My photo book from China

Hello everyone!!

It's a rainy and cold day... perfect to do something inside, reading a book or writing. I chose to finish this photo book I intended to do three months ago, but I haven't had the chance until NOW.

Here is the cover photo! One side "The Great Wall" and on the right (front side) a photo of a coal plant. No, it's not one of those nuclear plants.
My first thought was "Fukushima" when I saw this coal plant but I was assured that it's not. Most of them are coal or electricity plants. It was a little scary when this was the first thing you saw in China in the city :O

Though after some time you just get used to it.

My first day I spent in the Forbidden City of Peking (Beijing). It was a whole day trip right after my arrival at the airport. This was not my destination where I had my hotel but as I was there why not immediately go downtown and see some sightseeings? :)

Did you know that the film "Karate Kid" was filmed here in that city? Pretty cool? I saw that later on TV in China in my hotel room. I was like "hey I was there too!" =)

The first day was already a blast and that was just the beginning. It was a great experience and I am really thankful that went for it.

At the airport back to Europe, we took a break, had some ice cream and then when the gates opened up we could check in and after an hour or so we were finally inside the plane.
This was the view. Awwwhh!!! I didn't sit next to the window but I asked a woman who was sitting next to the window to take photos.


So there, I hope to give you a little inside to my trip. More of my photos you can see on my Facebook page or simply click HERE.

Thanks for reading!

Yellow, Black or Grey

This is a very special poem from my sweetheart :) Yes I'm happily taken ;) I love this poem and it's nice to write happy love poems for a change.

click to enlarge

Ah.. love poetry is definitely something special

They are surely different than those dark and depressing poems but it's like life, the ebb and flow of life! Take care my readers & friends! I hope to be back very soon!

Your,

Ready for a writing challenge?

Is it again this time of the year???

In a bit than a month the new writing madness can start and I am not even half ready for it. Last year I failed miserably but it was really a difficult time to combine writing my story and working and other chores that I had to do. I have not much optimism for this year....

I was more passionate about all the writing a few years back but this year I feel bleak about everything. It's very hard to keep the writing spirit up, even though I have something to say but do people want to hear it?

Life is changing rapidly, people are changing, responsibility and and and. There is not much time left to dream to be a writer. You have to face the brutal truth that not many will give a shit about what you do.  They all care more about their life, their duties, to keep their business going, this and that.

If I had a wish I'd definitely be somewhere else but this is not a dream world and there are certain things you just go to do.

I'll stop ranting because I really don't have anything smart or positive to say this weekend.

I'll try to find all the stories I wrote so far. I have to figure out if it is worth to invest time in finishing my last year novel or to write a new one. Every year I have to ask myself this question.

Nothing lasts forever

I found some old notebooks which I used a few years ago and I can barely read the notes again .. :O Not that it matters so much, for these kind of notes I don't mind but it makes me think... I have updated saved notes which I thought were important.. but what about other handwritten notes.. such as poetry??

In a few decades I'll barely be able to read my poems on paper!! This really makes me sad...

This is a natural process, even for writing.. but it will make me think for a while!

San Je Bratic Moje Smrti (Croatian Poem)

translation is below :))

It's not common for me to write in my own language because it was a lot more appealing to me to write in a language that wasn't my mother language.

Sleep is the cousin of death

Which slowly needs to die

And accompanies me in another life

To watch people from above.

Sleep is there to put me asleep

And not to wake me up anymore.

Like a corpse in its grave

But my soul is still breathing.

It lives still somewhere far away

Where you have never been

Because your time has not come yet

For the deathly force to call you.

Nov, 2011 by Sandra Stolnik

Some of you may come from one of the Balkan States, so this is why I'd like to share with you today a poem in Croatian language. This is one of those rare poems that I tried in another language because it felt like it was the right time to try something new.

Nib holder with 3 nibs

Hello!!! :)))

I went to the stationery shop today and I found this nib holder which had three nibs to change. Immediately I grabbed it because I have been looking for such a pen for months on ebay ... when I saw it there, I thought "at the right time, at the right place" :))

For some time I thought these nibs are difficult to use.. but on the contrary.. I was surprised to see how smooth I can write with it and I love that it writes a little "thick", if you know what I mean?

I have to practice a bit with this new nib because at some point it left me a stain on my paper but it wasn't a bit deal. I don't mind. It makes writing more fun.

I have friends who have never written anything with a fountain pen or with an ink and they are surprised when you tell them that you write with ink only. It's the feeling that you get when you move your pen. A biro cannot give you such moments of stillness. Ink doesn't last forever, I am aware of it but this doesn't mean I cannot write ink. I try to use qualitative ink, such as Parker Quink, to make the pages last a bit longer before they completely fade....

Here is my poem if you didn't get the chance to read it in my video on the top.

Thank you for reading! I know it has been a while.. I need a better time management with everything here... More soon! :)

I signed my book at my brother's school

Hi my friends,

A few weeks ago, my brother Dominik had his school feast at grade school and I attended it. I watched the performance the other kids prepared. He didn't but afterwards there was a tent outside with games, an jumping worm (you can see it a little bit behind me, it's red)

I enjoyed it there. I took many photos and will share it with my brother's friends. Suddenly I saw Dominik's teacher coming towards me. I thought she'd say something about me taking photos but she didn't. I wanted to introduce me but she already knew who I was. Then I saw she had my book in her hands :OO :) My mother gave her the copy I originally gave to my mom.  She said she read it and likes it very much and then she asked me if I could sign it. Of course.

Wow I was quite nervous and I think I made somewhere a little typo while writing my personal dedication to her. That took me a minute. I was totally unprepared but so nice wow!! I loved it! I hope she'll enjoy it even more!! THANK YOU!! That really made my day!

It's so nice that she knows that Dominik's sister is a poet haha :) I should have taken a photo with her but I think that would have been too much for her ( I don't know, I didn't have the guts to ask) :)

Someone else took that photo which you see on top. I asked a stranger and he agreed :)

That was just a nice experience and I look forward to many more!

Hope you enjoyed reading this update. It's been a while .. :)