Friday, 27 September 2013

Football And Me

Sept 27B photo Sept27B_zps0897d810.jpg
Many Barcelona citizens who are familiar with the streets were surprised yesterday when they saw the statures of the fountain of Gran Via, (in the centre of the city, near the very confluent Rambla Catalunya), wearing wrist-bands of the famous football team Barca. Tourists who noticed it too were taking photos of this strange scene. This soon attracted many people stopping there, looking, pointing, commenting, and no doubt all were wondering who had taken the trouble putting them so high up on the fountain.

It's not hard to guess, most likely a fan, a fanatic of the team. More difficult is how they got up there having to wade through the fountain and climb up to the top of the rather tall statues. Somebody had challenged and somebody else had responded I think.

This reminded me of something that happened to me when I was living in London. One evening I was on my way through the area which is nicknamed Theatre Land, and stopped in front of a theatre looking at some publicity stills in the foyer. A group of noisy young men, seemed to me all had had a beer too many, were passing by there, easily recognisable as football fans for the same scarves they all wear. As boys would always be boys even they were not children any more, they whistled and asked me to join them!

I don't now remember what exactly I said, something to the effect of a capital NO perhaps, but with a smile. Without giving any further thought I turned back to look at the pictures. One of them walked right up to me and draped his scarf round my neck. I pulled it off and extended my arm to return it, but he waved and said that's for me, with his pals cheering behind him.

I am not a football fan but I still have that scarf, the only thing remotely connecting me with football
.z-Football Armband photo z-FootballArmband_zps0c5f29a3.jpg
The wrist-bands on the statues were removed after a few hours by nobody knows who, so this picture of the statue is rather unique.

Tags:football,statue,armband

The Answers We Seek ...

Sept 27A photo Sept27A_zps498b1a48.jpg
Sometimes what we seek seems so inaccessible or unreachable, yet the answers are often simple and right within our sight. Sometimes the answers can be found in your own room ...

Roof said: Aim high
Fan said: Be cool
Clock said: Every minute is precious
Mirror said: Reflect before you act
Window said: See the world
Calendar said: Be up-to-Date
Door said: Push hard to achieve your goals.

Some of the best music was composed by Beethoven, he was deaf;
Some of the best poetry about nature was written by Milton, he was blind;
One of the greatest leaders was Franklin Roosevelt, he served from a wheel chair.
Turn scars into stars ...
Possible is inside the imPOSSIBLE

Tags:impossible,possible

Marilyn, Michael And Warhol, Who Is Worth More?

Sept 27 photo Sept27_zps6c32fae2.jpg
In the Art Gallery Vered of East Hampton, in the state of New York, a portrait of Michael Jackson painted by Andy Warhol was sold for more than one million dollars. 'Respecting the request of the buyer, his name and the exact amount he paid for it were not announced.' revealed one of the 2 partners of the gallery Janet Lehr. She added that they were all happy 
how the auction was developed and concluded.

The portrait, of 76,2 x 66 cm, in which MJ appears young and smiling, wears the red jacket which he wore in his famous video-clip 'Thriller'. It's commissioned by the magazine 'Time', that had used a version of this on yellow background for their cover of the magazine on the 19th of March 1984. The original version is exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery 
of Washington.

Although the sale had fetched more than a million dollars, up till now, the portraits by Andy Walhol that had been sold for the biggest amount was that of Marilyn Monroe, titled 'Lemon Marilyn', sold for an impressive price of 28 million dollars, by the auction house Christie's in New York in March 2007.

I can't help but wonder whether it's not Marilyn or Michael, but Andy Warhol that the collectors paid for those colossal sums of money?
z-MJ by Warhol photo z-MJbyWarhol_zps790303e7.jpg
Tags:Michael,Marilyn,Warhol