tibetan new year and more photos from spain

if i understood correctly, the songs and dances are performed specifically for the new year and for special events such as the dalai lama's birthday.

singers from the local cultural group . . i think the host said it was their first time performing the piece.

the gong exhibit was one chanda experienced in the spring and summer, but which i hadn't seen yet. 

"finding stillness within anger . . "

the gongs were chosen by different musicians . . 

a docent explained the procedure and then attendees could take a turn. it was very crowded so we decided to pass on trying it during this visit. we went downstairs for a cup of tea before heading home (chanda went to the library at school which was just a few blocks away).

it's a very beautiful exhibit and i look forward to returning. i think the children gathered around her were excited about taking a turn with the gong. 

it was a fun event . .

walking home . . 

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morgan sent a few more photos from madrid:

we always admire the tile/pavement work in european countries . . 

more antique stores . . 

cute little tuxedo cat . . 

tuxedo cats seem to be popular in madrid.

delicious looking food . .

saturday green market and errands

i've been very sick all week with the flu. today was my first day out since last saturday. greg and i met up with kendall and aurélien and then walked to porto rico imports . . 

for coffee beans.

heading home past our lady of pompeii

finishing up the laundry . .

breakfast with some goodies bought at faicco's (italian bread and some smoked bacon).

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we just finished dinner with chanda who has now left to see a new studio ghibli film with a friend in brooklyn. before dinner we watched a little more of the david attenborough our green planet series which we had started two weeks ago. 

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morgan has been in madrid with harley all week and sent several photos:

(this was my favorite)

they really enjoyed exploring an antique shop . . 

there were a lot of fun graffiti drawings on the buildings . . 

 i liked this one . . 

such a beautiful and clean city. i've never visited but would like to one day.

wednesday sick day

greg stayed home to help take care of me today (he's been doing so, actually, all this week) and is working from the large bedroom, so i moved into the living room. as you can see, pluto is keeping me company on the bed while cricket and zuzu inhabit the window and the chair. i've been reading an immense world which deychen gave me for christmas last year. it's a book with so many amazing insights that i keep stopping and saying to chanda, "listen to how a mantis shrimp sees their world," or, "a dog's world is defined by all the myriad of things they can smell!"

here ed yong, the author, is explaining how birds see an entire new dimension of colors through their tetrachromacy (humans are trichromats).

about the bacterium wolbachia . . !

(i took this photo several weeks ago meaning to post about it) so, yes, an immense world! by ed yong. so fascinating and i highly recommend it!

i've also been watching finding ola on netflix . . an arabic show that takes place in cairo and tells the story of ola whose husband finds that he is no longer in love with her and so moves out of their home. of course they have two children with whom they have to navigate through the ensuing trials. it's very good, funny and poignant.

morgana is in madrid with harley and sent beautiful photos:

the subway . . 

morgana liked their subway signs . . 

photos of the hotel room (it was a business trip for harley) . . 

the view out the window . .

and the view from the roof . . 

a delicious dinner at a local restaurant just a block from the hotel . . 

(and i'm writing all this several weeks later as i was too weak at the time. i had no appetite for days.)