)(( hannah mello ))(

the 'vai' of 'pace'

you know you're a poreous creature when you begin to think in a second language. lately, i've found myself thinking 'vai' instead of 'go' :: 'primavera' instead of 'spring' :: 'oh dio' instead of 'oh my god' :: and 'pronto' instead of 'hello' when answering telephones.

it's a curious thing-- time. something happens when time fills space. life happens. real green things appear that are rooted underneath where eyes detect motion or presence. incredible.



in front of the uffici gallery in florence-- a representation of leonardo di vinci.

i stumbled over a treasure: 'leonardo da vinci: flights of the mind' -- which is actually on the top 10 right now. recently released. i am pulled into the world of this human man rightfully labeled as genius, artisan, inventor, musician, thinker, and a thousand others. the writer weaves poetry and descriptive imagery with ink-- including intricases of detail strategically linked with such ease. so well-researched. incredibly irresistable. usually i only read on the train, but today i curled up in my cushy green and blue arm chair for a few hours that seemed like mere minutes. leonardo's homosexuality, the history behind his paintings, his contemporaries, the social and political scene of that time, art comentary. profound.




it took me 6 months to see the shadows of naples. i knew they were there all along. i labeled them-- i described them-- i lamented them, but it wasn't until last tuesday that i felt their chill. the city now has shifted from being a dominantly magical place of color, form, and life in the context of struggle (economic)-- to looking quite literally darker. the buildings, the faces, the sidewalks strewn with the garbage and feces that i am now accustomed to-- watching my feet has become an art.

even when in the company of others, i can detect the evil astir. i always knew it was there.



somehow, though, even though the shadows are colored-in, the vibrancy stays.




my aussie housemate bianca and i watch tv in italiano. we're really sucked into 'grande fratello' ('big brother') and 'the oc' which is overdubbed in italiano. some of the commercials have really impacted me. i wish i could record them and keep them.

this billboard was propped up seaside in chiaia (hands-down, my favorite region of the city). i crossed the street and photoed it.

--- ah! --- crossing traffic is one of my favorite things to do in naples. you don't wait for any kind of pedestrian sign to change-- you just step into the traffic, waiting between cars if necessary until you arrive on the other side...

there's something about the discipline of emptiness-- where you empty yourself as much as possible from thoughts of the past (even the recent, moments-ago past) and future-- and really are sensorally aware of the moment. the reminder -- in both english and italiano-- of 'life is now' is one that i am seeking to live out my last days of this glorious adventure.



my daily life. putting footprints on many different soils. from the royal palace ('regia') in caserta -- above-- to piazza garibaldi's cicumvesuviana train binario in the heart of napoli -- below-- (i love this particular train's graffiti) ...



on my wall in my little flat -------

a brief diversion::::::: (yes, sadly, brittish and australian english words have replaced my own. i now say 'flat'/apartment, 'lift'/elevator, 'bin'/garbage, 'car park'/parking lot, 'fringe'/bangs, 'trousers'/pants, 'jumper'/sweater, and others. i miss my american english.)

--- back to the wall in my room --- it has a faux-aged-yellowy map of the world dating back to the 17th century. i had picked it up in a cathedral shop in the west of britian a year ago and brought it here to my new space in time. it reminded me today, when i looked up from my da vinci reading, of wisdom imparted by both a university prof and a uni mentor. the essence: always be redrawing your map of the world.




this photo was stolen from the blog of a man i greatly admire-- one who has lived an ecclectic life of contribution.


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from a february weekend in rome
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an art student mad with spray paint genius-- working with it as with acrylic paints.




katie. the one i went to rome to see. my roomate from greece. a gracious woman alive with inspiring quietness and richness of soul. the one who helped me discover paulo cuehlo. her humor cannot be matched. i laugh so hard and unexpectedly always. i love her randomness. these three days and two nights with her were so soulful and refreshing.




at about 10pm, we stepped into the courtyard of st. peter's in vatican city. we ended up sitting on the stones in the center of the columned piazza in the nighttime chill for two hours-- talking about the mysteries of experiencing life that have baffled us-- MAKING us redraw our maps of the world.




earlier, we had celebrated her 23rd birthday with strawberry gelato under the trevi fountain.



this advertisement in the train station shop window struck me.




the trevi fountain... greek mythology alive and symbolism brought to light by an english guide giving a tour. i love sneakily standing near wisdom when in a crowd undetected. i love being miscievious sometimes. (how DO you spell that?)




i love looking up. especially when there are colors and textures of italian architecture to compliment the sky. a bird posed here too for me.



it's always the overlooked details in a day that are the most beautiful.




this breathing statue man brought me joy. i loved the color of his garb and his chosen stance.

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::::::::::: sealing up this post ::::::::::::



one closing word.
with primavera (spring) upon us, let's dive into this timely piece of reflection. botticelli's 'primavera'. a painting that brings a lot up to contemplate. when i saw it face-to-face at the uffici, i couldn't help but stand with my nose almost touching the canvas-- eyes up and up and swirling all around. such texture. such intricacies. those who stood or sat afar off saw only the facts of primavera, not the expression. the life of the whole. i want to step up to this season, nose as close to it as possible... being in the moment. looking. looking. looking. listening. with a mind only open to the present-- squeeky clean of past and future.

cheers to this 2006 primavera for us all.

posted by )(( hannah mello ))( @ 1:19 PM