Six Word Fridays: Happiness is...

Happiness is...Sunrise, a new day...
Happiness is...making a living today...
 Happiness is...the simple things... life...
Happiness is...good health and vitality...
Happiness is...family and friends around...
Happiness is...having opportunity to choose...

Rue's Friday Fragments #14

Hi I'm Rue, the artist and voice behind Passion in the Moments / E:thos Photographic. As you may have gathered in looking around the blog,  I think a lot and share those thoughts with all and sundry (that is anyone who will listen!). This weekly posting is essentially an opportunity to share tid-bits, rants and observations that I have made in the course of the week that are not really worth writing a whole article about but are interesting nevertheless. These coupled with that odd picture I have taken that doesn't really fit in anywhere, news about what's going on @ E:thos and a review of something interesting, put together in one post makes up what I call Rue's Friday Fragments. There is humour, righteous indignation, sad truths and a little of me, so something for everyone...enjoy!

10. Picture of the week

A lovely summers day for the thick of winter...

9. Group of Students stabbed in Japan attack
This is a tragic story of a man who stabbed 13 students outside a train station in Japan. Worse still, 11 of the students were as young as 12 years old. IT is a sad thing when mental health is not given sufficient attention and the result is attacks of this nature. No one knows yet why the 27 yr old Yuta Saito did this but it has left many wounded, one seriously but thank God no one has died.

8. Inception...

I know I am probably behind on the whole movie scene but I have only just watched this movie and I am so kicking myself for not doing so earlier! I am apathetic when it comes to movies these days as most of them seem really rubbish, overly sexual or volent or both and normally with a stupid story line. So to watch this film and be constantly guess was such a refreshing change of pace, thank you Leo and the gang! Well worth my 90min! 

7. BP oil spill saga continues...

Remember the BP / Gulf of Mexico oil spill that had Obama gracious comparing its impact to the city with 911? Well its not over, no sir. Apparently the US Government is now suing BP and 8 other companies involved in the incident for damages post the oil spill. The companies are all being sued for breach US Environmental Laws. This is likely to be a huge legal battle that will go on well into 2011 at least, we will keep an eye on it.

6. Time Magazine person of the year 2010 is...

Facebook's founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg at 26 years old

5. New beginnings are upon us...

As the year is coming to an end and a new year is fast approaching, if you could do anything, reinvent yourself, change your career to that one thing you have always wanted to do / be what would you do / become?

4. Wikileaks continue...
As more and more secret information continues to pour out, we are starting to see legal cases arising across the world from Africa to Europe and beyond... Sweedenn is having a spotlight at the moment... see more here

3. Inquest into nose job patient who died 
This is a sad story of a lady who had a heart attack during her nose job surgery and yet the doctor continued to finish the job...needless to say she died at the age of 31. Paramedics were kept waiting by her plastic surgeon for 45 minutes after insisting on transferring her to Accident & Emergency in a private hospital in Kent, UK. The case occurred in 2005 though an inquest hearing took place this week were it was reported that the patient Mrs Kat McLure suffered brain damage during that surgery and died 6 months later. I am not a fan of plastic surgery and this is a good reason why not to be but it also highlights how some medical professionals can lose focus of the main priority...life... 

2. A cleaner planet for our children

This is the UK's new recycling campaign image...love the world you are in. We all have our part to play in ensuring that our children / the next generation have a habitable planet...are you doing your part in your part of the world?

1. Song of the week
Areo Smith - I don't want to miss a thing...
For all those away from and missing their loved ones and those who have them close...don't take the time you have for granted.

And that's it for this week folks! Have a great weekend!!!!! And remember you can get in touch by commenting or emailing me atethosphotographic@gmail.com

Photo Friday: Gathering

Together we gather as one...

Architectural Structures: Malawi, Africa

Architecture is a significant part of the history and culture of people. Architectural practices from a locality are known as venecular architecture which essentially means traditional ways of constructing buildings among a group of people in a specific area. Through the movement of people from nomadic travel to colonialism there has been a mixture of architectural styles that have been shared among people. The long term effects of this mix in architectural styles and culture can be seen all over Africa. 

The images below show some current architectural structures found in Malawi today. The images were taken in the country's 3rd largest city Mzuzu and a local trading centre called Ekwendeni. Trading centres are effectively new towns created at points along a transportation route allowing for truck stops. In this case Ekwendeni is situated on the route from Malawi to neighbouring Tanzania.

A rustic shelter constructed in a semi urban environment 

Venecular architecture has evolved into a more western style of architecture 

Qualified  architects are not commonly engaged for design purposes as they are costly.
Individuals with some knowledge of design commonly draw a basic plan for experienced builders to follow. 

A blair toilet 
Though western styles of architecture have been adopted, not all domestic
properties are fully equipped with indoor toilet and bathroom. This is a sign of how
venecular architecture has slowly evolved.

Market Stalls
The market stalls have been constructed with wood and seem more like temporary structures.

Though many structures are made out of brick, there is a clear mixture of more traditional construction with the use of wood for a gate / fence between buildings.

In this image we see structures that are more venecular in nature with the use of
thatched roofing and wooden walls / doors. It is interesting to note that outside these
shops there are window frames on sale which indicate the adaptation of western style architecture. 

There are many buildings in urban and semi urban areas that are completely western in
 architectural  style. This is a clear sign of the colonial influence on local architecture.

There has also been an adaptation of building use from the colonial era for example
this library and the post office in the image above.