World

Lunar New Year 2022: Millions start celebrating

Aside Markosun World

Chinese New Year.

Millions of people start celebrating the beginning of the Lunar New Year on 1 February. This year marks the change from the Year of the Ox to the Year of the Tiger.

A man makes an offering of joss sticks at a temple in Hong Kong
A man makes an offering of joss sticks at a temple in Hong Kong
Spring Festival lights in the city of Handan, China's northern Hebei province. Photo: 30 January 2022
Festive street lights have drawn crowds in China’s Handan city, in the northern Hebei province
A dragon dance troop visits a restaurant in Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand
A dragon dance troop visits a restaurant in Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand
A boy holding candles in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
A boy holds candles in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
A person cracks an egg on a tiger sculpture for blessings at a Chinese temple in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
A person cracks an egg on a tiger sculpture for blessings at a Chinese temple in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Cai Shen Ye, the God of Fortune, walks around the Kapasan Chinese village in Surabaya, Indonesia
Cai Shen Ye, the God of Fortune, walks around the Kapasan Chinese village in Surabaya, Indonesia
Performers play instruments in Yokohama, Japan
Performers play instruments in Yokohama, Japan
A man prays in Palembang, Indonesia
A man prays in Palembang, Indonesia

BBC

Week in pictures: 15 – 21 January 2022

Aside Markosun World

BBC

Ash blankets the Tongan island of Nomuka
Ash blankets the island of Nomuka after an underwater volcano erupted about 40 miles (64km) north of Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa. The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano sent a tsunami towards the Pacific island nation and was heard as far away as the US.
Commuters on London's Jubilee Line
Commuters travel on the London Underground after government advice to work from home was ended in England. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also announced that face coverings in public places and Covid passports would no longer be compulsory in England from 27 January.
A man pours ice-cold water over himself in Tokyo
A man pours ice-cold water over himself during a purification ritual at Kanda Myojin shrine in Tokyo, Japan. The coming-of-age ceremony welcomes 20-year-olds into adulthood, and honours and pays homage to Daikoku, the deity of fortune.
A man tries to start the engine of a school bus in Scarborough, Canada
A man tries to start the engine of a school bus after heavy snowfall in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
A dog is blessed by a priest in Madrid
A dog is blessed by a priest at the Church of San Anton in Madrid, Spain. The annual tradition marks the feast day of San Anton, the patron saint of animals, and is celebrated throughout the country.
The Wolf Moon rises in Cheshire
The first full Moon of 2022 rises over Mow Cop Folly, in Cheshire. Often referred to as the “Wolf Moon”, it is thought that the name refers to the time of year when wolves are more vocal, ahead of the February breeding season.
People throw printed money in the air at a pop-up museum in Taipei
Visitors throw printed money in the air while getting their photos taken at the Gaki Hip exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan. Interactive installations featuring everyday objects – such as bubble tea, claw-machines and pineapples – aim to encourage visitors to reconsider the definition of Taiwanese culture.
People jump into at pool in Ethiopia
Ethiopian Orthodox worshippers jump into the pool at Fasilides Bath during the celebration of Timkat, the Ethiopian Epiphany, in the city of Gondar.
The Clavie, a burning barrel packed with tar-soaked sticks fixed on the top of a pole in Burghead, Scotland
The Burning of the Clavie ceremony takes place at Doorie Hill in Burghead, Scotland. The centuries-old local tradition, in which a burning barrel packed with tar-soaked sticks is set alight, is usually held on 11 January, but was rescheduled until after restrictions on outdoor events were lifted by the Scottish government.

From Around The World

Aside Markosun World

A box to dispose of your cannabis in the Chicago airport

Old photo of our farm.

Astypalaia, Greece

Winter storm in New York City (photo: Marzenka)

Stunning photos taken 384,000 kilometers from the Moon…

Tribune, KS December 15, 2021

Okay..

Red Hawk in the Badlands of North Dakota (c. 1905)

Sunset at the Ben Franklin Bridge

Vintage view of the Statue of Liberty, taken from the torch balcony-which has been closed since 1916

San Francisco Bay

World’s Largest Ship Graveyard

Aside Markosun World

The city of Nouadhibou is the second largest city in Mauritania and serves as the country’s commercial center. The port of Nouadhibou is the final resting place of over 300 ships which were abandoned by their owners. These ships rusting in the shallow waters has given the port of Nouadhibou the notorious name of being the world’s largest ship graveyard. Unlike the en masse arrival of ships at Mallows Bay, here the number of craft has built up over time, as corrupt officials accepted bribes from boat owners to allow them to dump their vessels in the area.

 

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The phenomenon started in the 80’s after the nationalization of the Mauritanian fishing industry, numerous uneconomical ships were simply abandoned there. Discarding a ship is quite expensive for a company, so during the decades, lots of unwanted ships ended up in the Harbour of Nouadibou.

A few years ago, the situation was so out of control, that even Mauritanians started to worry. Nowadays there’s a project from the European Union to refloat all these junk ships and take them away, or destroy the remaining wrecks.

 

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Baraka film trailer

Aside Markosun World

A film well worth watching.  You will think about this film for days.

Baraka is a 1992 non-narrative film directed by Ron Fricke. The film is often compared to Koyaanisqatsi, the first of the Qatsi films by Godfrey Reggio of which Fricke was cinematographer. Baraka’s subject matter has some similarities—including footage of various landscapes, churches, ruins, religious ceremonies, and cities thrumming with life, filmed using time-lapse photography in order to capture the great pulse of humanity as it flocks and swarms in daily activity.

The title Baraka is a word that means blessing in a multitude of languages.

The movie was filmed at 152 locations in 24 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Nepal, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States. It contains no dialogue. Instead of a story or plot, the film uses themes to present new perspectives and evoke emotion purely through cinema. The film was the first in over twenty years to be photographed in the 70mm Todd-AO format.