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a surprising man…

Posted on August 22, 2008 @ 10:52 am by massimo | Filed under: animals,another green world,blog,fun,people,philippines,travel,ukiyo-e,wordpress

I like to edit again an old post written on November the 22, 2006…this fellow had a totally anti-routine life…it’s worth taking a look at his “biography” whic my friend Gino edited recently…
enjoy

Among the strange people I met, Max Maxwell is certainly the most unfathomable. I firstly met Max in Boracay Island, in 1990. Max comes from Bombay and belongs to the Parsee upper-class.
At that time he was a fit, middle aged man who enjoyed beach-tennis, wind surfing and excellent Italian food. He basically travelled between Boracay, Koh Lanta, Laddak and Hong Kong, making his earn out of fashionable batik-shirts, rattan-bags, Tibetan amulets and first rate (yet fake) Ray-Ban sunglasses. Max had an enormous ego, he was desperately scornful and selfish and, for some reason, he always surprised me. He had seen the World, that was the fact! When some harmless tourist, tried to approach him by asking silly questions such us “Have you been…?”, Max’s provocative answer simply was: “thanks for not talking to me!”. And that was all. As I said Max loved food and he was in the selected circle of acquaintances of my friend Gino.
Gino ran the cosiest restaurant in Boracay according to Max’s parameters and one day at Gino’s, for some unpredictable reason, Max allowed himself to talk to me! Max abhorred “stupid talks” but, after a good beer (he used to sip beer always by the same special glass that he-himself carried in a bag), Gino and I had the chance of glancing over his wonderful life…Finally Max decided to present Gino his photocopied biography. The document (his masterpiece) stated the man “born in Bombay during a devastating cyclone” and amazingly went on with Max ”making friends with Miles Davis, art-directing Vogue Magazine, etc…”I still have that rattan-bag he sold me and –still- I wear that  fake,Ray-Ban, and Gino and I still dispute about his reliability, his clever scorn and puzzling behaviour.
On December 8, 2006 I received a stunning report from Gino…

BREAKING NEWS:
MAX MAXWELL DIES IN GOA AFTER COMMITTING SUICIDE. HE LEFT A NOTE IN WICH HE SAYS :
“DON’T BE SORRY FOR ME. I’M THE ONE TO DECIDE MY TIME WAS OVER”

Illustration Friday ’s topic is: routine

gardens

Posted on March 8, 2008 @ 5:00 pm by massimo | Filed under: blog,fun,travel,ukiyo-e,wordpress

lotus.jpg

Modern Singapore is a city of concrete, glass, freeways and shopping centres.This city state is one of the Asia’s four “dragons”- the Asian economic boom coutries. The fact that so many western expats live and work in Singapore, lies exactly in its thriving economy, altough the place itself is really nothing special and the main interest for the population is usually (and simply) taking rest from the hustle bustle of everyday life as soon as possible. As an architect I have been frantically working in Singapore for several months and got damn bored in the week ends. On these occasions the best thing that ever happened to me, was visiting the city’s parks; among them is the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a botanical institution, a tourist attraction, a popular place with photographers, with its unique collection of orchids and a beautiful lotus lake…
While sitting and contemplating by the lake, Japanese poet Yugen’s haiku ironically resounded in my mind:
“Ah! If one could but make a clear and flowing river of this stagnant lotus lake!”

Illustration Friday‘s topic is: garden

aynaku’s 2008 calendar

Posted on November 25, 2007 @ 6:07 pm by massimo | Filed under: blog,news,ukiyo-e,wordpress

lulu aynaku calendar

AYNAKU’s 2008 calendar is now available on line at AYNAKU shop.
The calendar’s twelve plates are drawn after the traditional Japanese Ukyio-e wood block prints.
The joyful atmosphere, of Ukyio-e, or “the floating word”, is brought to you by means of contemporary digital technique.
Each illustration goes with a traditional Haiku, (a short, seventeen syllable verses) that enhances the graphic work…

lapu lapu

Posted on November 10, 2007 @ 6:30 pm by massimo | Filed under: animals,blog,food,philippines,ukiyo-e,wordpress

Red groupers typically have a stout body and a large mouth. They are not built for long-distance fast swimming. They can be quite large, usually largest fish of the grouper family, and their body, soft dorsal and anal fins, are covered with scales and thick skin.
Lapu Lapu is the Pilipino name …

the admiral’s hat

Posted on November 2, 2007 @ 10:53 pm by massimo | Filed under: blog,china,people,ukiyo-e,wordpress

This is Zheng He the great Ming navigator wearing his favourite straw hat….
Between 1405 and 1433, the Ming government sponsored a series of seven naval expeditions and Zheng He was placed as the admiral in control of the huge fleet.
Zheng He’s first voyage consisted of a fleet of 317 ships …

the god of happiness

Posted on October 19, 2007 @ 5:30 pm by massimo | Filed under: blog,china,japan,mythology,ukiyo-e,wordpress

Hotei – one of the seven gods of happiness, is also the happy god of abundance and good health. Hotei is also seen carrying a large bag over his shoulder that is said to contain gifts and fortunes for those who believe in his virtues.
He is distinguished by his body of generous …

sister moon

Posted on July 28, 2007 @ 2:26 pm by massimo | Filed under: blog,japan,ukiyo-e,wordpress

“both deluded beings
and buddahs gaze at
the same moon”
This is by Kaizan  (1769 -1846)   a Zen monk, a master of calligraphy and ink painting…

Illustration Friday‘s topic is: moon

Here are three good links on last week topic: Three ravens press ; Wolfgang Kolar ; …

neighbour

Posted on May 6, 2007 @ 9:34 am by massimo | Filed under: africa,japan,people,travel,ukiyo-e

Behind the walls of his room in Al Mansura Hotel, in bustling downtown Nairobi, a man breathed into a saxophone. My room was next to his and I could hear the musician training himself all day long. At about 7 pm, invariably it was all over. The …

remember

Posted on April 28, 2007 @ 3:15 pm by massimo | Filed under: japan,sailing,ukiyo-e,wordpress

Maybe I should put forward for this week’s topic my whole blog! Actually every Aynaku’s post relates to memory so I consider that my most recent submission should make no exception, and be one of Aynaku’s most typical. My very first time on board a sailing boat is …

snap

Posted on March 31, 2007 @ 4:17 pm by massimo | Filed under: animals,blog,ukiyo-e,wordpress

Dogs are one of the few animals that will actually swim just for the pure pleasure of it. They have also, like not many animals, a natural ability to deal with sea currents, a peculiarity that always amaze me. As a matter of fact some dogs are trained …

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