Posts tagged book

The Book of Bauble


Printed and published in 1928, how beautiful is this sweet book?

Book Binding

Old School will have its first workshop this saturday, and it is a bookbinding workshop. If you are interested you can see the details here. 

http://newschoolfordesignandtypography.com/#2330316/Workshops 

HAPPY NEW YEAR (ITALIAN STYLE PLEASE!) 

Well its that time of the year again.. New Year’s Eve. And seeing as I am  continuing to extrapolate on the themes covered in my book: “The Kit for Uptight white People”, New Year’s Eve and its associated celebrations is the perfect correlation to our current theme. Item Number 6. The Bottle of Social Lubricant. If you have missed this riveting piece of ethnography, you can read it here:

 http://veronicagrow.tumblr.com/post/14969933884/kit-for-uptight-white-people-artificat-6

 Now if you are reading this post in Italy or Aman, or Muscat you may still have no idea what the link  between NYE and social lubricant is. So I will put it plainly for you. We are definitely not heading into the city tonight to see the fireworks, because we know that there will be drunkards everywhere. Loud ugly ones. This is very Australian you see. We are heading out to dinner at St Katherines, a lovely dining establishment in “white person” territory Kew here in Melbourne. I know that the restaurant will be full of ugly loud pink skinned people who just have to YELL loudly and laugh really loudly, because they are all drunk. Everyone here in Melbourne thinks this normal. But not I. Why you ask?

 

Italians have taught me this valuable lesson. The best New Year’s Eves I have ever had have been with Italians and have not required the ritual drinking of alcohol to commence at 3 in the afternoon on NYE. In fact, they have involved very little Alcohol at all just a nice brindisi at midnight, and some wine with our long long meal that goes on forever. They have though, involved a lot of that other thing that Italians seem to be very good at: Conversation. Good conversation, not banal conversation about celebrities and fashion but conversations about politics, the state of the world, history, and also with a few nice healthy arguments thrown in. They have also involved comedy, because Italian people that I have known all know how to laugh. In fact these conversations have been so good, that we have sat there and heard the blackbirds starting up at Dawn, and watched the sunrise. They have also involved lots and lots of food preparation of delicious seasonal ingredients (always fresh tomato salad with basil, and strawberries as it is summer here in Australia), and eating. I have to say that the Italian gatherings always seem to have a lot more life, whereas the anglo gatherings either involve everyone sitting around politely and they are terribly sober as no one is smiling, or else they are alcohol fuelled, often with nasty arguments and abuse being hurled!  Even worse, though are the dry affairs of my many young environmental and green friends who seem to divide themselves into small impenetrable groups, then ignore one another. So due to this disconnect, the gathering resembles a railway station rather than a gathering.  While they are very civilized, there is no life, no juice, no mojo to these gatherings! (I think because most of the attendees tend to take themselves and the saving of the planet rather seriously).

 

So where are these photos taken? They were taken in Verona in 08/09. It was a sparkling evening. The other evening was way back in 96/97which I shared with a group of Italian exchange teachers here in Melbourne. Thankyou to my Italian friends for teaching me to get over some of my rather uptight and sometimes destructive socially inept ways!

 

If you like this story, you can view my kit here: http://issuu.com/veronicagrow/docs/kitforuptightwhitepeople

 

 

You can also purchase a copy in Melbourne at

Brunswick Bound

Metropolis Books

Brunswick Street Bookstore

 

Or online at Blurb:

http://www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/2597718#store-price

KIT FOR UPTIGHT WHITE PEOPLE

ARTIFICAT # 6 - SOCIAL LURBRICANT

Upon coming to Australia in 2000 after attending a few work functions, Slava, a Moldovan friend, was shocked to discover how much alcohol Australians drink in social situations. “I don’t understand why they take wine, beer, and champagne, never with food!” he would say in his wonderful eastern european accent.  He was also quick tonote the behavioural change in his workmates after they had taken a few drinks. Normally quiet and shy personalities became oddly friendly, affectionate and talkative. Then on Monday, the usual coldness and unfriendliness would return. This hot and cold behaviour was most unsettling to Slava. 

what to do about it? 

For those who are Socially Uptight  

The Daggy music experiment.  

Go to I-tunes, or a music store. Buy some yodelling music. Now, play it as loudly as possible, singing along with great gusto and attempting to dance. (This part is best done in company). Try to do this as badly as you can. How do you feel? After five minutes, you will start to feel every care and worry in the world escape you. With this sense of lightness will come a greater sense of confidence, and perspective. You will find that you care less about social rejection. “It’s obvious that the mirth filled man, the cheerful soul, the childish adult is the one who has least to fear from life.” Tom Hodgkinson The Freedom Manifesto. 

This is object number 6 of 9 from the book I wrote called “The What the Hell Is Your Problem?” Kit. A Kit For Uptight White People. The Kit was my final masters project in Cross Disciplinary Design at COFA UNSW.

You can view it here: http://issuu.com/veronicagrow/docs/kitforuptightwhitepeople

If you live in Melbourne, it is stocked at Metropolis Books, Brunswick Bound and Brunswick Street Books for $16. 

You can also purchase it here on Blurb http://www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/2597718

or email me. 

Why do you think we seem to need alcohol to help us to be more open friendly and inclusive? 

THE WARM AND WELCOMING GESTURE Some people make you feel welcome, others not so. Some of us seem so independent that we couldn’t care less. What do you think? I am not ashamed to say that to me, it is really important to make others feel welcome. That is why I included a welcome mat in the “KIT FOR UPTIGHT WHITE PEOPLE”.  For me, to make someone feel unwelcome is rude, and cold. It demonstrates your lack of care or interest in having some sort of meaningful relationship with them, and in that, your disregard for what it essentially is to be a human. Many people I know from other cultures note that it is really anglo/australian thing to do. It rarely happens in other cultures.  The photo that I have included with this post is taken when I worked in Kuwait, and we were guests of some bedouns (stateless people with no citizenship papers) who lived on the outskirts of Kuwait. They were not rich, but they knew how to make us feel welcome. One of the customs of all Arabs, whether stateless or not, mega wealthy, or poor, is to make guests feel welcome by way of “hospitality”. I have noted that this custom extends right through to other southern Mediterranean cultures too. The Italians I have known call it “ospiti”. Literally meaning to you I give hospitality.  The Italians and Arabs, and northern Indian people I know complain about being force-fed. Mangia, or “eat” you are instructed. If you don’t, they ask “perche tu non mangia?” Or “why aren’t you eating Veronica?” As an Anglo, it seems rude at first to say no. So you leave feeling really overfed. It’s considered rude to refuse, but my friend Jasmine taught me the trick, in obliging the welcoming signals of your host. You have to say, yes, then take the food, and eat it slowly. Leaving half of the food uneaten on your plate is seen as being better than refusing in the first place! (I know that this might make you feel uncomfortable if you are “Anglo”, but you do get used to it, trust me)  So guests are made to feel welcome by always offering something to eat, or drink. Anything at all. Even my Indian mechanic in Kuwait gave me a can of cold coca cola. I like this.  I cannot tell you how many Anglo households I have been in whereby I have been outright ignored, as though I was not there. The classic example was my brother in law in the nineteen eighties, who would watch the cricket, and drink beer in front of us when we visited, totally ignoring us as if we were invisible! This is pretty normal for us Anglos I am ashamed to say.  Last time when I was in the Middle East I visited an ex student in Oman, and noted that the family house had a special room for receiving visitors. Her father (even though he was honestly not particularly interested in my visit) made the effort to come into the room and make 15 minutes of conversation with me. I was made to feel welcome.  Welcoming people makes for social cohesiveness.  Some people have welcoming faces. My neighbor Lucia, has a very open friendly face, and most people always find themselves talking to her. Sometimes I wonder whether it is the same for me, as so many people approach me in the street and ask me questions, probably because I have a welcoming face. Sometimes I wonder whether a face can be too welcoming, when my neighbor Betty tells me some shocking stories about her life and family, that she shouldn’t. (Too much information goes the adage).  WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM KIT, A KIT FOR UPTIGHT WHITE PEOPLE If you are interested in finding out more, have a look at the book  I wrote. This was my final masters project in cross disciplinary design at UNSW http://issuu.com/veronicagrow/docs/kitforuptightwhitepeople http://www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/2597718

THE WARM AND WELCOMING GESTURE

Some people make you feel welcome, others not so. Some of us seem so independent that we couldn’t care less. What do you think? I am not ashamed to say that to me, it is really important to make others feel welcome. That is why I included a welcome mat in the “KIT FOR UPTIGHT WHITE PEOPLE”. 

For me, to make someone feel unwelcome is rude, and cold. It demonstrates your lack of care or interest in having some sort of meaningful relationship with them, and in that, your disregard for what it essentially is to be a human. Many people I know from other cultures note that it is really anglo/australian thing to do. It rarely happens in other cultures. 

The photo that I have included with this post is taken when I worked in Kuwait, and we were guests of some bedouns (stateless people with no citizenship papers) who lived on the outskirts of Kuwait. They were not rich, but they knew how to make us feel welcome. One of the customs of all Arabs, whether stateless or not, mega wealthy, or poor, is to make guests feel welcome by way of “hospitality”. I have noted that this custom extends right through to other southern Mediterranean cultures too. The Italians I have known call it “ospiti”. Literally meaning to you I give hospitality. 

The Italians and Arabs, and northern Indian people I know complain about being force-fed. Mangia, or “eat” you are instructed. If you don’t, they ask “perche tu non mangia?” Or “why aren’t you eating Veronica?” As an Anglo, it seems rude at first to say no. So you leave feeling really overfed. It’s considered rude to refuse, but my friend Jasmine taught me the trick, in obliging the welcoming signals of your host. You have to say, yes, then take the food, and eat it slowly. Leaving half of the food uneaten on your plate is seen as being better than refusing in the first place! (I know that this might make you feel uncomfortable if you are “Anglo”, but you do get used to it, trust me) 

So guests are made to feel welcome by always offering something to eat, or drink. Anything at all. Even my Indian mechanic in Kuwait gave me a can of cold coca cola. I like this. 

I cannot tell you how many Anglo households I have been in whereby I have been outright ignored, as though I was not there. The classic example was my brother in law in the nineteen eighties, who would watch the cricket, and drink beer in front of us when we visited, totally ignoring us as if we were invisible! This is pretty normal for us Anglos I am ashamed to say. 

Last time when I was in the Middle East I visited an ex student in Oman, and noted that the family house had a special room for receiving visitors. Her father (even though he was honestly not particularly interested in my visit) made the effort to come into the room and make 15 minutes of conversation with me. I was made to feel welcome. 

Welcoming people makes for social cohesiveness. 

Some people have welcoming faces. My neighbor Lucia, has a very open friendly face, and most people always find themselves talking to her. Sometimes I wonder whether it is the same for me, as so many people approach me in the street and ask me questions, probably because I have a welcoming face. Sometimes I wonder whether a face can be too welcoming, when my neighbor Betty tells me some shocking stories about her life and family, that she shouldn’t. (Too much information goes the adage). 

WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM KIT, A KIT FOR UPTIGHT WHITE PEOPLE

If you are interested in finding out more, have a look at the book  I wrote. This was my final masters project in cross disciplinary design at UNSW

http://issuu.com/veronicagrow/docs/kitforuptightwhitepeople

http://www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/2597718

Silver Fruit apon Silver Trees (WIP) Type and Image as Narrative

Still a long way to go on this job but I thought I would share it with you. I’ve always loved the poem called “Silver”, by Walter de la Mare. I can remember hearing someone sing it once and it was the most magical song i had ever heard. It was so other worldly. I thought it would be nice to use it to showcase some of the drawings that I have done, and turn them into another print on demand book with Blurb. 

I need to try out some different type selections, and start to introduce some colour. I am about halfway there. 

Here is where I am up to, the book will be 15 x 23 cm… this is just a WIP shot to share with you… Of course I really should be working on another project, but it has been really hot and sweaty today, and my head isnt working because I went for a run first thing which has rendered me delerious and now i have literally cut my finger nail off my index finger. Tomorrow will be cooler 

Artefact Number 4. The Welcome Mat

This book is my final masters project in Cross Disciplinary Design, and addresses the issue of social inclusivity by examining various “anglo” behaviours from numerous multicultural perspectives. 

Preview in colour here: 

http://issuu.com/veronicagrow/docs/kitforuptightwhitepeople

You can buy it here: http://www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/2597718

THIS CHICKEN IS HAVING A SEIZURE “Why?” you ask. “Why IS she drawing  a poor chicken having a seizure?”. By the way, before I do tell you why, I just have to ask you if you have ANY IDEA at all how hard it is to depict a chicken having a seizure? This one looks nothing like the real one by the way.  This picture relates to the idea of Minding Your Own Business, from item number 3 in my What the Hell is Your Problem Kit, the Definitive Kit for Uptight White People. The other day, I was talking to my dear sweet chicken loving friend (A), and she told me that her husband (Mr G) was already not feeling well, and to make matters worse, he had looked out of the window, and seen one of their chickens who are like family to them having a seizure. “Why was he feeling unwell?” asked I concernedly. (Should I have minded my own business?). “He has been in hospital”. Said A. “Oh, What was wrong with him” I asked. Thinking to myself, maybe I am going to far. “He had an operation” She said. Maybe I should have stopped right there, was I imagining a boundary that I should not go past. “What sort of operation?”, I asked. “In a private area” She said. “OK I thought, time to back off”. I decided the best tactic was to just make light of it, and evoke lots of sympathy. “Oh dear, that’s no good! Down in his nether regions” I said, please send him my love, and I hope he feels better”. All the same, I couldn’t help chuckling to myself at the odd nature of our conversation. Life is like that. So the moral of the tale is that sometimes, of course we need to mind our own business! But at other times, it can make you appear cold and distant to mind your own business. It’s never easy to find the right balance. In my opinion, you are better taking the risk of actually being a bit of a nosy parker, than being cold and stuck up. Just ask gently and softly and try to demonstrate some sensitivity, never loudly. I believe too that your physicality can impact the situation. If you are physically big and loud, you will come across as being more pushy. White people cannot cope with perceived pushiness.

THIS CHICKEN IS HAVING A SEIZURE

“Why?” you ask. “Why IS she drawing  a poor chicken having a seizure?”. By the way, before I do tell you why, I just have to ask you if you have ANY IDEA at all how hard it is to depict a chicken having a seizure? This one looks nothing like the real one by the way. 

This picture relates to the idea of Minding Your Own Business, from item number 3 in my What the Hell is Your Problem Kit, the Definitive Kit for Uptight White People.

The other day, I was talking to my dear sweet chicken loving friend (A), and she told me that her husband (Mr G) was already not feeling well, and to make matters worse, he had looked out of the window, and seen one of their chickens who are like family to them having a seizure.

“Why was he feeling unwell?” asked I concernedly. (Should I have minded my own business?). “He has been in hospital”. Said A. “Oh, What was wrong with him” I asked. Thinking to myself, maybe I am going to far. “He had an operation” She said. Maybe I should have stopped right there, was I imagining a boundary that I should not go past. “What sort of operation?”, I asked. “In a private area” She said. “OK I thought, time to back off”. I decided the best tactic was to just make light of it, and evoke lots of sympathy. “Oh dear, that’s no good! Down in his nether regions” I said, please send him my love, and I hope he feels better”. All the same, I couldn’t help chuckling to myself at the odd nature of our conversation. Life is like that.

So the moral of the tale is that sometimes, of course we need to mind our own business! But at other times, it can make you appear cold and distant to mind your own business. It’s never easy to find the right balance. In my opinion, you are better taking the risk of actually being a bit of a nosy parker, than being cold and stuck up. Just ask gently and softly and try to demonstrate some sensitivity, never loudly. I believe too that your physicality can impact the situation. If you are physically big and loud, you will come across as being more pushy. White people cannot cope with perceived pushiness.

Item Number 3. The Mind Your Own Business T Shirt.  Is this you? How many people do you know that might as well be wearing one of these anyway? Indicated just by their effectiveness in keeping you at a distance.  This is Item 3 from the What the Hell is Your Problem Kit a Kit for Uptight White People, a multicultural book which was my masters project in cross disciplinary design at UNSW.  If you are interested in finding out more, have a look at the book  I wrote.  http://issuu.com/veronicagrow/docs/kitforuptightwhitepeople   http://www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/2597718

Item Number 3. The Mind Your Own Business T Shirt. 

Is this you? How many people do you know that might as well be wearing one of these anyway? Indicated just by their effectiveness in keeping you at a distance. 

This is Item 3 from the What the Hell is Your Problem Kit a Kit for Uptight White People, a multicultural book which was my masters project in cross disciplinary design at UNSW. 

If you are interested in finding out more, have a look at the book  I wrote. 

http://issuu.com/veronicagrow/docs/kitforuptightwhitepeople

 

http://www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/2597718

COMPETITION REMINDER (help me to continue the strand of conversation all you uptight white people!) closes 31 November midnight EST (FYI thats australian time midnight in sydney) very easy to win, all you have to do is find the following post and retumble it, as in repost on your tumblr. or even reblog it on your own blog (if you are not with tumblr why should we exclude you). just email me and let me know, so that you are in the draw.  I will post up  the list of rebloggers in 1st week of december, and post out the winner of a free copy of the kit to the winner of the draw (from a hat). of rebloggers.  http://veronicagrow.tumblr.com/post/12025183398/did-you-know-from-numerous-migrant

COMPETITION REMINDER (help me to continue the strand of conversation all you uptight white people!)

closes 31 November midnight EST (FYI thats australian time midnight in sydney)

very easy to win, all you have to do is find the following post and retumble it, as in repost on your tumblr. or even reblog it on your own blog (if you are not with tumblr why should we exclude you). just email me and let me know, so that you are in the draw. 

I will post up  the list of rebloggers in 1st week of december, and post out the winner of a free copy of the kit to the winner of the draw (from a hat). of rebloggers. 

http://veronicagrow.tumblr.com/post/12025183398/did-you-know-from-numerous-migrant

A BEAUTIFUL CONVERSATION THAT STARTED 48 YEARS AGO.  When we undertake any sort of project, it becomes a conversation, and we all begin projects whether we know it or not. A marriage is a convesation. Having a child is a conversation with life, and with the world. A dinner party is a conversation, and so is a garden and that is just for starters.  Sometimes the projects we start are more ordained i suppose for want of a better word! Here is one such example that is pretty amazing. I have to say that this man,  Jerry Gretzinger is obsessive, and fanatical. Even though you are probably time poor, and dont have the time to look at videos this one here is well worth watching from beginning to end, to watch the way this man makes this damnly massive  map and imaginary world is something well beyond ordinary. He has been doing it for 48 years!! I suspect that the map is as big as a football field but all constructed out of A4 sheets that he makes on a daily basis.  He even charts where he is at on an excel spreadsheet. Somewhat nerdy and geeky. Aren’t people amazing! They never cease to astound.  http://vimeo.com/6745866 http://jerrysmap.blogspot.com/ My thanks also to Maria Popova’s blog Curiosity Counts,  where I originally discovered this incredible person! And, do remember to go and reblog my post about the competition which closes November 31. So easy to win a copy of my kit for uptight white people, which is where the whole idea of conversations has started!! here is the link: http://veronicagrow.tumblr.com/post/12025183398/did-you-know-from-numerous-migrant

A BEAUTIFUL CONVERSATION THAT STARTED 48 YEARS AGO. 

When we undertake any sort of project, it becomes a conversation, and we all begin projects whether we know it or not. A marriage is a convesation. Having a child is a conversation with life, and with the world. A dinner party is a conversation, and so is a garden and that is just for starters. 

Sometimes the projects we start are more ordained i suppose for want of a better word! Here is one such example that is pretty amazing. I have to say that this man,  Jerry Gretzinger is obsessive, and fanatical.

Even though you are probably time poor, and dont have the time to look at videos this one here is well worth watching from beginning to end, to watch the way this man makes this damnly massive  map and imaginary world is something well beyond ordinary. He has been doing it for 48 years!! I suspect that the map is as big as a football field but all constructed out of A4 sheets that he makes on a daily basis. 

He even charts where he is at on an excel spreadsheet. Somewhat nerdy and geeky. Aren’t people amazing! They never cease to astound. 

http://vimeo.com/6745866

http://jerrysmap.blogspot.com/

My thanks also to Maria Popova’s blog Curiosity Counts,  where I originally discovered this incredible person!

And, do remember to go and reblog my post about the competition which closes November 31. So easy to win a copy of my kit for uptight white people, which is where the whole idea of conversations has started!!

here is the link: http://veronicagrow.tumblr.com/post/12025183398/did-you-know-from-numerous-migrant

What the Hell Is Your Problem? Kit.
Topic of the Week = Conversation.

The Art of Talking and the Art of Walking

To Walk, is to formulate ideas, and sometimes to talk with people I meet along the way.  (in my book anyway)

here are some studies and visual ideas about my daily walk along the Merri Creek.  

# 2 The Strand of ConversationFrom the What the Hell is Your Problem, The Kit for Uptight White People Contrary to reality, you think that it is only you who finds conversation difficult. Why not try the Small talk experiment for the Conversationally challenged?    Indeed yes. I could rattle of a whole list of situations regarding conversationally challenged people that I observed, and sadly, that is only over the weekend. And call me biased if you like, but they all involved my fellow white men?   Why are they so challenged in this department? Constantly putting up barriers, rather than encouraging the art of conversation?   Are they socially inept and retarded? I ask myself.   Well, rather than listing off these anecdotes that involve a socially awkward neighbour, cousin and friend, I am going to relay some great examples of people gifted in the art of conversation that happened over the weekend. So sit back and enjoy the next post as tumblr wont let me add more pictures to this one! 

# 2 The Strand of Conversation
From the What the Hell is Your Problem, The Kit for Uptight White People

Contrary to reality, you think that it is only you who finds conversation difficult. Why not try the Small talk experiment for the Conversationally challenged? 

 

Indeed yes. I could rattle of a whole list of situations regarding conversationally challenged people that I observed, and sadly, that is only over the weekend. And call me biased if you like, but they all involved my fellow white men?

 

Why are they so challenged in this department? Constantly putting up barriers, rather than encouraging the art of conversation?

 

Are they socially inept and retarded? I ask myself.

 

Well, rather than listing off these anecdotes that involve a socially awkward neighbour, cousin and friend, I am going to relay some great examples of people gifted in the art of conversation that happened over the weekend. So sit back and enjoy the next post as tumblr wont let me add more pictures to this one!