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Showing posts from June, 2009
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New York Botanical Garden
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Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California Sculptures by Edgar Degas Norton Simon Museum is a very interesting space. Situated in Pasadena, in California, it combines a very exceptional studio museum with a superb sculpture garden. The museum masterpieces include European works from the 14th to the 20th century, and a South Asian collection which highlights the best examples of work of that region. I was very lucky when I visited some weeks ago to see comprehensive works by the French artist, Degas. Degas is the subject of this post, and in a later post I will present some of the Asian deities.
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The Shinkansens of Japan Many experiences fascinated me on my recent visit to Japan, but I must single out the wonderful shinkansens. That is the Japanese word to describe what we call the bullet trains. And in more than one ways, they never disappoint. I was surprised to find that they were not all made from the same mould. In fact, there were at least half a dozen versions suggesting a different character from the facial design. My first encounter was a journey to Kyoto, and I was amazed not just by the speed, but also by the platform organisation. All the coach doors final stop were tactfully marked so there was no danger of you missing your entrance. The locals were always extremely polite, and timing was always perfect. Another thing was the frequency of these trains. This suggests that the Japanese public do need to travel, regularly, and across the country. And probably, this is one of the reasons for their economic miracle. One moment you are in Kyoto, and about tw