Saturday, November 30, 2013

Picture and Word of the day 11/30/13

Picture of the Day 11/30/13
Le Moulin de la Galette, Paris, France
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_de_la_Galette
Word of the Day 11/30/13

Word: Grad 

Language: Slovenian 

Meaning: Castle 

Friday, November 29, 2013

Comment please!

Hello everyone!
Please be sure to comment on my posts--what did you like? What could I change to make my posts better? Please put your thoughts in the comment box below--interaction between teenagers from different countries is what I'm aiming at. I know people are reading my posts, so please stop by and chat!

Fashion Commercials from around the World

     I analyzed fashion commercials from six different countries to see how they were similar/different, and how they marketed their product to the consumer. I found some interesting results!

America 

        H &M, founded in 1947 as Hennes Women’s Clothing Store, has expanded rapidly from its original home in Västerås, Sweden. H&M came to America in 2000 with a store in New York City’s Fifth Avenue. Today, there are 237 H&M’s in America and 3000 stores worldwide (including countries such as Chile, Romania, Turkey, Malaysia, and Serbia. The commercial here features Jon Kortajarena, a chiseled model from Spain, who is glaring sulkily at the camera while pop music throbs around him. Although this ad was featured in the USA, the model was from Bilboa, Spain, not America. The commercial uses Jon’s sexuality (i.e. thin body, tan skin, smoldering expression) to make the viewers (most of them female) WANT to buy H&M clothing. The three panel image of Jon also hints at the advanced technology of the age—it looks futuristic, sexy, and mysterious.
http://tinyurl.com/mjbksjr
           Metersbonwe is a popular clothing outlet based in Shanghai, China. It currently has 5,000 stores nationwide and plans to open chains in New York, Tokyo, London, and Paris. According to an article by TIME , the company’s founder, Zhou Chengjian, plans to market his store internationally by hearkening back to China’s long and glorious history (i.e. using traditional Chinese motifs and designs). While surfing Metersbonwe’s website, I noticed that the all the models wearing the modern-looking clothes were not of Chinese descent. They models looked European or American, not ethnically Asian. But why? Perhaps to appeal to the glitzy and fashionable view of the “West” that many rural Chinese citizens probably have? The commercial I found here features Jay Chou, a popular Asian actor. The ad looks futuristic, sleek, and very modern. The technological aspect (i.e. figures that look anime or computer generated) gives the video a very avant-garde, almost emo feel. The setting is a gray and imposing city, perhaps imitating the large metropolises found in China.


Brazil 

          Osklen is a luxury clothing brand located in Brazil and was founded by Oskar Metsavaht in 1989. The brand contrasts urban settings with nature and natural forms with technology. Metsavaht believes in environmental conservation and has his headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. The brands newest collection, “Into the Mountains” features clothing with white fur (imitating mountains), snowflakes, and Eskimo influences (going back to pristine nature). The look is very “chic hiker.” The first Vimeo ad features simpering models wearing the new A21 collection; the lighting is checkered/flickering, giving the video an ephemeral, unnatural (but glamorous) feel. The video makes the viewer long to enter the beautiful, fashionable world with dark male models and white, glowing females. The background is grainy and the music is pulsing and repetitive. At the end, the logo’s (A21) shadow looks like rippling ocean water; this hinted at nature and natural forms. The second video was just an animation of the outlines of plants and whimsical clothes (again, natural forms!)

Russia

                            http://www.adforum.com/creative-work/ad/player/6691834
          Sela is a Russian clothing brand that first opened in St.Petersburg in 1997. It was the first large-scale commercial brand introduced in post WWII and Stalinized Russia. The clothing (for women, teens, men, and kids) is reasonably priced; cosmetics are even sold as well. The clothing looks conservative and modern, with black, cream, and red being the dominant colors. The models on the website are Russian (or at least white skinned) and look more Americanized/Western (sultry, pouting, unconcerned, slightly startled, coy). I will not post the video of the Sela commercial I found online because it contains brief nudity. I was surprised by the two ads because they were sexual and inappropriate (at least to my American eyes). However, as in Europe, nudity is not a big deal and sexuality is much more accepted/explored. The models in the commercials are typically beautiful by Western standards and engage in romantic activities.
Russian Fashion Week
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slava_Zaitsev

India 

       RmKV silks was founded in 1924 by Rm. K. Visvanatha Pillai in Tirunelveli, India (Southern India). The headquarters are still in that city, but there are also locations in Hennai, Tirunelveli and Coimbatore. The company is famous for its silk sarees (women’s dress), wedding sarees, and the 50,000 color saree . The commercial featured here advertises the newest silks in the 2013 collection. The music is traditionally Indian (with modern overtones/pulses), the actors are ethnically Indian, and the drummers in the background go back to India’s illustrious history and culture. However, the commercial is in slow motion to showcase India’s new technology and rising world dominance. I noticed a strong use of chiaroscuro (contrast of light and dark) between the black background/shadowed faces of the drummers and the glowing women wearing the colorful sarees. The slow motion makes the colors richer and vibrant (what RmKV is famous for). The voice at the end, however, speaks in English, not Hindi, Gujarati, or other Indian dialect. The second video, also advertising bridal sarees, is spoken in Hindi and has Indian actresses.


France

          Alain Figaret is a French fashion designer who launched his brand in 1968. His first store (selling dress shirts) opened in 1976 in Rue de la Paix (a famous shopping street in Paris). There are 21 stores in France alone as well as boutiques in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Dubai. The brand is also linked with car races; it makes jackets for the racers and appears to sponsor car-related events. The commercial I found was made to advertise the “Homme et Femme” collection (2011). The figures (a high street man and woman) are presented in a large, slightly grimy city with sly, pouting, and mischievous looks. The video appeals to the classic “old-timey” Paris look, with a deserted, magical city, beautiful people, and classic-cut clothes. The video’s appearance is tinged with a rose color, making the setting sweeter and more “Parisian.” The music is not pulsing, modern, or synthesized, but is instead smooth, melodious, and calming (again embracing the charming city mood). The grainy/spotted video quality make the images look old fashioned and frozen in time. The actors looked ethnically French, especially the male model with dark sideburns and an upturned nose. The second video “Homme et Femme Alain Figaret - vidéo Night” features the sultry couple at night. This video is steamier, with darker lighting and more appeals to sexuality to sell the rugged clothng.


Final Thoughts

     To wrap up my analyses, China’s commercial was grittier and less glamorous than H&M; there was not as much sexuality and conventionally attractive faces. China also used the appeal of technology and modernism to make viewers want to buy it. By contrast, Brazil was sexier than China and the figures had piercing, direct stares (“buy my clothes and you will be just as alluring and mysterious as me”). Like the Brazilian commercial (which said “Act now” – a clever, pithy statement to entice potential buyers), Russia’s ad had an end catchphrase that said “feel the same.” It used American words to appeal to Western commercialization, consumption, and standardization. Sela’s ad was more sexual than other commercials—you would not see something like that in mainstream America (it used blatant sex to sell clothing). Next, the Indian video was not sexual or romantic at all, had modern music (like the other four), and had English spoken at the end to reach more people/invoke Western customs of shopping and money (like Russia and Brazil—crazy!). As a contrast to all the other commercials, the French ad did not make an effort to appear modern and avante gard; it depicted classic, timeless, and charming French life. The pink tone to the video was not harsh, geometric, or cold (like the stark depiction of technology in China’s ad). 

Picture and Word of the day 11/29/13

Picture of the Day 11/29/13
Temple Tower, Tirunelveli, India
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellaiappar_Temple
Word of the Day 11/29/13

Word: Feckless

Language: English

Meaning: Weak, ineffective 

Thursday, November 28, 2013

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word “travel?”

While chatting on Interpals, I asked a bunch of teenagers (aged 15-18) from different countries:

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word “travel?”

Here are the responses I got—check out my Interpals wall at http://www.interpals.net/LearnTravelArt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunyu_Wanguo_Quantu

Nathaly, Venezuela
“Learn, Enjoy and meet. That's the first I think when I hear the word ‘travel.’”

Dianna, Chile
“Maybe, travel for me is more experience, more friends, more culture and a dream come true.”

Flavie, France
“The thing I think when I hear the world ‘travel’ is discovery.”

Carlos, Spain
“Well, I hear the world 'travel' it usually brings me good memories but also this feeling of starting something new, travelling is always an adventure for me, something that makes life a little better!”

Denty, Indonesia
“According to me Travel is like adventure, refresh our mind, meet new people, find something new like trying food, watch different culture. When you travel to other country in this world you will feel curious with their mother languages, so you will learn a little of their language.”

Flora, France
“Meet new people.”


What does travel mean to you?

Picture and Word of the day 11/28/13

Picture of the Day 11/28/13
El Badi Palace, Marrakech, Morocco (built 1578)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Badi_Palace
Word of the Day 11/28/13

Word: Un Poisson 

Language: French

Meaning: Fish

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Picture and Word of the day 11/27/13

Picture of the Day 11/27/13
Lake Danao, Philippines
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lakes_of_the_Philippines
Word of the Day 11/27/13

Word: Цагдаа дуудаарай! (Tsagdaa duudaarai!)

Language: Mongolian

Meaning: Call the police!

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Lissos, Crete

Watch my video on Lissos!

Lissos, Crete

       Lissos is on the South Coast of Western Crete, a Greek island located in the Mediterranean Sea and south of the Cycladic Islands centered around Delos. Lissos was a relatively well known city in Crete from the 4th century BCE to 7-9th century CE; it lived through Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Medieval eras. In the 4th century BCE, Lissos was in the League/ Federation of the Oreians with the cities of Elyros, Tarra, Poikilassos, Syia, and Yrtakina. The exact function of this Federation is not known, but it could have been formed for economic or military reasons. Lissos was near the harbor of Elyros, an important Dorian city. Dorians were one of the four divisions of Greek people; Ionians are another division. Lissos was known as a healing center; it was said that the thermal waters located there had special, divine properties. Sick people from around the Mediterranean world came here to recuperate! The Temple of Asclepius is also here---Asclepius was the god of medicine and ancient Greek doctors. According to mythology, he was the son of Apollo and Coronis (a mortal). It is said that Coronis took a mortal lover, so Apollo murdered her. However, while she was on her funeral pyre, Apollo cut his son, Asclepius, out of her womb. Therefore, Asclepius means “to cut open.” He was later educated by the wise centaur, Chiron. The temple at Lissos has wonderful, intact mosaics from the 2nd century BCE (?), and mud-brick foundations with marble veneers. Some columns and bases of the cult statues remain, but the actual statues are in the Chania Archaeological Museum.

Roman and Byzantine Eras

      There are also extensive Roman ruins here, including a theater, baths, tombs, and an aqueduct. There area is still being excavated, but rounded arches and roman brick buildings are discernible. In the Roman necropolis, votive figures have also been found. During the Byzantine era, two chapels were built on earlier Christian ruins. The first is the Chapel of Agios Kyrikos. St. Kyrikos was killed, along with his mother, by the ruler of Tarsus. The orders for their murder came from the Roman emperor Diocletian (ruled 284-305 CE), who persecuted many Christians with Galerius. Also during the Byzantine period, Lissos was a bishop’s seat of the Christian church (it was pretty important—it even had a navy some sources say!) Lissos was also significant because it had a mint with coins that said “of the Lisians” on one side; the other side had images of Artemis. An earthquake struck the town in the 9-10th century CE, and the inhabitants vacated the area. No one officially lives there today.
View of Lissos' beach
Crete (Lissos is in the bottom left corner)
Chapel of the Virgin Mary
Chapel of St.Kyrikos
Roman ruins, Lissos
Aerial view of Temple of Asclepius


Citations and Links to Pictures:

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Asclepius
http://www.explorecrete.com/crete-west/EN-Lissos.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lissos
http://www.chania-crete-greece.com/lissos-chania-crete.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/169465/Dorian
http://www.chania-crete-greece.com/temple-of-asclepius-lissos-chania-crete.html
http://www.travel-to-crete.com/page.php?page_id=158
http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/lissos/Interesting
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/6933104?source=wapi&referrer=www.chania-crete-greece.com
http://www.chania.gr/en/city/monuments/saint-fragiskos.html

http://catholic-resources.org/AncientRome/Asclepius.htm
http://www.explorecrete.com/routes/Elafonisi-Sougia.html

Picture and Word of the Day 11/26/13

Picture of the Day 11/26/13

Word: Ameliorate 

Language: English

Meaning: To make better or improve 

Monday, November 25, 2013

Picture and Word of the day 11/25/13

Picture of the Day 11/25/13
Walls of Dubrovnik, Croatia 
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dubrovnik_wall.jpg
Word of the Day 11/25/13

Word: A Garota de Ipanema 

Language: Portuguese 

Meaning: The Girl from Ipanema 

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Brief History of Montenegro

Brief History of Montenegro

Montenegro (lower left corner)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bio%C4%8De_derailment
         Ancient Illyrians first settled the land now called Montenegro in the 1000s BCE. These peoples formed alliances with their neighbors (i.e. Macedonians, Albanians), and eventually came under the influence of the Hellenic world. The Romans pushed themselves into the territory and officially gained control of it in 168 BCE (the last Illyrian king, Gentius, was ousted from power). Many notable Roman Emperors came from this hardy province (called Dalmatia) including Cladius Gothicus, Aurelian, and Probus.
Aurelian
Rule 270-275 CE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurelian
       After the Roman Empire fell in 476 CE, Dalmatia was occupied by the feisty Ostragoths. The Slavs (a group from North of the Danube River) were forced into the Illyrian areas after the Avars, a fierce, nomadic tribe from central Asia, invaded their territory. Two groups of Slavs settled along the Adriatic Sea: the Croats and the Serbs. Some of the first Slavic kingdoms arose in 9th century CE, including Raska, Duklja, and Zeta. Zeta would become a large trading area with different families vying for control over it. In the 14th century CE, the Turks (from the Ottoman Empire) and the Venetians each tried to successfully take control of Montenegro. The land was situated perfectly between the west and east, and was located on the opportune Adriatic Sea. In the 1470s, the Turks officially came to control most of the Balkan region, and it was under the reign of Durad (one of the remaining Crnojević clans) that Montenegro’s name came into existence. In the region, Mt. Lovcen dominated the landscape; Venetian sailors said it looked like a “black mountain”, hence “monte-negro.” 
Mount Lovcen 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lov%C4%87en
      However, the people of Montenegro retained a certain degree of autonomy from the Ottoman Empire (more than their neighboring Serbs did). Napoleon briefly intervened in the affairs of the Montenegrins in 1797, but withdrew when he was finally toppled. In 1878, the Congress of Berlin officially granted Montenegro and Serbia freedom from the Ottoman Empire (they had rebelled along with Bosnia and Herzegovina). Nikola, a Montenegrin prince, became increasingly autocratic after his kingdom had won its independence--he officially became king in 1910.
King Nikola
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_I_of_Montenegro

     Balkan Wars, WWI, WWII

      The Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 was when the Montenegrins, Greeks, Serbs, and Bulgarians joined forces to completely throw the Ottomans out of Europe; however, a bigger threat was looming ahead (WWI). Austria-Hungary invaded Montenegro and exiled King Nikola to France with the outbreak of the Great War. After the Serbs reclaimed Montenegro in 1918, the kingdom of Yugoslavia was formed (Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, and Montenegrins). During WWII, the Montenegrins hoped to reinstate their king’s dynasty, but instead, the Communist Federation of Yugoslavia was established by Tito (a communist partisan). Although Communism eventually fell in Europe in the 1980s, Montenegro still wanted to maintain the more equal Yugoslavia (they did not want to be part of Serbia).
Milo Đukanović 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_%C4%90ukanovi%C4%87
       In 1991, Milo Đukanović became the prime minister of Montenegro and wanted to improve standards of living/open his country up to Western ways. In 2006, the Montenegrins became independent citizens and the new country continues to further western ideals; they even want to be part of the European Union! The current president is Filip Vujanovic; the capital is Podgorica.
Podgorica 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podgorica
Kotor, Montenegro
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotor 

Picture and Word of the Day 11/24/13

Picture of the Day 11/24/13
File:Tanenuiarangi.jpg
Traditional Maori building (Marae), New Zealand
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tanenuiarangi.jpg
Word of the Day 11/24/13

Word: Manuhiri 

Language: Maori 

Meaning: guests, visitors