Monday ART-day

I am really happy that I am set for school for next year and I have been apartment hunting like crazy. Wanderlust is hitting me hard right now but as I have several loose ends I still need to tie up in Chicago, I unfortunately will not be able to travel for the next month or so...but maybe staying put is a blessing in disguise?

Traveling has been one amazing experience after another, but I have found myself unable to make time to enjoy the simple things that I used to when I was younger. Its been so long since I have had a summer where I was not in and out of the country that I have almost forgotten how do just...enjoy my "free" time.

Three things I loved most about my long summers in Dallas:
Working out/Dance classes
Working on my Art
Reading my ridiculously large and random collection of Books

So...

1. I am ashamed to admit that I slacked off on gym time while I was in Sweden, but I will start hitting the threadmill this week! Bikini season? Hope I can make it...
2. I just finished the book Oracle Bones: A Journey Through Time in China by Peter Hessler and Im looking for a new summer read, any suggestions?
3. Last but not least, I browsed through at some old photos of my artwork and mmm... I wasn't half bad. Maybe I'll salvage some of my oil paints and work on another piece...  :)

Hope everyone is having a safe, fun and relaxing summer!-XOXO-Ran

Kurt Cobain- Ebony Pencil

(Sophomore Year-JJ Pearce High School)

Ties in Three- PrismaColor

(Junior Year-JJ Pearce High School)

Chinese Dragon - Silk Painting

(Junior Year-JJ Pearce High School)

Cloth on Wall-Oil Painting

Johns Hopkins University

Final Project at Johns Hopkins University

Picasso Master Copy

Oil Painting

Final Project at Johns Hopkins University

Picasso Master Copy

Oil Painting

Fotografiska

A Wednesday with my coworkers at Fotografiska :) The Fotografiska is a must-see museum in Stockholm. Since it is opened relatively late(Sun-wed: 9pm, Thur-Sat: 11pm), it is a great place to go afterwork. Plus there is a nice restaurant/bar upstairs with a fantastic panoramic view of Stockholm!
As for the exhibits, make sure you check out Henri Cartier-Bresson, what a master! Not quite sure about David Strindberg & Johan Bring's video "Tartarus"...

-Ran

Ruud van Empel

Ruud van Empel-I think this boy is going to kill me in my sleep...

Ruud van Empel

David Strindberg & Johan Bring's video "Tartarus...maybe I just don't understand, but wtf is happening here?

Simply Stunning

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Anna Clarén. Love the serene setting of this picture, and the one red sock on the baby :)

Upstairs restaurant with a view!

I was caught reading some very...insightful material

Which one did I buy? :P

Fotografiska
http://fotografiska.eu/

Hours:
Sunday - Wednesday 9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Thursday - Saturday 9:00 am - 11: 00 pm
Closed on Midsummer's Eve and Christmas Eve

Price: 130SEK

Secret Love Exhibition(宓爱) at Östasiatiska Museet

As a society, we have evolved an almost compulsory desire to place everything and everyone in neat sterile categories, but what happens when someone does not fit under the accepted social norms of the world they inhabit?

I had the pleasure of visiting the Secret Love Exhibition at the Östasiatiska with my coworker after work today, and while the artwork was beautiful, it was the video presentations and candid interviews that really captured my attention. As I listened to the hardships and confusion that different members of the LBGT community in China experienced in their search for love, it further emphasized to me that we are really not so different. All of us, gay, straight, bi, etc, at the end of the day, are just humans beings, genetically preprogrammed since ancient times to desire a connection with others.

For the LBGT community, the already complicated search for love is further compounded by the pressures of a less than accepting world. I hope that one day, we will be free to desire, love and marry whom we please, because lets face it - True Love is hard to find - for all of us.

－因为我爱你－马然

Östasiatiska Museet-Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities

http://www.varldskulturmuseerna.se/ostasiatiskamuseet/

Secret Love Exhibition:

Sept 21, 2012 - March 31, 2013

Museum Hours:

Tue: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Wed-Sun: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Address: Tyghusplan 2, 111 49 Stockholm, Sweden

Phone: 08-519 557 50

Price: 100SEK(Adult), Free(18 and under)

Im listening to:

"Constant Conversation"- Passion Pit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gB_vCdUsFY

Im shopping at:

Sheinside.com

http://www.sheinside.com/Navy-Long-Sleeve-Geometric-Print-Pullovers-Sweater-p-100966-cat-1734.html

The Vassar Museum: All great adventures begin with a …Hotdog!

Sunday. What can one do on a Sunday? 

Apparently in the space of 2 hours I managed to buy a new camera(fourth one in 6 months), consume a french hotdog(delicious!), tour the Vassar Museum, make new friends from India, and buy pate, lingonberry bread and strangely delicious French(?) cheese.

Now my friends, that is not too shabby for a Sunday in Stockholm! Especially considering everything closes at 5 pm and I didn't set out until 3 pm thanks to another fateful saturday night at Berns Bar…but thats a whole other story in itself, isn't it?

-Ran- Your Intrepid Stockholm Explorer

French Hotdog: The perfect combination of toasted bread, mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise and mystery meat :)

Thanks a helpful but aged(confused) Swedish woman...We ended up taking the scenic route to the Vassar Museum

Even though it was only her first day on the job, our guide was very informative and explained to us that the Vasa sank because it was too narrow and top heavy. A small gust of wind knocked the ship over to its side and water was able to flow in quickly through the gun ports, causing the ship to sink within minutes.

 Apparently the captain had reservations about the design of the ship but did not want to bring up this *small* issue with the Swedish King. At least 30 lives were lost in the sinking of the Vasa, not to mention thousands of "dalers" and a whole lot of Swedish pride.

A model of the original Vasa ship. Structurally flawed but breathtaking to look at...isn't this an universal truth about most things in life?

Modern replicas of statues that adorn the hull of the Vasa. 

The gang exhausted after a long (20min) inside the Vassar Museum.

My weekly groceries: *Note the lack of greens...

Final Thoughts:
At a reasonable 130SEK entrance fee, the Vasamusset is definitely a must-see in Stockholm. While the man at ticket-counter recommended an hour and half to see the entire museum, our group didn't enter until 4:40pm(20 minutes before closing).We were able to see the ship and take some touristy pictures, and given the time restraint, that was good enough by us. If you don't have time to read the exhibit in detail then my advice to wrangle yourself a guide and get a quick synopsis about the history of the Vasa and.. why it sank!

Good luck and happy traveling!



Vasamuseet

Galärvarvsvägen 14

11521 Stockholm

+46(0)8-519 548 00

http://www.vasamuseet.se/

Adults: SEK 130

Children(0-18 yrs): Free

Open everyday: 10am-5pm


Directions: 

Take the red line tube to Karlaplan stop and look for the bus stop in front of McDonalds. Take the number 44 bus towards Skansen and get off that the Vassar Museum stop. You will see a huge museum when you get off the bus, it is the Nordic Museum, walk behind it and to the right and you will see the entrance to the Vassar. 

OR you can do like I did and heed the questionable directions of an old Swedish woman, thus resulting in a scenic detour all the way around the Nordic Museum. There you will find a nice harbor and the Spirit Museum of Stockholm...which in retrospect might turn out to be not such a bad idea after all :)


http://spritmuseum.se/en

Song of the Day:

Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra ft Nino Mochella - Kiss the Sky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pHQuCezmLE