Photography

What a Difference a Day Makes

/ Robert / 4 Comments

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One of my favourite performances of this song is by Dinah Washington recorded in 1959. “Cuando vuelva a tu lado”, the Spanish original was written in 1934 by María Grever. English lyrics “What a Diff’rence a Day Made” were written by Stanley Adams later that year.

What a difference a day made, twenty four little hours
Brought the sun and the flowers where there used to be rain
My yesterday was blue dear
Today I’m a part of you dear
My lonely nights are through dear
Since you said you were mine
Oh, what a difference a day made
There’s a rainbow before me
Skies above can’t be stormy since that moment of bliss
That thrilling kiss
It’s heaven when you find romance on your menu
What a difference a day made
And the difference is you, is you

My yesterday was blue dear
Still I’m a part of you dear
My lonely nights are through dear
Since you said you were mine
Oh, what a difference a day made
There’s a rainbow before me
Skies above can’t be stormy since that moment of bliss
That thrilling kiss
It’s heaven when you find romance on your menu
What a difference a day made
And the difference is you, is you, is you

References:
Performance history, Second hand songs
Lyrics, Jamie Cullum Lyrics
The flowers are from a cabbage shaped succulent in the garden

Treading water

/ Robert / 4 Comments

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You would think that with all this time on my hands that I would be focussed, disciplined and totally capable of completing my lesson and meditating. Where has the time gone? It is not like I have been watching the television every night. Okay I have posted a few things on this blog, been diligent with attending workshops, key note speeches, an extended special interest group on psychological well being and resilience, and surprisingly for me talked to people I don’t know.

I have had difficulty sleeping the whole time I have been in Wellington, last night was no exception. Today I’m looking forward to heading home to Sydney. My bags are packed and I’m ready to go; checkout time isn’t for another hour and I know that I will have to wander around aimlessly once I have given up the temporary sanctuary of my room.

Luckily I have time to go back to Te Papa Museum to visit the Andy Warhol exhibition and do some shopping before heading off to the airport. I managed to secure an aisle seat on the flight so I won’t have to sit squashed against the wall of the plane. I wonder if I will need to contend with a fellow passenger who is as free with their elbows as the woman next to me on the flight to New Zealand. I don’t understand why the seats are not designed wide enough to accommodate me. The prospect of being bashed by passages walking backwards and forwards and the trolley doesn’t fill me with glee.

Full stop

/ Robert / 3 Comments

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Walking away
Running towards
Moving aside
Gliding aloft
Circling downwards
Rolling around
Cruising beyond
Flying above
Jumping beneath
Skipping along
Crawling inside
Swimming below
Sitting alone

(c) Robert Jones 2013, All Rights Reserved

Picture taken by HG, Melbourne

Enough?

/ Robert / 6 Comments

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Alone, I seek out company,
When in a crowd I welcome space.
In heat of the day I long for cool,
When the night chills I look for warmth.
Tired, I gratefully go to bed,
When I’m away I yearn for home.

(c) Robert Jones 2013, All Rights Reserved

Sydney Flying Boats

/ Robert / 8 Comments

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Catalina Restaurant, Rose Bay, Australia provides exceptional food, wine and service, a fantastic backdrop from which to view modern day seaplanes coming in and out of the harbour. It is the perfect spot to imagine the splendour of first class travel by flying boat from Sydney to Singapore in the late 1930’s. The Catalina was an American and Canadian flying boat built in the 1930’s and 40’s.

Further information can be found at:
Sydney Seaplanes
Catalina Flying Boats
Catalina Restaurant

Peace at home

/ Robert / 11 Comments

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I had planned to write about this topic by listing the words I believe to describe “success” in achieving hearth side harmony. On reflection this would indicate that once one has reached this place all is right with the world. Unfortunately this box can never be ticked off.

In the photograph the intensity of the shadows changes as clouds pass in front of the sun. At just the right moment the shape of the tree will be clearly revealed on the wall. This illustrates the balance between light and dark; the clouds act as a barrier. When the sun is obscured by clouds the shadow disappears, does this mean that it did not exist?

Similarly, the window connects the inside with the outside. An obscured window reduces the information that is available for the human brain to process which in turn can lead to an untruth.

Perceptions and assumptions behave like clouds and dirty windows, they distort reality. I believe that peace is achieved by members of the household being present, taking a moment to see beyond the clouds and consciously acting rather than reacting.