reality check

"For me, photography has become a way of attempting to make sense of the very strange world that I see around me. I don't ever expect to achieve that understanding, but the fact that I am trying comforts me"

Mikhael Subotzky, photographer

check out Mikhael's hectic and very powerful photographs from prisons in the Western Cape, mostly from the high security prison Pollsmore HERE (hold the mouse over the little play icon under the pics to see details of each picture)

Araminta de Clermont has also had a recent photo exhibition of former South African prisoners - their 'tattoo-covered bodies reveal the story of life inside and its gang culture' - take three minutes to view the pictures and listen to this humbling slideshow BODY ART BEHIND WALLS

as my dear and very wise friend Anne, who shared Mikhael's photographies with me, said; these projects are highly important. prisones are portrayed as having 'good lives with tv's etc' inside the walls- the reality is quite contrasting and humiliating. do we remember to see beyond these peoples tattoos and their status/stigma as prisoners?

thank you anne and justin for sharing!

now the rain is drumming on my roof - after a very humid day with 35 degrees the pressure is releasing... maybe my soul will also lighten as the rain clears the air...

eThekwini

finally i have made a little album from the trip to durban in september!
enjoy the madness!

eThekwini aka Durban

smart! og pen!

'selvgratulasjon'
skriv asle toje i morgenbladet
om utenriksminister jonas gahr støre si nye bok

"å gjøre en forskjell"

eg må innrømme (med rosenraude kinn) at når jonas talar,
så sit eg heilt ukritisk og lyttar,
med åpen munn og stjerner i blikket

les bokanmeldinga HER

trust

i'm gonna do this like i know what i'm doing
i'm gonna do this my own way
cause i don't know what i'm supposed to believe in
- might as well believe in me

summer...

summer holiday!
no more shoes!
only sand between my toes
sun, sand and softness

bubble world

my head feels fuzzy.. i cant think clearly

i want to:
clean and tidy my house - do laundry - colour my hair
go shopping (which i normally hate) - write letters
email and call family and friends - go to the beach
take photos - walk in the mountains - watch movies
sleep lots - catch up on news - have vacation
read books i cant read now!
drink champagne!

i cant wait for the exam bubble to pop
so i can enter the real world!

ansa and wine!

the association of norwegian students abroad (ansa) in south africa held an organisational meeting at a wine farm this weekend. i learnt a few things about ansa, many things about 'beredskap' (hehe), a bit about colonialism and revolution (thanks nicole!), as well as quite a bit about sparkling wine, delicious food and enormous bathrooms!

to see some more of the pictures from the beautiful lovanE wine farm, click on this magic link:

winefarm fun

(the revolutionary)