tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43611496787214155532024-02-07T17:10:59.648+00:00My Cabinet of CuriositiesStrange gifts from around the World.legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361149678721415553.post-24404624084935909822017-04-10T20:07:00.000+01:002017-04-10T20:07:37.603+01:00pile<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361149678721415553.post-29147926409631691042008-01-25T12:31:00.000+00:002008-01-28T21:32:02.415+00:00Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange business card holder<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNTBQoYmQavNhFkcTMmWi-nTBWmEl_dEtdCk3PB0GWgF1dXWOVDpdInTARmN_HBOhjd9LA-TBg9qmXNjUVxRczvim6ig9JKEvS4xW7vlz_uKb2GuqhUPhdhJu9xwd9ytBv4bwwM7pMz4/s1600-h/DSCN2843.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159395137233852674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNTBQoYmQavNhFkcTMmWi-nTBWmEl_dEtdCk3PB0GWgF1dXWOVDpdInTARmN_HBOhjd9LA-TBg9qmXNjUVxRczvim6ig9JKEvS4xW7vlz_uKb2GuqhUPhdhJu9xwd9ytBv4bwwM7pMz4/s400/DSCN2843.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="justify">Kuala Lumpur is one of my favourite Asian cities, full of flowers and greenery. I visit it usually once a year and stay in the Mandarin Oriental, which is one of my favourite hotels.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">I visited the KL Stock Exchange and was given this rather natty business card holder, which I do actually use. It was certainly more convenient to pack than the gift given to the leader of our group who was given a splendid but enormous crystal model of the building in a brass and glass case. It must have been 18 inches a side and weighed a ton. Not easy to then drag around Asia with you! Why do people continue to give these massive presents when they know that you have to get on a plane the next day? I have been given several huge books when zipping in and out of cities for a speech. I have hand baggage! I can't pack a three kilo book of aerial views (it's always aerial views) of some bit of your country I've never heard of. If you're going to give me a book get me one on your country's most famous supermodel! </div><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKgTxzkeSTqV00uFD3R8N3QeND7rO5WBe91Sn-9iEsFLB_RiNEiR9zBuB2rO0CjKUv97nFuvKPqtyGoVFy4MwyfptW1Naio0569hMLFd1zb1u9ViaFHeBnLITakqWldEYvV1lRZiOjpw/s1600-h/Kuala+Lumpur+Stock+Exchange.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159394411384379634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKgTxzkeSTqV00uFD3R8N3QeND7rO5WBe91Sn-9iEsFLB_RiNEiR9zBuB2rO0CjKUv97nFuvKPqtyGoVFy4MwyfptW1Naio0569hMLFd1zb1u9ViaFHeBnLITakqWldEYvV1lRZiOjpw/s400/Kuala+Lumpur+Stock+Exchange.jpg" border="0" /></a><em> </em></div><div align="center"><em>The real Exchange. A lot less silvery.</em></div>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361149678721415553.post-70200994128875995182007-12-13T07:38:00.000+00:002008-01-11T10:02:49.742+00:00Denmark: clocks<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXI9elV3olS-KeOqx62hRuGHNHwuLZxs0MAacGndF1H782XB1dHuLSjQgXFqmDUquqF0WtPJhLRj7tQGpHoNkpedoU2c9K6zAT9rSGTfeOQWBQwCeg220geiKv0D0tMF8ARILx9Ng-pJU/s1600-h/georg+jensen+clocks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143728726635715122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXI9elV3olS-KeOqx62hRuGHNHwuLZxs0MAacGndF1H782XB1dHuLSjQgXFqmDUquqF0WtPJhLRj7tQGpHoNkpedoU2c9K6zAT9rSGTfeOQWBQwCeg220geiKv0D0tMF8ARILx9Ng-pJU/s200/georg+jensen+clocks.jpg" border="0" /></a>Or, rather, a clock, a barometer and a thermometer. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Mostly my gifts range from curious to utterly bizarre. Certainly most are not the sort of thing that you would ever want to take home. Very rarely I get given something nice and, even more rarely, I get given something really special, such as this lovely Georg Jensen set given to me by the Danish branch of a top accountancy firm, for yet another brilliant speech, in Copenhagen a few years ago. They could not be more perfect for my study if they had been designed specifically for it. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">I do realise, looking at this picture, that I haven't hung the clock back straight on it's hook from changing the time when the clocks went back in October, however! </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFyeidw6F9ZS70X7EGTORmKHVf4ReVm6dn9l4tSbxayC4pnAWFoZHcyA61A567SpdZrfmJZDjEaOoFPsfkIK7CCAfrtG9E0xHxrGgOCy8QCiC0Vy_hSc7mYhmuIOUO6tH99etBESqLxM/s1600-h/Georg_Jensen.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143728937089112642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFyeidw6F9ZS70X7EGTORmKHVf4ReVm6dn9l4tSbxayC4pnAWFoZHcyA61A567SpdZrfmJZDjEaOoFPsfkIK7CCAfrtG9E0xHxrGgOCy8QCiC0Vy_hSc7mYhmuIOUO6tH99etBESqLxM/s200/Georg_Jensen.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center"><em>Georg Jensen</em></p><p align="justify"><br />Georg Jensen (1866-1935) studied sculpture at the Danish Royal Academy of Fine Arts and initially worked as a designer at the Bing & Grøndahl porcelain factory. He setup his own business but didn't do very well until he switched to silversmithing and by the time of his death had five shops internationally and was a well known Art Deco designer. He always gave his designers free reign however and now the firm produces all sorts of interesting jewellery, watches, cutlery, bowls etc. </p><p><br />These particular pieces were designed by Henning Koppel (1918-1981).<br /></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuaYCc3wPhSZHBoKsg59XfMJbXCT8fVp7pFRZXUgJ6kW6rya49RgevNLcaVGhKikaDEfmhWodZBG3SWJFd3WxRf8Il4R7MTxhJxIkCe82pSpFGCohuB8HH7gOZIc9yBxZffCKfwYEeRg0/s1600-h/HENNINGKOPPEL.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143729061643164242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuaYCc3wPhSZHBoKsg59XfMJbXCT8fVp7pFRZXUgJ6kW6rya49RgevNLcaVGhKikaDEfmhWodZBG3SWJFd3WxRf8Il4R7MTxhJxIkCe82pSpFGCohuB8HH7gOZIc9yBxZffCKfwYEeRg0/s200/HENNINGKOPPEL.jpg" border="0" /></a><em> Henning Koppel</em></p>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361149678721415553.post-57742496142121642042007-12-13T07:31:00.001+00:002009-01-12T11:15:00.420+00:00Singapore: Golden chopsticks<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGV2TwDV9v9K7KQNDXzUR0ALFvv2koL_JQ5_huoMFkCF6fAJML17iaTO1kPmf7vISqJyhJmQLAN2MIgAErFquno-F7OtcBwbNaBQR0Dh3m5Zf6ATvQIrzrFqptNHO2vFc0bcFDkTSK1sE/s1600-h/golden+chopsticks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143357138265305986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGV2TwDV9v9K7KQNDXzUR0ALFvv2koL_JQ5_huoMFkCF6fAJML17iaTO1kPmf7vISqJyhJmQLAN2MIgAErFquno-F7OtcBwbNaBQR0Dh3m5Zf6ATvQIrzrFqptNHO2vFc0bcFDkTSK1sE/s400/golden+chopsticks.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />These golden chopsticks were given to me by the Singapore Attorney General's office. I suppose they have some symbolic meaning like "have a fruitful life" or "live long and prosper" or "may you win the lottery" or even "eat your food with shiny utensils" but when searching golden chopsticks on the internet all I get is references to the hundreds of Chinese restaurants around the world called "Golden Chopsticks". Maybe they mean "may you have a successful restaurant".<br /></div><div align="justify"><br />Chopsticks originated in ancient China as early as the Shang dynasty (1600-1100 BC) and are widely used in Asia. The Mandarin Chinese word for chopsticks is kuàizi which is a compound of the words meaning quick and bamboo. The English word "chopstick" seems to have been derived from Chinese Pidgin English, where "chop chop" meant quickly.</div><p align="center"><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143439678946800546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrclXHZ-YAmHRmEC7ePUxzC4DksfJFNgX7oF-RyUiHs3-i9JcBnxp_6MDxJA4HfCdR4ka0lOf1x7fDu6VbvARKEGVVCFRf_cFEUuVHmzXJBOw6KJqjhd5M4hzDHTjAn4H8Sc8j5nAxS4/s400/girl_with_chopsticks_203_203x152.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><em><br />"Rubbery noodles!" Probably shouldn't have cooked them for so long, then.</em></p>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361149678721415553.post-53414103033152769462007-11-30T22:33:00.000+00:002008-01-11T10:04:40.993+00:00Ireland: Leprechaun<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7L6g5y7ufHkyC4NaRF7WZq85a5tpl8LMo5LGKehrTjnapTlIDJ6sfO506XC7oTgaHwErChv2wZz1iHzNJwgsKmg-Pyif13UsmpVqurWPQG2W_lwfmyx8PEexijDv8zGvPxq-R9eZ7ig/s1600-r/Leprechaun.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138765955664834978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJfq1e163hggW1N_ENCALWTWEKz8Yg1ywwgRRLwfvGi5jSMksysYsB0nhGX3V4p_DWSwvNsyQcAUczr_fJei5Rehyphenhyphen3z914uhWtniHvkDuHTV-fvThghbDrlUZaGDoSd_uMpm-68wKjzM/s400/Leprechaun.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="justify">An all time classic amongst Sue's wonderful gifts. This could be taken as an ironic, post-modern statement on the nature and essence of Irishness. Or it could just be a way to extract as much money as possible from stupid American tourists who have no concept of taste. </div></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">I've no idea what all the happy Chinese workers, earning their $30 a month, who make these things must make of this. But then given all the other strange things that Chinese factories turn out (Teletubbies, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Spice Girls dolls) they must have a very odd view of the West anyway. </div><p align="justify"><br />There are arguments about the dervivation of the word leprechaun, but the favourite seems to be that it comes from the Gaelic word <em>luchorpán </em>meaning small bodied. Oddly until the Twentieth Century leprechauns were always described as wearing red, not green.<br /></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA1OdUMloGDWdoE_mjSuRXepcBHFJBYxr57LjGPln6itOR7eH59-yKjb_U5xB9ptHiSv9NYVD-GxmaA4v-X_Czx_grqnSs66FAqLNuRLyMLdxejKqY_NFzYBwXOsu-i1K-IJhV4bkKDVU/s1600-r/darby_o_gill_and_the_little_people.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138773647951262130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_voOFo8kouApiu6QX8WrtyiljAUMzdEUdKJyzgfTwHmOG2Od0q38bmcC1F_etFG7QgOrEjJQQx_dc7oCOPRC1s-gk2B6KvY5S4ES0XlcOd3whg7jd5SBsMer2XZXOM8qRzasKB-GRHo/s400/darby_o_gill_and_the_little_people.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="justify">Leprechauns have always given me the creeps from the time I saw the Disney film <em>Darby O'Gill and the Little People</em> (1959) when it was shown on televison when I was little. </div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHo9LvzCbWhzS7HYi5UlD9mkTL8m360Pe4N8m2uDNUqZVTTA-uaNL3_Td8t5vpxhicEXA7SgAUT4lMqrRnVeGPiiRBg6dmzmV_iT5UQMm3zxqE7deA6_gtuX12k4fUs42Tzj3YEZepgBo/s1600-r/darby.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138773716670738882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XjgcEC1UTYwDmshn-dQZtSxuj5Ky5geg8lPT_CN7ddQP-Lii8LDiay2k_4EzY9PYzZwcgf0FkKM-KdDmaRecfJ4aqYp0brK3dsWR-wqpDR57GSug-_vHbk43TpFOYhNyQIAiyvmtpKg/s400/darby.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div align="center"><em>"To be sure it's obvious I'm going to be a huge star!"</em> Not.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">This film was notable for an early starring role for Sean Connery (3rd billing) and it was his appearance in this that brought him to the attention of Bond producer Cubby Broccoli. On it's first showing in Dublin several eminent Irish people picketed the cinema as they claimed the film gave out ridiculous sterotypes of Ireland and the Irish.</div></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><br /><div align="justify">So I am glad to see that the Irish tourist industry has taken absolutely no notice of this well-meant stance whatsoever.</div><div align="justify"> </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-q1uC-pe1qfHyqGRSh-jAoJdbfQSv0EnIbAAVHNKypd5XsYHNngkti-bk_UcmpMYwNbDldshUZY0ld9LjgCE3EUzmB2UIYHQrcMxi-eZUv62_hyq7Q7IaVqXQJqEYols9lfSSP1YaRos/s1600-r/sg01950a-ShawGeorgeBernard-18560726b-19501102d-02.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138776297946083794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFq0K-EtcflG9S_ZR-jjPcgdY6jzu0_GWlc4jlLX0iwOpCbHb5UepGBYDjTRvWi15GKmSeBiu6-goijK6psrVntjZzh90PD1eKkPp1YxeOx_JE5Gbp1ZGuTUe6jrpw-aF8-Akxuo169o/s400/sg01950a-ShawGeorgeBernard-18560726b-19501102d-02.jpg" border="0" /></a><em> "A leprechaun? Me? Begorrah!"</em></div><br /><br /><div align="justify">As a footnote the use by the Irish of the phrase "top of the morning" is certainly not current and, indeed, may never have been. George Bernard Shaw wrote, "Is it possible that you don’t know that all this top-of-the-morning and broth-of-a-boy and more-power-to-your-elbow business is as peculiar to England as the Albert Hall concerts of Irish music? No Irishman ever talks like that in Ireland, or ever did, or ever will." </div>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361149678721415553.post-70745299411190463212007-11-30T21:33:00.000+00:002008-01-11T10:05:25.330+00:00New Zealand: The Tiki<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0G8dzMBKFHY72nXHCda2FQv0_C_GL-0rzT5a5TsJp-5-t2LFIxOnmCdgMVLcMmM_07HdZeOVOGuNkfApbRXncCYRQ4-HIGowikyjKVLYkRH3ln-YqA0mtXxbaIeF4LzvDpPWkfiH-As/s1600-r/dscn2651.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138759375774937458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LJzmWOUNzDDMZXcUzpNnwqofme9GPH1fJtS3oZxCj_SbeDhhL5Mig1cruSNkfSMtmpxCg0K_VIk5imblZTx4Svq6UvvW97I2fCw4vYRbI9PNTRWuR8SeefU-9lFvFivFzobM4jc09q8/s400/dscn2651.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">This is one of Sue's more peculiar presents from her trip to Middle Earth. He is, apparently, an ancient symbol and a treasured part of New Zealand heritage (like Dame Kiri-te-Kanawa, although you don't get plastic models of her very often). </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">There are a number of legends about its meaning (no, not Dame Kiri). </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br />Some say he came from the stars and that he was the first man of the world. Some say his webbed feet suggests a strong link to the creatures of the sea. All I know is that he is called The Stig. I mean, the Tiki.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br />Tiki was respected as the teacher of all things and the wearer of this symbol is therefore seen to possess clarity of thought, loyalty, great inner knowledge and strength of character. The Tiki is regarded as a good luck charm when worn and in some areas is also regarded as a fertility symbol (that I would rather avoid). </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br />The Māori are particularly unhappy, it seems with plastic, mass-production of this ancient and mythical symbol. But who cares, they're on the other side of the world so they can stick their tongues out all they like.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br />As far as I am concerned he reminds me of the alien foetus from <em>The Erlenmeyer Flask</em> episode of the <em>X-Files </em>(well he did come from another world- which to most Kiwis means Australia).</div><div align="justify"><em></em></div><br /><br /><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwM8kvs1MoxpQTaJsgjxgYnxmOaT-ZgBjEzCUAWYKEgeY39yVAom1nlEVxxeygm2uzgZsn-AouVsoWSTYpyE6Xy0oQzAOXrAZvkvWCLu1qR2MIBtTI2g-rBs5oSnxoNVfSI8GOBri_hM/s1600-r/250px-The_Erlenmeyer_Flask_1x23.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138760290602971522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIoNoAY75TWFIFRfiXuFWnrvGw0JONQ96lghObnSLd2RHH4V3JFuxXaFplzrlE2COsZ-X2Ef8HRyMnFmHOGDpZxzS4SHRusdih7A4CppkJobhrD9pUfGKxI-6UUPQrf-j4SgacY57kxE/s400/250px-The_Erlenmeyer_Flask_1x23.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Oddly, he also has the texture of those horrible <em>Haribo</em> jelly-like sweets which Fuzzy won't let the children eat, despite them being given them all the time at parties, as they contain gelatine so could give them Mad Cow Disease (not that you'd notice). Haribo was a sweet firm founded in Germany in 1920 (it is an acronym for <strong>Ha</strong>ns <strong>Ri</strong>egel, <strong>Bo</strong>nn). Of course our jolly German cousins deny that Haribo used forced labour in their factories in the Second World War and instead are slowly destroying the teeth of Europe's children with their gummy confectionery. Makes me glad I'm diabetic.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="center"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkPn_FI5d4T9Rtik22pLySUqM43uFiXsIjPdy5cZYRbt8uYZSc80bRiG6-wEMJTEoIap2HQIH3FwBVPsf80QwPdrK1VaJsVQm_f-N4MI41fFDJbcqjwT9xpGJcMRY901AbohdD99l-zc/s1600-r/fetus.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138760393682186642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiglQ69NKxiVc918hja3KwsH6kMxJ1dqKq_2ynjsdDCD65LW_10hZQ16DdsNESvy7ciKEu5T5bzud8PMJUCL8y1qX2qkiLO4UgDjvIlKFHAL29D5gKSOKilzusQlMzvJSCt447ucR6kbSw/s400/fetus.jpg" border="0" /></a>" Oh my God, Mulder, you went to New Zealand and all you brought me back was <em>this</em>?" </div>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361149678721415553.post-32638648153775782932007-11-30T07:03:00.000+00:002008-01-11T10:07:15.718+00:00Egypt: Nefertiti plate<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rYFp_s7cRVprWbCSN-LwhkZt0wqd2XwtwMQiMJKgq8EMfHympG8xWMAiQe_tS_V64GAQTG_2aGNoxtImNShcwAoDXUXqKFnMGLjB3yXnCPzM1-bTvTe6ezA8HAe_5gxBWN9g8COwfgQ/s1600-r/Nefertiti.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138526066821508066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_ib1Svjdzl8IE6pOM9s1gs4SMBiZLfhveMzUD79yAD2MnGsAvIUbIBelp0owUzQ7JNUsCahW6oh_NoPTZKKx2bnewwspFMJmJFLrxmha9grEoWXEpGhCHiqt4Sa2C2Cq0rDh6guA23U/s400/Nefertiti.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">I was given this metal plate by an Egyptian government delegation. It is Queen Nefertiti based on the famous statue in the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, which I saw last time I was there. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMHe-mQsqsRJcyrnDY0SWGK3DrJuo8ZScc9nA65xHcEveFQ1lcZXlM2ml8A3cGQ_gJnUPOh63begqiS59INZATHgAzB3khTjgGw5mOXEOC7ZX7RfNLZSzfI8khg-oh4aBEQFnqkNGHy4/s1600-r/nefertiti2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138536765585042418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0RsFgOVUBPbhgdzBmvcNyKZBxhhKrNhpk6LjS5B-n2P_OC3LOBbRcrPiQjFp7bB5L4CvU1aOjEJpxt5yAua3uWplMtWvwsVkO1eueO9YKirwPbwkjqj0luHPwAL1R5LBJAzs3AqwPFc/s400/nefertiti2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This marvellous sculpture was discovered by German archaeologists in 1912. The crafty Krauts recorded the find as something unimportant, buried the details of it in pages of tedious paperwork and fooled the Egyptians (and indeed the French, who ran the Antiquities Department at that time) in to letting it go to Berlin where it has been displayed ever since. Now the Egyptians want it back for their splendid new museum near the Pyramids which is due to open in 2012 (which is why they are dragging some of the Tutenkhamun stuff around the world to raise money for the museum). The German's claim it is too fragile to travel. Didn't stop them in 1912, though!</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVndUPgI0f1rmHhb77_pLIe9zKxS7IwRKJLqs6Sk8drikpQNUtWmLWps3UbszF2eejpsEYZcgw1B5uhdsbpU8GxK-rfvfJWiG7MljY5qE-JqJV91s7IsQTHEfeYhs9Sfeg24z5VJjXn8/s1600-r/nefertiti_61072_james_side1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138537134952229922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaniHNh_RuXUoWvcizX6ic5fGkVtyoQ8k8Q2LbSluDUBszNdAQVz1HJWcdOW7lBwYkOsO9KEC9XbEuf0MFgateGP3TIN4HeOzOObbhGFCoV-Xs0X0pwjzk-5pBxeShipI2FR9btsiwXA/s400/nefertiti_61072_james_side1.jpg" border="0" /></a><em> Not such a yummy mummy</em><br /></div><br /><div align="justify">Queen Nefertiti herself is entombed in tomb KV35 in the Valley of the Kings but her mummy, which has been recently, if somewhat tentatively, identified, was x-rayed a few years ago. The Discovery Channel sent these x-rays to the University of Nottingham who reconstructed the face of the woman using the same forensic techniques they use to identify bodies for the police. </div><br /><br /><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbZdZ7dl6HS8UjiMoZDsM9CeBoO2m9ktC170DQNz_p_5ONEh-DIojmyeAoKwuln63o1ZzDqV2yRF1VA0shRUPhpggoNQ-X34uliGGOk60aWyPnn_0iQNmxyb0YIEfgXdD4LTLZy3FDsc/s1600-r/nefertiti+recon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138537027578047506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTf0TxAfLF80RciUFAzv_SbVGLVsipnNLEw_sohZE_9YbxBm2F0vxEjLxxW4bgOFmOJf0HWlvtWLesgyTchxNHO77I58_QM5jIZczX0xafJv5sMuImQA4__0djuuEkeuDU_p7o3NQa-Ik/s400/nefertiti+recon.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div align="center"><em>The Nottingham reconstruction</em></div><br /><br /><div align="justify">Crucially, they were not told who the woman might be and their reconstruction showed amazing similarities to the sculpture and, particularly, to an earlier sculpture from the same studio which is less idealised and is more likely to have been done from life. This earler sculpture belonged to Adolf Hitler and for many years was owned by a private collector. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElDqCKP2TjZqRtphf9CIOgwZsniYeJcyhA58HD13Pu-HN3wXP15Fl_bu5XlcS3-qv00O9lT4pNjTl7e1x9F5rTs34wPYyy88Mgo7na3IM4u7rIyMypiRSLjlQkaS66fQRSn_0SsDx6Gc/s1600-r/nefertiti3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138536924498832386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhAaklvCjRpTTy7qY1v0P3SADTqWdeaC8dPlbK3dSG5oGgWCgy3SBYe1PEVTg27Yrld2LyOcgAu5z0Clp0xWDCj5VRsLU3_yBeltJTe_b03unXevc6TsuZVB4wypC4gStQQI3v277znw/s400/nefertiti3.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"> <em>The idealised sculpture</em> <em>from Berlin</em> </div><div align="center"></div></div><div align="center"><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNOGDh_EWUE06ZStZM2Ph77MUShxW674HWtFW_mExCrZvyZ81BaW1ikafcgXzx-oCI3G-hzrdwpPU8c7r9F7YWsrk2FllHqjEuEzDqchovbEXyrQGN4p1aX2F7E6O2SXxR9eig048-eM/s1600-r/nefertiti_adolf_hitler_2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138746173045469538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ka6igVh8_aY2e23T8tMy_cKMSKlaOitPZ9qR_o0UemxoDz-Vvf6xm6-tZOni0UxpngG2XH_mc76ch_xF6yqV8E4AepRd1nMslWPZZLLMhf3JoKbY6Si7A0FVQO9EntRedPVlVwnbJls/s400/nefertiti_adolf_hitler_2.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center"> <em>Hitler's more naturalistic sculpture - very close to the Nottingham picture</em><br /></p><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138745958297104722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHP2m5S1fGFoJEbqLwCgzbCndbpcDkUzVlMY7aCj-4H80-inRHgv6uWGtgY9gbeQDNehH71RUcS3kqcr94IHRb2M6Odj9Ii5FpXsr3d9ceYMyMQsmG5-TKKCwxF3QGVEembxUeUPDSvg/s400/Nefertiti_Kind.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="justify">Nefertiti's beauty has inspired many artists over the years from this rather peculiar illustration to this rather more clever photograph.<br /><br /><br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwoPkhPuE0TEuJFp5mN8U354nqxSlaL_486eYgI2OEAH5gws4YEgNapW6Y0vFNPWujYRfU0ymbTEwPCYifMJCUAg2oLVXm1hjvd-geaXxMV3tshxZhope_CdrbcRjwmimLWFtwvYpXcI/s1600-r/NyNefertitiW.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138745558865146178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9aKV9ryeZX1EaT2JDNGZuStGWENBbPdY1Vvy_TBXEVmj3xZ_L-FjDFsbvdfMeGxDlYk_II3HWAdJ74mNfb1SJUlLCtxAXs05muf4-l1smAmOWmdbhXEEnJ4P0bcVNo8bfs3WA7mAUQo/s400/NyNefertitiW.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a><br /><em>Artistic!</em><br /></p>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361149678721415553.post-77117403709363170132007-11-29T22:03:00.001+00:002008-01-11T10:16:22.372+00:00Canada: luggage label<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfi_JfkrTwd1lxJ0AARHifrCvV5kM3OVgiRv3dy5orbwpY04vN6nrxJKRPf3TdpezGjv1hyphenhyphenJXyuz6npOA4tRkagjr78yPwTlYRdsyObwdH-cU41vH_5GZLpW8Q5rBW8V4wSksiCpjwutw/s1600-h/DSCN2652.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138386583463603138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfi_JfkrTwd1lxJ0AARHifrCvV5kM3OVgiRv3dy5orbwpY04vN6nrxJKRPf3TdpezGjv1hyphenhyphenJXyuz6npOA4tRkagjr78yPwTlYRdsyObwdH-cU41vH_5GZLpW8Q5rBW8V4wSksiCpjwutw/s400/DSCN2652.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">If there is one nation you can identify at airports its Canadians. They can't leave their lovely but ridiculously large country without festooning themselves and their luggage with the Maple Leaf.</div><br /><br />It is such a recognisable flag that it is surprising to realise that it did not become the national flag of Canada until 1965.<br /><br /><br />The flag is red and white which are the national colours of Canada as laid down by King George V in 1921. The two red stripes represent the Pacific and Atlantic oceans with the white stripe representing Canada itself. The maple leaf symbol had been used in Canda for many years prior to the flag being created. This design was one of three that were considered. One had three maple leaves on it and the other had fleur de lys which would have been horribly French considering we defeated their army in about 15 minutes at Quebec in 1759.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3zWN3et-rtYTefzV2ySW-4W1rKwKo185nnIR9qsYesj9zhZj9HzaXPoQhiM9Zd3gZm-UTbVqh2vjZmsPDc-T9I3xnKosBqmk9nOPQ6_uczD6Yoclf7UI0esWfHqCs4R61L_32jrS8js/s1600-h/flag-canada-redensign-pre65.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138390590668090322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3zWN3et-rtYTefzV2ySW-4W1rKwKo185nnIR9qsYesj9zhZj9HzaXPoQhiM9Zd3gZm-UTbVqh2vjZmsPDc-T9I3xnKosBqmk9nOPQ6_uczD6Yoclf7UI0esWfHqCs4R61L_32jrS8js/s400/flag-canada-redensign-pre65.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><em>The pre 1965 flag of Canada.</em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">This luggage label was given to me by Gilda from Toronto, who knows I really <em>do</em> like Canada (or at least their women) whatever I might say!</div></div>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361149678721415553.post-75270560477981921702007-11-29T07:35:00.000+00:002008-01-11T10:10:01.993+00:00Ireland: Worrystone<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL7g8P1Ft_yWdD-sbPyU753SW46uF-dG5hv6MQVroMb7wfVQr-mnD-rYwgPr0zL6EgyB5NWTn06OyOjV4S2cVY1k8z-TfrI7NfLpIoMFDDOStPMDu7Gtw_1AF8pEcVIlQZHoHMsTymvU/s1600-h/Irish+worrystone.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138163167854799730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL7g8P1Ft_yWdD-sbPyU753SW46uF-dG5hv6MQVroMb7wfVQr-mnD-rYwgPr0zL6EgyB5NWTn06OyOjV4S2cVY1k8z-TfrI7NfLpIoMFDDOStPMDu7Gtw_1AF8pEcVIlQZHoHMsTymvU/s400/Irish+worrystone.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />When Sue takes one of her seemingly endless holidays she invariably returns with a "tasteful" present for me.<br /></div><div align="justify"><br />This is a worrystone from Ireland. These are a very ancient design, originating in Ancient Greece. The idea is that, held between the index finger and thumb, rubbing them is believed to lessen your worries. Massaging it and turning it in the hand uses energy and relieves stress thereby causing relaxation. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">I think that in order to de-stress me I would need a much bigger stone; preferably big enough that I could hit the people who are causing me stress over the head with it. Thwack! There, I feel much better already! </div>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361149678721415553.post-34153827716218201822007-11-28T23:43:00.001+00:002008-01-11T10:13:51.237+00:00Malaysia: Mandarin Oriental letter opener<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-njQazH-LtviccDfNGWHR9tDxjL5L8_O4kLeULFLjjP8FLucs83meQNQRvXlCmkbwo8LdMNW5ur3Av-7pRn-89j2oqIDvEn2eIfo1FP-HDGouYwDNx2sDc87z3_s-Gm5TBPe6ENCLFU/s1600-h/mandarin+oriental+Kl.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138043003259792130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-njQazH-LtviccDfNGWHR9tDxjL5L8_O4kLeULFLjjP8FLucs83meQNQRvXlCmkbwo8LdMNW5ur3Av-7pRn-89j2oqIDvEn2eIfo1FP-HDGouYwDNx2sDc87z3_s-Gm5TBPe6ENCLFU/s400/mandarin+oriental+Kl.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I visited Malaysia for the first time four weeks after September 11th. I was staying at the Mandarin Oriental which was virtually deserted at the time. I was upgraded to a Club Suite which is still the most luxurious hotel accommodation I have ever stayed in: 1775 square feet compared with a normal hotel room which is about 250 square feet. </div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2_CaOj3uNRb4jck-FTiyMo_b5gZHEhRszKX-4YiRJP1rKCNVNHYpElz7zeF4pfR29CwocwmeGN8etEUJ1VKsNodQHKOhQvneMv6LT8J36GdlO9NSm8cbptMdH8YnI9c3F6oD6Egjiu0/s1600-h/ras_man_sui_hdr.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138045850823109474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2_CaOj3uNRb4jck-FTiyMo_b5gZHEhRszKX-4YiRJP1rKCNVNHYpElz7zeF4pfR29CwocwmeGN8etEUJ1VKsNodQHKOhQvneMv6LT8J36GdlO9NSm8cbptMdH8YnI9c3F6oD6Egjiu0/s400/ras_man_sui_hdr.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">On entering the suite there was a large circular hall and to the right was a study and a large living room with an L-shaped sofa.</div><br /><br /><div align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138043548720638786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-8SDNmuhUx3yu3Y9vCQfPu1Tcm4HRBH3vr7vQZ1zEXNWoCdE1o631g7AOiC9D5_lvwUREfUeWo6udsJYshICz9v0fwJ19Tyej6MpVb-0xgUzqXcfz70E0CRdTCt1znjQg0GFYUbU1WU/s400/ras_man_sui_pop.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Further round the corner was a kitchen and a dining room which I didn't even discover for 24 hours! On the other side was a walk in dressing room, a bedroom with a four poster bed, and the most fantastic bathroom with a full sized sauna and a shower which would have accommodated about six Malaysian girls. Best of all was a bath with a 36" TV at the end.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0vZLyYQ1yZbLJkbm8UuUTQxIzTap5OOPBkZx8sT3yEMIlkCqQIGfG6SeJUrJuAVHeUGZ5KcXfbGD7Cu5thnKUWCSNTBON3Gf8CHr2SRoq1Y2Ei6tWh6N9Eqzd5bL6Zd_-nhLAyjt2us/s1600-h/mandarin+letter+opener.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138043260957829938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0vZLyYQ1yZbLJkbm8UuUTQxIzTap5OOPBkZx8sT3yEMIlkCqQIGfG6SeJUrJuAVHeUGZ5KcXfbGD7Cu5thnKUWCSNTBON3Gf8CHr2SRoq1Y2Ei6tWh6N9Eqzd5bL6Zd_-nhLAyjt2us/s400/mandarin+letter+opener.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div align="justify">I was also presented with this pewter letter opener by the rather gorgeous sales manageress and, to top it off she only charged me £46 a night. The suite, of course, cost rather more than that.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br /><div align="justify">Splendid!</div></div>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361149678721415553.post-3616866190023022842007-11-28T23:23:00.000+00:002008-01-11T10:14:28.195+00:00Sweden: A Parliamentary key ring<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSROPP5grBy2pPN-A8f_zuPl45f0g66W2sIBuN6_FNQswZ4lBLYl36Cfo8L5pURGsbfrGVGkoAG-jlp4hQl_9gWwRbCgbXMYSDiCXsFld4_tlMkPL245PiowVoGwj4NE2vVNUkVawPpM/s1600-h/DSCN2306.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138038892976089842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSROPP5grBy2pPN-A8f_zuPl45f0g66W2sIBuN6_FNQswZ4lBLYl36Cfo8L5pURGsbfrGVGkoAG-jlp4hQl_9gWwRbCgbXMYSDiCXsFld4_tlMkPL245PiowVoGwj4NE2vVNUkVawPpM/s400/DSCN2306.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Stockholm is one of my favourite cities. A quite perfect mix of water, boats, interesting architecture and splendid blondes. It has a distinctive Baltic light that shows off all of the above to great effect.<br /><br /><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Added to that is the fact that one sixteenth of my genetic material is Swedish and so as a result I am very well disposed to visitors from Sweden.</div><div align="justify"> </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lzoiyHlxXwArUvPllZWYkqIgY6ZQdjyJiQvcuyiuALcLPnM3Mcg_1ju5sM79ivNU2BLXivunpjhjRbZM8fpKJ_ZfTq_VjU52AN3RIvzCAf1o8H2C7ANZo9KoH3sn5QxVW1dLuFFN8NI/s1600-h/swedish+parliament.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138038472069294818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lzoiyHlxXwArUvPllZWYkqIgY6ZQdjyJiQvcuyiuALcLPnM3Mcg_1ju5sM79ivNU2BLXivunpjhjRbZM8fpKJ_ZfTq_VjU52AN3RIvzCAf1o8H2C7ANZo9KoH3sn5QxVW1dLuFFN8NI/s400/swedish+parliament.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">This rather austere key ring was presented to me by a Swedish Parliamentary transport committee during their visit to London. The group consisted of opposition MPs who are now in power in Sweden and, as a result, are generating project opportunities so thank you very much to them!</div></div>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4361149678721415553.post-942298452040264462007-11-28T23:08:00.001+00:002008-01-11T10:15:28.440+00:00A Cabinet of Curiosities<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7u-aLJo6cTWD6qD1FPMW72jc-LH2aBw9DZimGD5cxxfzFRT-L3sA4yweG81YU1lG7CDgrR4xB27pGHeKuMIeq-EiyRu5ARkTfrsI-eBY39MgciiEbPSq16isaeXjqyqXOSl7jp7KyQOk/s1600-h/754px-Musei_Wormiani_Historia.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138034842821929682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7u-aLJo6cTWD6qD1FPMW72jc-LH2aBw9DZimGD5cxxfzFRT-L3sA4yweG81YU1lG7CDgrR4xB27pGHeKuMIeq-EiyRu5ARkTfrsI-eBY39MgciiEbPSq16isaeXjqyqXOSl7jp7KyQOk/s400/754px-Musei_Wormiani_Historia.jpg" border="0" /></a>As I travel the world and meet Johnny Foreigner and, indeed, as he comes to visit me in the City of London I am honoured to receive little tokens of appreciation in exchange for the undoubted pearls of wisdom I strew in their largely unappreciative path. <div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br /> </div><div align="justify">I have, as a result of all this international activity, acquired an interesting collection of <em>objets</em> and given the effort required to pass these to me I feel that it is only fair that I record them for posterity.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br /> </div><div align="justify">In Victorian times (and, indeed, before) gentlemen collectors would acquire strange things from around the world; dinosaur bones, ancient weapons, interesting crystals, choice pieces of Eastern erotica etc. and display them in what were called Cabinets of Curiosities.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br /> </div><div align="justify">This, then, is my digital version which will record the gifts I receive from business contacts and friends from around the globe.</div></div>legatus hedliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17078980742683576345noreply@blogger.com0