Northern Cyprus. This took the form of an undergraduate expedition lasting three months. Since 1992 over 200 students and staff from British universities have taken part in the annual monitoring and conservation of marine turtles in Northern Cyprus. Work is carried out at the request of and in conjunction with members of the local Society for the Protection of Turtles and the local Department of Environmental Protection.
Around 21:00, we start our long walk from the goatshed to the beach under the guidance of the students who are involved in the Turtle Project. It is a night when destinies cross: the full moon above, the guests that accompany our walk and the mother turtle who is now swimming somewhere in the sea towards some point on the beach to lay her eggs. It is as if we are marching to meet our fate for tonight, somehow taking us to this silent corner of nature. I think of people in the city, killing time in front of their tellies. I am filled with the enthusiasm and delight of being here, and I cannot help but picture in my mind the mother turtle now somewhere in the sea, heading to our shore.

A Patch of Dark on the Sand
21:30… We lay our belongings at a point on the sand. One of the students says a female turtle is approaching. She crawls out of the sea, pausing frequently as if carefully scoping out her spot. We should stop at a distance so as not to alarm her. Maybe she will decide to stay over, and we can then approach her. Sometimes it happens that a turtle crawls out of the sea but for some unknown reason decides not to nest. This is called a "false crawl": it can happen naturally, be caused by artificial lighting or by the presence of people on the beach. All we can do for now is to wait until the students tell us the time is right to approach her.
Normally the students survey the beach every five minutes to check if some turtle comes nesting, and to inspect the nests that are close to hatching. Tonight we do not hear of any other turtles. There is only the one close to us. We learn that when the moon is full turtles are less liable to come to the shore for nesting and besides they usually tend to come much later in the night. This night it seems we are in luck. Whilst waiting we approach Robin Snape, the 25 year old project leader, to obtain some information about the marine turtles that visit Alagadi and the Turtle Project.

Turtles Visiting Alagadi and the Turtle Project
Robin tells us that two types of sea turtles come to lay their eggs at Alagadi: Loggerheads, which are publicly known as Caretta Caretta; and Green turtles. Green turtles, which grow bigger than the Loggerheads, come in large numbers, says Robin, especially this year. They are more specific about their nesting places than the Loggerheads. The Turtle Project volunteers and staff survey the beaches both day and night. They have two groups, working in shifts. Although their main headquarters is in Alagadi, they also have teams in Güzelyurt and Karpaz. Robin says the living conditions and opportunities differ from one base to another, so they regularly change places to be fair to all. For instance, the three students living in Karpaz are staying in a fire station with the firemen. This may be limiting to their social life. At the same time, Robin does not forget to mention the kind people who so generously offered them friendly places in which to stay.
Robin receives a message from the students who have been observing the mother turtle from close by, and now we know it is time…. it is time to meet our little girl who was swimming to the shore as we were walking to the beach.

Our Lady Turtle is Nesting
Sea turtles are generally slow and awkward on land, and nesting is exhausting work. The female turtle flings away loose sand with her flippers. She constructs a body pit by digging with her flippers and rotating her body. After the body pit is complete she digs an egg cavity, using her cupped rear flippers as shovels. The egg cavity is shaped roughly like a teardrop and is usually tilted slightly. When the turtle has finished digging the egg chamber she begins to lay her eggs. The average size of a clutch ranges from about 80 to 120 eggs. However, only a few of them produce healthy hatchlings. Nesting sea turtles appear to shed tears, but the turtle is just excreting the salt that accumulates in her body. Many people believe that while laying her eggs a sea turtle goes into a trance from which she cannot be disturbed. This is not entirely true. A sea turtle is least likely to abandon nesting when she is laying her eggs, but some turtles will abort the process if they are harassed or feel they are in danger. For this reason, it is important that sea turtles are never disturbed during nesting. As our lady, a Green Turtle, starts laying her eggs students measure her and keep her records. Her shell is 87cm, which is quite big for a Green Turtle. I ask Robin her age. He says it is not possible to tell exactly, but the project records have her tagged previously on this beach about 10 years ago. Then we calculate: given the fact that turtles reach adulthood at 30, and she was tagged some ten years ago, she might be around 40 years old. However it is quite possible that she used to come here before she was tagged. Therefore, according to Robin, she might well be 50 or even up to 80 years old.
Once all the eggs are in the chamber the mother turtle uses her rear flippers to push sand over the top of the egg cavity. Gradually, she packs the sand down over the top and then begins using her front flippers to refill the body pit and disguise the nest. The students mark the egg chamber by placing some sticks around it because, as she throws sand in all directions, it is hard to locate the nest afterwards. When she has moved about 2-3 metres from the nest the students start digging to identify the exact location of the egg chamber. Once they locate it, they place a cage around the nest to protect it from dangers. The last thing we want, says Graham Mumby, the project coordinator, is someone to drive a parasol directly into a nest so we place these cages over them. Another danger comes from predators. As the hatchlings start to come out they spread a particular smell, which is scented by dogs wandering around. Attracted by the smell the dogs will dig the ground to reach the hatchlings and eat them. For this reason a net is also placed over the nest.

Significant Work for Natural Survival
23:30… Our lady turtle looks exhausted now. Whilst watching her one feels very sensitive about the threats that endanger the turtles’ existence. I have always felt attracted to their elegant nature; the hard work of their motherhood, their mysterious selectivity of beaches, their lovely babies… but here, watching her laying eggs and undertaking this exhausting job with her big and aged body, is an extraordinary feeling. After throwing sand for a couple of minutes using her flippers, she stops to rest briefly. Then, taking a deep breath, she starts moving her flippers again…
According to information from Robin a turtle nests almost five times a season, leaving approximately a hundred eggs in each nest. Out of five hundred eggs around 350 will hatch, but only one in a thousand hatchlings will survive to adulthood and be able to carry on the cycle of life. Therefore, Robin stresses, if a turtle gets hurt or killed it puts at risk their very existence. Threats are not limited to the low rate of reaching adulthood, unfortunately. Sea turtles also face a myriad of dangers: industrial fishing, coastal development, and global climate change pose the greatest challenges to their continued survival. Due to these threats, many sea turtle species are now listed as endangered. Given all these facts you truly appreciate all the hard work done by the students, volunteers, and staff here at the Turtle Project to help save the lives of these turtles …

Back to the Sea
Our lady Green Turtle is now happy with the concealment of her nest. She slowly crawls her way back into the sea. Exhausted, she will rest in the waters to regain her strength before nesting again later in the season, finally beginning the migration back to her feeding ground. She meets the dark waters washed by blue moonlight, slowly disappearing, giving her bodily weight to the sea.
For us, the visitors, she came out of nowhere and she has returned to a mysterious corner of the deep. Somehow the paths of our destinies crossed tonight… my eyes wander the long beach as far as I can see under the dim moonlight. I see tens of nests marked by cages around them. I try imagining how wonderful it would feel to be able to experience this extraordinary event every night. In the dark, on the beach, you secretly become a part of nature – the realm of marvels.

Baby Caretta Carettas Surprise Us
As we were packing for our return journey, we approached a nest protected by a ring cage and a pyramid cage. Whilst trying to take a photo of this cage in the dark, holding our torches, we suddenly discovered a little baby turtle! And then another one! We yelled at the students “there are baby turtles here!” They came at once to record the hatching nest. The babies, they told us, are Caretta Caretta turtles. They, the students tell us, are identified by being totally black and, to our amazement, they told us that they might excavate the nest the next day! Nothing will hold us back from coming here and seeing baby Caretta Carettas coming out of their nest!

*published in Caretta Magazine, Aug 2008
** see "Caretta Caretta Babies Come Out!" - sequel to this article

Caretta Caretta Babies Come Out!

While watching a huge Green Turtle laying eggs, we discovered two baby Loggerheads in a near nest! Today, we are going back to Alagadi to join the public excavation of the nest! Somewhere in the sand, those babies are waiting to be discovered and released to the sea….

When some sea turtles are just coming to lay their eggs, the first nests begin to open and baby sea turtles make their way to the sea. Following our surprising discovery of two Loggerhead babies on the beach last night, today we are informed that there will be a public excavation at 17:00. You are also invited!
During their regular nightwatches, the students in the Turtle Project, check the nests which are older than 40 days. This indicates that the nest could hatch any time. Therefore, these nests get different treatment to protect any early babies from being eaten or destroyed. They place a pyramid cage to protect any predators stealing into the nest, and a ring cage around it so that if any babies come out of the nest, they stay within this ring until the students find them. We had approached this kind of nest last night as we were about to leave the beach after having watched a 87-cm Green Turtle lay her eggs; and we had discovered two baby Loggerhead sea turtles, which are commonly known as Caretta Caretta.

Excavating the Nest
As hatchlings usually emerge from their nest at night when temperatures are cooler, upon such discovery, the following day the Turtle Project places notices at crowded places in the city to invite people to join public excavation. The people already on the beach willingly approach to witness the birth of the hatchlings. So, it is always very crowded. To prevent any chaos, and to secure their smooth working without any harm to the babies, first the students tape off the area around the nest and a small area near the sea, where they will let the babies perform their legendary walk to the sea.
Excavating hatched sea turtle nests, or ones that have failed to hatch, provides crucial information for understanding turtle hatching successes and failures. Students try to understand the reasons for unsuccessful or high mortality-rate turtle nests. At the end of the season with all the data the volunteers and workers write the final report on the sea turtle nesting season.

Babies Show Up
The students slowly dig the sand using their hands and fingers. This process should be done carefully not to cause any damage to the babies. We start finding them close to the surface. At first, one shows himself. Then, a second, and a third one! They are all covered in sand! You can see a dark spot at the place of their eyes! The students measure them, and weigh them to keep a record. Then they all go into a bucket. Soon, Graham (Graham Mumby, the project coordinator) finds a pip, just coming out of its shell. One of the students takes it around to make everyone see it. It is so hard to believe these little creatures grow so big and heavy. They are Loggerhead babies, which means they will grow nearly to 110 cm. They look so fragile and tiny! They are lucky because they are not left alone to their fate. Many dangers await them on the pathway to their adulthood from the very first moment of their lives.
Once they get out of the nest, the hatchlings orient themselves to the brightest horizon and then dash toward the sea. If they don't make it to the sea quickly, many hatchlings will die of dehydration in the sun or be caught by predators like birds and crabs. Once in the water, there are still many obstacles for hatchlings. Sharks, big fish and circling birds all eat baby turtles, and they die after accidentally eating tar balls and plastic garbage. The obstacles are so numerous for baby turtles that only about one in 1,000 survives to adulthood.

Power of Nature
During the excavation, the Turtle Project team discovers 72 eggs; 16 of them alive. Sixteen Caretta Caretta babies are now ready to go into the sea… The students take them in their hands and leave them at some distance on the beach to let us see how they crawl towards the water. Everybody watches them amazed! Years later, if any of them could survive, she will come back to lay her eggs here, on this beach. At the very place her life started, she will give life to other turtles… If preserved effectively, Alagadi will continue to raise a myriad of turtles in her womb.

*published in Caretta Magazine, Aug 2008
** This article is a prequel to "The Night of Crossed Destinies"

Arthur C. Clarke and Intergalactic Pop Art

Arthur C Clarke, the pioneering science fiction author died on March 18, 2008 at his home in Sri Lanka. Clarke wrote more than 100 books during his career spanning seventy years. Many people worldwide know him for his unforgettable and stunning masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey’, filmed by Stanley Kubrick.
Clarke's diagnosis of an age marked by the rapid advances in technology that emnacipated the imagination of a whole generation fascinated many.
'2001: A Space Odyssey' is a pseudo history of the evolution of humankind drawing from Engels and concluding in Clarke's foresight. It starts with a depiction of the daily lives of apes, in far past times. An ape, among the many, at some point starts using its hand, operating with it. The movie does not show us a detailed process of making tools. Quite the contrary, it takes us to the very first moment when the ape was stricken by the thought to move its hand up and handle a bone. The moment is backgrounded with a score of Richard Strauss' magisterial piece 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra'. In all its implications, there is a leap to a new phase in human evolution/history. We hear Nietzsche, we watch Engels (see Engels' article 'The Part Played by Labour in the Evolution of Man). Clarke thought this new phase was coming to an end in his lifetime. The hopes for a moon landing triggered the imagination of a whole generation. These rapid advances in technology, so Clarke thought, meant a leap to a new phase: the Starchild. Starting with an ape tribe, the movie links to some thousands years far with a dissolve effect that links the bone and the space ship (in the shape of a bone, as well). The movie ends with another Strauss score (this time Johann Strauss, the son - "the next generation") 'The Blue Danube', showing an embryo in the space - "the starchild", the new phase.


Intergalactic voyages and moon landing
The context that triggered the imagination of Arthur C. Clarke, which later on triggered others’ imagination, is worth mentioning for a better understanding. The excitement about the 'Space Race' between the USSR and the USA was at its height in the 60s. People were excited about the advances in technology, new life style imposed by modernity, consuming boom, and increased popularity of images.
‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ appeared in 1968 in novel and film form. The talks of a possible trip to the moon, which was realised in 1969, changed the perception of the world for many, especially the Americans. It is not hard to find a pile of fiction, films, paintings, songs, and more produced in this era, which is marked by the fascination of the possibility to conquer the space. Celebrated Pop Artist Richard Hamilton placed the moon as the ceiling of the interior of a household in his famous collage called "Just What is it that makes today's home so different, so appealing?” This was in 1956. In 1962, Hamilton paints “Towards a Definitive Statement on the Coming Trends in Men's Wear and Accessories (a) Together Let Us Explore the Stars” – a young fellow in astronaut garments - combined elements from advertising and media. The idea for the painting came from an article on male fashion in Playboy magazine. In 1968 Joe Tilson reproduces a TV capture image of Yuri Gagarin – a work of art he entitled “Transparency I: Yuri Gagarin 12 April 1961”. ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ came the same year, nominated for four Oscars, winning only one for visual effects. The film/book gave an account of the moment that triggered the history of civilisation in the sense we understand it today: the moment when an ape starts using his hand – an important step in the history of human kind as Engels noted in a famous article. Convinced by the Engels argument, the audience are left convinced by the future foreseen in the movie: a baby in space – the history of humankind is to be written somewhere in space.
When Neil Armstrong travelled to the moon in 1969, he immediately became the most popular person all over the world. His picture was everywhere, reproduced on magazines, newspapers, and so on. Everyone was almost convinced that this was a huge step taken towards the sort of life depicted by Clarke and Kubrick in the film/novel. David Bowie sang Space Oddity the next year, in 1969, to coincide with the moon-landing. In the UK, it was used in conjunction with the BBC's coverage of the landing. The song was about the alienation feeling man encountered in his voyage in the space, staring the Earth from a long distance.

Clarke was right
The astronomer Patrick Moore, a friend of Clarke's since the 1930s "He foresaw communications satellites, a nationwide network of computers, interplanetary travel; he said there would be a man on the moon by 1970 - and he was right." In 1983, Clarke wrote: "At the present rate of progress, it is almost impossible to imagine any technical feat that cannot be achieved - if it can be achieved at all - within the next few hundred years." Was he right? I think he was. He sounds even far too optimistic with the concluding phrase "few hundred years". The rapid advances in technology, and the growing cyberspace (money database, identity database, image database, and so much and so on) seems like swallowing the whole world that surrounds us and at the same time gives existence to us. Imagine the representations of your identity in the cyberspace: you have this amount of money in this bank, which means you get this credit card and you can do this, this, and that - you can buy more oil, drive more, travel more; you can buy the latest fashion and with this you can wear a new trendy identity; you can get a visa for the US, or Australia, or France, or whatever. If you do not have this amount of money, you can't get a credit card, you can't go abroad, you can't get a mobile phone, and etc. The cyberspace draws the borders of identities, we become embryos in the cyber-Space.

8 Books About Women’s World By Women

On the occassion of the International Women’s Day, I have chosen eight books that best reflect the nature of womanhood and that are penned by celebrated women writers who are concerned about the women issues worldwide.

A little note: International Women’s Day should not be understood as a day in the whole year to gift flowers to women; quite the opposite, 8 March should stand as a disturbing day, a reminder that prompts the situation of women anywhere in the world. This is the day when we should urge solutions for the unsolved problems concerning the women’s rights and conditions around the world, especially in the third world countries.
The writers mentioned here are the women, who have used their pen and courage to communicate what their sensitive souls noticed and what has passed and has been passing unnoticed by many.

1) Mrs.Dolloway by Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf remains to be one of the most influential feminist writers in Western Literature. Her unconventional technique of stream of consciousness serves a good deal in entering the mind of her female protagonists. Mrs Dalloway details one day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, who tries to arrange a party, goes out to buy flowers, encounter her old love, and go deep in her memories and thoughts. It is a marvellous account of the gulf between a woman’s inner world and her exposed self.

2) The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The semi-autobiographical novel is an account of the protagonist's descent into mental illness paralleling Plath's own experiences with bipolar disorder, or clinical depression. Plath committed suicide a month after its first publication. The book mainly deals with the situation of women in the 1950s America, and the codes of social and moral conduct for women.

3) The Colour Purple by Alice Walker
Taking place mostly in rural Georgia, the story focuses on female African - American life during the 1930's in southern America, addressing the numerous issues in the black female life, including their exceedingly low position in black social culture. Because of the novel's sometimes-explicit content, particularly in terms of violence, it has been the frequent target of censors. It received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award. It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name.

4) The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing
This novel by the Nobel Prize winner authoress Doris Lessing is the story of writer Anna Wulf, the four notebooks in which she keeps the record of her life, and her attempt to tie them all together in a fifth, gold-colored notebook. After the opening section, ironically called "Free Women", the book fragments into Anna's four notebooks, coloured black, red, yellow, and blue, respectively. The black is for Anna's memories of her life in Central Africa, the red for her experiences with the British Communist Party; the yellow for a fiction she writes that is based on the painful ending of her own love affair; and the blue for recording her memories, dreams, and emotional life. All four notebooks and the frame narrative testify to women's struggles with the conflicts of work, sex, love, maternity, and politics.

5) Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
The novel is a postmodern and postcolonial response to Jane Eyre, famous British novel by Charlotte Bronte. It is the story of the first Mrs Rochester, Antoinette (Bertha) Mason, a white Creole heiress, from the time of her youth in the Caribbean to her unhappy marriage and relocation to England. Caught in an oppressive patriarchal society in which she belongs neither to the white Europeans nor the black Jamaicans, Rhys' novel re-imagines Brontë's devilish madwoman in the attic. As with many postcolonial works, the novel deals largely with the themes of racial inequality and the harshness of displacement and assimilation from the perspective of women.

6) Other Side of the Mountain by Erendiz Atasü
This novel, which features the aspects of matrilineage, tells the story of three generation of women in the time of the foundation of Turkey and Turkish reforms. Parallel to its historical context, it narrates the modernisation process from the perspective of women, their adventure of integration to the new modernised Turkish society. That the story develops in three generations of women help the readers to see what sudden differences the period brought to the woman identity.

7) Memoirs of Halide Edib by Halide Edip Adivar
Halide Edib (1882-1964) was one of Turkey's leading feminists in the Young Turk and early Republican period. In Memoirs, Edib's account of her private life provides a unique example of a woman's individual and personal struggle for emancipation and gender equality. Halide Edip is best known as a Turkish novelist, political activist, and feminist. She lived through the period about which Erendiz Atasü was writing in her abovementioned novel. Halide Edip is maybe the most important and authentic woman in the Turkish modernisation and Turkey’s foundation. Yet, what makes Halide Edib a motif related to feminism should be evaluated within its historical context - nationalist struggle of independence, which required women to step out of their private space and go to the front, entitled them equality before the law, yet forced them back into their own private spaces at the dawn of the independence.

8) The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak
An ardent feminist, Elif Shafak populates her novel with women characters of varied nature. This is a book in which women play the central role. An exuberant, dramatic novel that features vigorous, unforgettable female characters, the novel explores issues of gender and cultural identity as well as addressing contemporary political and religious topics in Turkey. When this novel was published in Turkey, Shafak was accused of insulting Turkish identity. The charges were later dropped, and now readers can discover for themselves this bold and powerful tale, one that confirms its author as a rising star of fiction.

City of one thousand lights: Birmingham

As our plane descends, our sight is enchanted by the enormous green fields that encircle the city of Birmingham. Situated in the West-Midlands region of England, Birmingham lies at such a position that it almost holds the centre of what is known as the ‘historic heart of England’, where traces of many a medieval town still remain. This quality offers the city a different kind of importance, for the thrill it offers with its gorgeous shopping centres is doubled with the journey it offers into the depths of Britain’s history.
Birmingham is considered to be the second largest city of England. It has a big airport and an efficient railway web, which makes it quite easy to get around. As we leave the airport, we take the first train to the city centre. We are planning to have a quick look at the city, to breathe its unique air. The following day will see a high-rhythm tour of the city. I would like to remind you that there are three big railway stations at the city centre. This may give you an idea about the tourist flow and size of the city.
Unjust promotional campaignBirmingham is mainly famous for being an industrial city. The city's reputation was strengthened as a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. The city was referred to as "the workshop of the world" or the "city of a thousand trades". Today, nothing so old or historic is observable at the city centre. For today's Birmingham is chiefly a product of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, as its real growth began with the Industrial Revolution.
Mainly Birmingham is marked with being the centre of bubbling nightlife and scintillating shopping. However, this seems to me a monocular way of promoting the city as there is so much in Birmingham both historically and artistically. Not to mention the 17th and 18th century houses scattered around the city; museums in Birmingham boast an elite selection of paintings ranging from those of Rubens, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Monet, Renoir, Degas, and René Magritte. Housing also a science museum, botanical gardens and jewellery quarter; Birmingham is home to two famous football clubs: Aston Villa and Birmingham City. The famous City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, a prominent orchestra worldwide-acknowledged for their memorable performances, offers you an unforgettable soirée of classical music in the gorgeous Symphony Hall. You may get a chance to watch one of the amazing performances of Birmingham Royal Ballet. In brief, Birmingham has something to offer for every taste.
Victoria Square: the heart of the cityWe head for the Victoria Square, which is one of the most vibrant places in the city centre. Crowned with the Victorian-style architecture of Birmingham City Council on one side and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on the other, the square is adorned with Dhruva Mistry's sculpture, 'The River'. Everyone is very relaxed in this square, either sunbathing, having a break, taking a drink, or watching spontaneous dance and music shows held in the open space. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery boasts having the largest collection of Pre-Raphealite art in the world. Do not overlook this experience!
One of the most beautiful buildings in the city centre, Birmingham Cathedral is very close to Victoria Square. I do not want to turn back to the hotel without seeing the four famous Pre-Raphaelite stained-glass windows by Sir Edward Burne-Jones.
Another thing to do before going to the hotel is of course stopping by a pub and drink beer. A tiring day of a long flight can only be celebrated with a lazy ending. Leaving the Victoria Square behind, we head for Brindley Place, a popular waterfront location combining restaurants, bars, cafés and shops. This is the right place for many people who wish to have good food in a pleasant atmosphere. We stop here and sip our drinks taking delight from the enchanting sight of the canal.
Historic heritage of BirminghamAs there is a lot to see in Birmingham, we leave our hotel early in the morning and head for an exceptional experience: Blakesley Hall. This is a 17th century house, still preserving its Tudor style. Delightfully restored, this handsome timber-framed Yeoman farmer’s house is one of the last surviving examples of its kind in Birmingham. Conveniently decorated to reflect the life-style of its time, the house opens a gate into the world of the Tudors. The wood flooring, oak-tree furnishings, painted wall hangings, and specially-designed settings in the rooms promise an unforgettable journey into the past. What is more, Blakesley Hall is set in landscaped grounds with a beautiful herb garden, which supply the owners with various herbs for pharmaceutical purposes, and an orchard.
Another experience of the Tudors is Selly Manor which is home to a stunning collection of furniture dating from 1500 to 1750.
Leaving the enchanting atmosphere of Tudor homes behind, we head for Sarehole Mill, which is rumoured to have provided early inspiration to J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of ‘Lord of the Rings’. A part of the official Tolkien Trail, Sarehole Mill is the only working watermill in Birmingham. The mill we see today was built in the 18th century; however historic evidence shows that there has been a mill on the site since 1542. Sarehole Mill houses various displays of agricultural implements and industrial machinery. Besides, it is located in the exquisite Shire Country Park, which is haven for birds and all kinds of wildlife. If you have the time, a stroll in the park might be relaxing and peaceful.
If you would like to make the most of Birmingham, you need to be on your feet. Fortunately, you can access most places by using the in-city buses.
Our next stop is Soho House. This elegant home once belonged to the industrial pioneer Matthew Boulton, who lived here from 1766 to 1809. This splendid house was the meeting place of Lunar Society – the greatest thinkers and scientists of the age. To much of our dismay, the owner of the house, Boulton, was also an artisan. His works, ranging from silver to ormolu, coins and cut steel are on display at the Soho House. As we walk along the rooms, richly decorated, the house manifests itself like a work of art.
There is the advantage of seeing a high-fashioned Jacobean house in Birmingham; and if you have never seen one before, you must head for Aston Hall. This house dates back to 1618 and boasts of unimaginably beautiful plasterwork, ceilings and exquisite friezes, a magnificent carved oak staircase and a spectacular Long Gallery. The textiles, furniture and paintings are a distinct pleasure to look at.
As the sun sets out to wane, we prepare our minds for a romantic evening and head for the canal to take a boat tour along. Just beside the Brindley Place, there are many boats moored waiting to take passengers on a sweet cruise along the canal. I think it is the best thing to do in order to relax after a tiring day, before hitting the shops.
As our boat sails on accompanied by ducks by the canal, we are charmed by the reflection of cloudy skies on the water.
Unlimited shoppingThere is no limit to shopping in Birmingham. The main street where the shops are located and people flock all day long is New Street. You may find expensive and chic shops side-by-side with the moderate ones. This means shopping for everyone! If you are not yet a shopaholic on your way to Birmingham, you will become one!
Besides moderate shopping centres such as Pallasades and Mailbox, Birmingham has one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe: Bullring. Built at a cost of over £500 million, Bullring brings over 26 football pitches worth of shops, boutiques and restaurants into the centre of town. Situated just at the opposite of the medieval church of St. Martin, Bullring creates a unique effect with its striking contemporary architecture.
Rubens, locomotives and precious gemsAnother day in Birmingham must be devoted to museums. Fascinating with its rich collection ranging from Rubens, Gainsborough, Turner and Rossetti to Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Picasso, and Magritte; the Barber Institute of Fine Arts should not be overlooked. Besides key paintings, the institute also offers a regular programme of exhibitions and concerts.
A must-visit museum is Think-tank science museum in Birmingham, renowned as an industrial city. This is a truly modern museum where visitors can investigate everything from locomotives and space travel to intestines and robots. I highly recommend you to take a tour of the night sky in the amazing digital planetarium. It is a matchless experience.
Seductive with the name for the ladies, the Jewellery Quarter is a unique area, which dates back to 250 years. Home to 400 jewellery businesses, the quarter has been described by English Heritage as a unique historic environment in England which has few, if any, parallels in Europe. Visitors should not miss a visit to the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, based in an old jewellery factory. You can take a guided tour and learn about the history of the gems and the craft of jewellery making. Do not be afraid to shop in the Jewellery Quarter. One cannot help it anyway while surrounded by exclusive and elegant examples of handcrafted jewellery! Unexpectedly, the prices are competitive and affordable for an everlasting souvenir that will mark your Birmingham trip.
England is blessed with miles long green fields, which is a feast to the eyes and the soul. Birmingham is no exception. However, one must not leave without visiting the huge Botanical Garden & Glasshouse and Birmingham Nature Centre. Housing finest collection of plants in the Midlands, Botanical Garden is fifteen acres wide. The four glasshouses situated within contain a wide array of exotic and economic flora. On the other hand, Birmingham Nature Centre is home to over 130 species of animals, including the amazing red pandas, meerkats, guinea pigs, owls, snakes and lizards. Great fun for children is at hand in this environment.
Sweet world of CadburyAnother children attraction is without doubt the Cadbury World. Here you can enjoy the taste of Cadbury’s chocolate and discover its history and origins. Packed with chocolate, information and fun, an unmatchable experience awaits young and adult alike in the world of Cadbury.
As we step in the magical world of Cadbury, we are taken to Aztec Forests where the story of chocolate begins in the 600 AD. Travelling back through the centuries to the time of the Mayan Indians and the Aztecs, we walk through their forests and witness how cocoa became central to their way of life. We discover who was responsible for bringing the secret of chocolate to Europe. Then we meet Mr. John Cadbury who initiated the Cadbury today. He and his sons tell us about the story of how their family business developed. Next step is more and maybe the most thrilling one: How Cadbury chocolate is made. It is impossible not to be enchanted as we see the appetizing liquid chocolate pouring slowly. A peerless experience and a must for visitors of Birmingham...