Design is about idea, not product: Pinakothek Der Moderne: Modern Museum

The weather was gorgeous today, not so hot like yesterday; I decided to take the day easy, and a trip to the museum was a good idea. After visiting those historical sites, buildings, somehow I need something new and modern for a change. And this museum (http://www.pinakothek.de/pinakothek-der-moderne/) didn't let me down. It refreshed my spirit to continue the journey. I particularly liked the design section, and some sparkling ideas here:

A whole wall to showcase great ideas that affect our live, including Dali's chair and coffee maker. See the man sitting on the floor? You can figure how big the wall is! 

What are these? ...something you wear on your fingers. Impossible!? better believe it. Save your eggshell next time and make it into a ring. It's trendy!

I don't know why designers are crazy about "chairs?" The majority of the showcase is chairs. I like this one. I like the idea of flexible wood.  

What a nice idea to feminize your tea pot and dress  her like this. She'll always be "hot!"

Another chair with new ideas.

How cleve! the opening by the side makes it easier to add  water in. Also, easy to press the lid when pouring water out. 

I want a bookshelf like this.

The whole history of Mac is laid out here.

Again, what is this? fish in the air? edgy concepts for super-jet!

Don't you just like the chairs?

Ok, the last guess, what is this? a robot hand? Something to do with hand, but ....have you heard of bracelets or cuffs? Well, this is one. 

 I love design, particular those that make our life easier and fun. I dream to design something, .....well, I need to find a problem to solve first, so I can design something to solve it....Do you have any problems to share?

Ancient books of 500 years old: Bavarian State Libray

The cover of an old book. It is peeling off.

Do you know how old these books are? most of them are more than 500 year old. when you walk in to the room, strangely I smelled caramel and chocolate. Was that the smell of time?

This is the first time I've ever seen what parchment is to cover a book.    You can even see the burned marks of the fire and chewing marks of the borers.                                             

Thanks to Junko, our leader of travel and information center, we had a guided tour to the Bavarian State Library. Like those old buildings or churches built to demonstrate power and wealth, this library was built more than 400 years ago by a duke. It's collection is almost unmatchable now, particular the rare printed books and manuscripts. Since we have 3 professional librarians in our group, the trip to the library is like a Mecca for them.  I was not very interested in the beginning, but then the charm of the library caught me.

This mark means the book was from a monastery.Just imagine the monk who put this label on this page. And now 500 years later, in a hand of the young man who introduced to people from different countries. Who would have imagined that at that time? 

The modern side of the old library: the exhibition room was designed like a modern salon. 

The Interactive device to rescale and rotate your books.

The old books bizarrely created a classy scene for modern photo shooting. Elle magazine should send their models here. 

A great design to read those old books. The soft book makers prevent your hand sweat from touching the pages.

The street light looks like a reading light for the statue, who is reading a book, and me, pretend to read one, too. Bookworms like us always find library a comforting place. Don't we?

Tollwood Summer Fesitival:

It was supposed to be a feast of cultural and musical events. But, I didn't pay attention to it until the last day of festival. See their web: http://www.tollwood.de/english/summerfestival-2012/

So, no decent cultural intake from the festival for me, but we managed to check out the Market of Idea. Yes, it's a fancy word for shopping, but I did find some interesting ideas as well. Check them out.

The site is close to the Olympia Park

The stadium

What is this? Find it out later.

A gigantic kaleidoscope! 

You can have your shoes handmade here. See, they are measuring the feet! Awesome!

a gigantic tent for goods and music from middle east. Walking in there, you don't feel you are in Germany at all.

You can have your future told here behind these exotic curtains. 

Want some freshly grilled fish? You got it here!

All these slander animals standing at the top of a stall. How elegant they are! and you don't have to worry that they'd fall down the roof.

this eye-catching sign is really eyeing on you.

a closer look at the camels.

A stall for all kinds of paper crafts.

The vey "woody" gate.

What does this stall sale? Got a clue from the  magic cube on the top? They sell toys that challenge you like the magic tube.




 Not like Taiwan, in which markets are all about food. Here, you find fashion jewels, arts, crafts, clothes, and of course international food.  I had fun!

Interesting writers from afar

More interesting interesting writers who I met at the festival.

Sylvain Rivard from Canada. He sings in his storytelling. A voice so beautiful and strong that even the session was set in the outdoors, I could still hear him from our study on the second floor with windows and doors closed. 

Do you see wet hair and umbrella? Yes, it rained during the session. I ran away but he and the kids continued. Luckily, it stopped few minutes later.

Daniel Nesquens from Spain. He looks like Dustin Hoffman and sometimes acts like him in movie long time ago, well, if you know what I mean.  Very funny to talk with. 

A mix of something forigien

Some studies say that as we grow older, we feel harder to focus (like little kids? strange!). Anyway, when I cannot focus on the things that need my attention, I tend to find something more interesting. Here are some of them. 

I'd like to have a phone like this, which perches on an accordion peg rack hand that moves and stretches in any direction you want it to be.     

A tacky restaurant in Salzburg. The erotic menu is set side by side with the picture of a saint.  Is this their sense of humor?

They are very creative with pretzel, like we do with our Tofu. 

Bikers, you are not allowed to bike on the lane for pedestrians. Or, here is your ticket.

The funny looking tower is called Chinesische Turn, located in English Garden (funny? A Chinese tower in an English Garden in Germany!). It looks like a Chinese/Japanese tower but the details are not the same. Does it represent the multicultural Germany? I don't know, yet. But at least, it is  a mix of something foreign.
Well, gotta go to a party for the White Raven Festival. We are saying farewell  to all the participants. And,...I have at least one more month to go. Ciao now (yep! The German do say Ciao like Italian. Told you, a mix of something foreign everywhere.)

The White Raven Fesitival

Where does it happen: The International Youth Library in Munich. http://www.ijb.de/wrfestival/de/HM_2%20VA%20Programm/Abendveranstaltungen_5JMM.htm

What are the events for: Children & adults; workshops, talks and book readings by authors themselves.

This is a festival that provides a face-to-face forum for writers, illustrators, and storytellers to meet with their readers. It is the festival that "book spirits" gather. Although only few sessions were in German, I could still feel that delightful atmosphere and sparkles when these kindred spirits clink into each other.

The festival is still going on (until 20th) and here are some writers that I have clinked into so far.

Uri Orlev: A survivor of holocaust and renown writer. 

The talk with his translator. I asked him, "Have you forgiven them?" He said, "I'll never forgive them for killing my mother, but both of us, the German and Jew have to think,  why did we let it happen? 
He asked me whether I was from Japan. I said, "No, Taiwan. I told you this morning." And he said, "I'm old!"
I like him, a lovely, forgetful old man.

Bernard Beckett: A writer from New Zealand

  

Before the talk, he looks a little bit nervous.

I asked him how to get rid of the annoying voice of the target reader from your head. He said, try to enjoy what you are writing and ignore the voice. 

For more introduction of their works,  click on the following link to my other blog, Couscous Story House, for details
http://couscousstoryhouse.blogspot.de/

A white rose in their history: Lugwig Maximilian University of Munich

The roses were laid to tell them that they are still remembered.
The rock by the side is a German way to tell the death, I come to visit. 

The inscription of the message to the world, for which, they paid their lives.  

Who were they? and what did they do? you may ask....

These were also my questions when I joined the American group to visit the White Rose Memorial Site in Lugwig Maximilian University (University of Munich). From Bob (a professor from Appalachian State University), I learned the story about this brutal and secretive crackdown on those activists (professors and students) who dared to stand up for justice.

Their anti-Nazi leaflets were  made and spread at the cost of their lives. But, it has also become the evidence of their courage and their everlasting influences to next generations. It reminded me of Tien-An-Men Massacre in China. I was quite emotional when I saw the pictures displayed in the site although I don't read any German.

Who were they? 6 students and professors. The youngest of them, Sophie Scholl, was only 21 when she was beheaded.

I was deeply moved by how the youth, who in general is considered naive and immature, repeatedly prove themselves to be the power that shapes their nations. I respect that power and hope to witness that power happens in my own country, too.

The university is like a museum. This is the place where the leaflets were spread. 

A group of people just finished their visit and stood outside for some discussions.

The entrance of the memorial site.

The Chinese translation of the event.

I checked out the movie made based on this story centered on Sophie Shroll from Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8RIMpuTexg&feature=colike. 

I hope you'll watch it and and be moved.