YOU'LL FIND AT THIS VIRTUAL SPOT NOT ONLY NICE PLACES TO VISIT, BUT ALSO INTERESTING AND WONDERFUL BOOKS TO ENJOY.
BY MONTSE CARRANZA MILIÁN.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Tate Modern, London, a large area for artistic creativity.




It was an autumn morning, and I was wondering myself how could spend my short free time before coming back to my city.
It was raining all night, but at dawn the clouds were slowly vanishing.
I checked my tablette and I found a short but determinant e-mail :
¨Try the Tate Modern" -someone wrote me-. I thought about it some seconds and I finally decided to go there.

The Museum was on the other side of the city from where I was, but I found it very easly.
It's located on the banks of the Thames river, and the gardeners were planting trees in front of the building when I arrived. I was also very happy when I saw a great signboard that said : free admission.

Yes, the admission to Tate Modern is also free except for special exhibitions.



This Museum was at the biginning of a power station which was converted into a gallery by two Swiss architects Herzog & De Meuron.

In addition to the extensive and varied contemporary art exhibitions that can be admired, I specially liked the stunning turbine hall, 35 metres high and 152 metres long.
The turbine is a dramatic entrance and display area (when I visited it some dancers were training for an exhibition of contemporary dance), and the old boiler house and the redundant oil tanks became the galleries.

Finally, when I was taking my tea, and enjoying one of the best views in London on the level 3, my Iphone rang :
Someone wanted to meet me in order to know more details about my short stories :
Niebla de Oriente.


For further information :


Monday, October 14, 2013

Llegint en el gratacel : Montse Carranza Milián, Niebla de Oriente.



LA BENVINGUDA


"Madame, tot això que hi ha damunt la taula és per vostè, els dàtils, els pistatxos, la fruita, les xocolatines... el te i el cafè, si es vol refrescar a la nevera hi han refrescos, aigua mireral i dos gelats.

Moltes gràcies per tot Narwad, va respondre Nadine. 
Narwad va desapareixe  silenciosament i somrient.

De sobte, l'estranya i embriagadora música d'antics temps tornava a ressonar dins del cap de la Nadine, mentre mirava al fons de l'estança on hi havia una gran terrassa amb cortines transparents, que es movien per l'acció de l'aire condicionat.
Es va aproximar per obrir les cortines, i allà estava majestuós, esvelt, en mig dels seus veïns gegants innovadors, de colors daurats, vermells, blaus, verds i blancs il.luminant la nit. 

Va somriure, és com un somni... va pensar la Nadine.  La dolça i estranya música embriagadora la transportava des d'un passat que no recordava a un futur per descobrir..."
Records...


Agraïments : 
Abans d'explicar una mica en llengua catalana que és Niebla de Oriente, volia donar les gràcies als que ja heu llegit els contes, per transmitirme la vostra alegria en llegir-me, pels vostres comentaris i preguntes,  per comprar-los, i gràcies a vosaltres els que els veneu, per la vostra il.lusió de vendre'ls.  Gràcies pels vostres ànims a seguir escrivint i el vostre somriure.


Niebla de Oriente :
Niebla de Oriente és un petit llibre d'aventures compost per sis contes. Cada conte és independent però a la vegada tots están enllaçats per alguns elements en comú, per exemple, la boira, o el conductor d'un misteriós cotxe aerodinàmic i sorollós, i els escenaris, ja que tots els contes tenen lloc en algún emplaçament del Orient Mitjà, excepte un que en part es desenvolupa a Barcelona.  Cada conte està protagonitzat per una noia. En principi elles no es coneixen però totes acabaran sent amigues.


Les Protagonistes : 

Però,  ¿qui són les protagonistes ?

Amalia, Maria, Teresa i Karen  són noies que pertanyen al món occidental.
Cadascuna d'elles té una personalitat diferent, uns objectius i somnis diferents, les quatre noies viuran la seva pròpia experiència i aventura a  l'Orient Mitja. Elles no es coneixen però en un moment donat de la seva vida també coincidiran.













Les protagonistes no es donaran gairebé compte però a causa de les seves personalitats, sentiments, objectius i somnis, poc a poc van creant llaços i ponts entre cultures.
Per a elles el miratge del desert es converteix en màgiques sorpreses. 







Per supost  que en els contes de  Niebla de Oriente també hi han personatges secundaris,  com per exemple la estricta professora de dansa oriental... però millor que els vagis descobrint  en la teva lectura.







Sens dubte Niebla de Oriente et farà somriure i somiar.
Un petit plaer per regalar en un aniversari, per Nadal, Reis, San Valentin i San Jordi.










Aisha llegint Niebla de Oriente.



¿ On podeu trobar els contes ?
Podeu contactar amb mi o per exemple amb alguna d'aquestes lliberies :

Llibreria i fotografia Mestres http://www.lariberadebre.cat/

http://www.amazon.es/Niebla-de-Oriente-ebook/

http://ebooks.elcorteingles.es/Barcelona, Madrid, Zaragoza, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca...

http://www.spain.net/empresa/flix/libreria/bages-flix- Flix (Tarragona)


http://www.casadellibro.com/  eBook (Barcelona, Madrid)

http://www.puntdellibre.com/Lleida

http://www.liberdrac.com/Reus, Cambrils...



http://www.librerialuces.com/libro/niebla- Málaga

http://www.libreriacanaima.com/autor/montse-carranza-milian/Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

http://www.librerias-picasso.com/ Almeria, Granada





http://www.llibreriadalmases.cat/ Mollerussa (Lleida)





http://www.goldenbook.cl/ /Xile

http://grammata.com.ar/Argentina

http://digital.gandhi.com.mx/ Mèxic

http://grammata.co/Colombia

http://www.sophosenlinea.com/ Guatemala

http://www.megastorevirtual.com/Shop/ (Espanya)

http://www.masdelibros.com (Huesca)

http://www.imosver.com/ca/autor/montse-carranza-milian/ (Espanya)

http://www.laie.es/Barcelona...






¡ GRÀCIES PER LLEGIR-ME I GAUDEIX DE LA LECTURA !!!



























Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Fashion Designers in the Middle East.


"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening".
Coco Chanel.
                                                 
Firstly, I'd like to congratulate and acknowledge to all the fashion designers from the Middle East and from worldwide because they give us beauty,joy and happiness to our hearts, they give us the smile of admiration, and one way to express elegance and dignity.

Middel East is the homeland of many innovative fashion designers, and two of the biggest in the fashion industry are Elie Saab and Azzedine Alaia. They have been around for decades, dressing both international celebrities and Royalty.

This is true that in this area of the world, tradition, culture and religious modesty all influence the local dress for both women and men, and simplcity is the rule. It gives us the impression that there is not fashion under burka, hijabs and abaya. In fact traditional dresses are also very nice and for exemple, the black abaya has evolved over the years, and has crossed the cultural line to become a more universal  garment worn all over the world, and is an iconic part of fashion in the region.

Now, we are going to see some fashion designs showcased in the region, and to know some designers.

 Fashion design shown at the Fashion Expo Arabia.

Amal Murad creates great and wonderful  designs in Abayas keeping fashion and religion in mind, she was influenced by her father's paintings and the European designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Chanel, using colours and elegant designs in her abayas.
She believes "you can be decent but again you can be trendy and elegant".


This model wears an innovative and fresh design ideal to dress in beach, swimming pool and marina areas.

Wonderful bridal dresses designed by Walid Atallah well known internationally for his exquisite evening and bridal designs.


Divine and amazing red bridal dresses.

Nowadays, the Middle East is one of the international fashion industry's most amazing markets. According to the reports of some marketing agencies, and despite the global  economical crisis, the world's top 250 retailers experienced a very important sales increase in the Middle East, and approximately one third of the global haute couture clientele are coming from this region.
Designers like Razan Al Azzauni, Reem Al Kanhal, Madiyah Al Sharqi, Toujouri, Noon by Noor, and Rem Juan are beginning to be considered in the mind of fashion forward buyers and international socialities.


The top model Omar Borkan Al Gala considered one of the most handsome men in the world with his wonderful smile.

Hasina Khanani Collection.



Elegant combination to wear on special and different occasions.

There are many fashion trends in the arab world, every country from the Middle East has its tradition, fashion and class. And every country organize a structured fashion week in order to promote the designers, and as the region's potential is immense more broad support of governments and efforts of schools, retailers and media will be done in the coming years.

Elegant and sophisticated design for men.

Magnificient Design.

Classic and fabulous design.




"Fashion is achitecture : it is a matter of proportions".
Coco Chanel.


If you like to read more, you'll enjoy reading the amazing short stories of  "Niebla de de Oriente".

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Niebla-Oriente-Spanish-Edition-Carranza-ebook/



Architecture in the Middle East.

If you like architecture, there are many unique buildings, structures and projects in this area of the world. 
In this post you'll find a few of them. You'll admire the works of innovative architects such as Ms. Hazel Wong, Tom Wright, Adrain D. Smith, I.M.Pei, Robert Mattheu Johnson Mashall (RMJM), Norman Foster...Thanks to the excellent work of many workers who work hard in this area, to live in the desert is possible with a high comfort conditions and innovative beauty.

Sheikh Zayed Road (Dubai).

Along the Sheikh Zayed Road are located many of the tallest skycrapers in Dubai, including THE EMIRATES TOWERS. They were designed by the internationally-renowned  Chinese Canadien architect Ms. Hazel Wong.



The architect describes the composition of the buildings :
"Clad in aluminium panels with copper and silver relective glass, the towers capture the changing light of the desert sun. So as you drive around them, they change from every angle. It's a dynamic composition rather than a static one, and that's very important, specially when the buildings can be viewed from all parts of the city".
Ms. Hazel Wong has numerous designs in the region such as the Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Center, The UAE Civil Aviation Headquarters among others.


Burj Al Arab at sunset.


Burj Al Arab was designed by architect Tom Wright of WKK architects. 
Sometimes referred to as "the world's only seven-star hotel ",  the Burj Al Arab was designed to resemble the billowing sail of a ship, and standing at a height of 321 metres it makes an impressive addition to the Dubai skyline. The building is illuminated at night by a choreographed light show representing water and fire. This symbolic hotel offers the finest amenities and you can be assured of the ultimate in personal service throughout your stay.








Marina (Dubai)


As previously stated,
there are many architectural projects in this part of the world right now, in Duabi, Doha, Masdar, Abu Dhabi...many of them stunning and very beautiful, and to build these constructions, men work very hard in the desert, all day and night, winter and summer.
In some places you can hear at night the pealing of the hammers, the noise of the welds, the cranes... the result wonderful works.




BURJ KHALIFA the world tallest tower.
The official height of the tower is 828 metres. Other records include the highest occupied floor at over 550 metres; the highest outdoor observation deck, at the top on level 124; and the tallest service elevator, which travels to a height of 504 metres.

In front of Burj Khalifa tower, we find the Dubai Fountain and Lake Ride. The Dubai Fountain was designed by California-based WET, the creators of the Bellagio Fountain in Las Vegas, and is 275 metres long with five circles and two central arcs. Over 6,600 lights and 50 colour projectors create a breathtaking syncronised with classical, Arabic and world music. Wonderful spectacle.









Burj Khalifa was built in collaboration between more than 30 contracting companies from nations around the world.

The world's tallest tower was designed by owings & Merill LLP (SOM) with Adrian Smith  FAIA, RIBA, consulting design partner.

Adrain D. Smith is an American architect who incorporated patterns from traditional Islamic architecture. His most inspiring muse was a regional desert flower, the hymenocallis, whose harmonious structure is one of the organizing principles of the tower's design.










Burj Khalifa (Dubai).











Aisha reading Niebla de Oriente.




Doha at night.

One of the most innovative projects in Doha is the new Hamad International Airport, with a mobile hotel designed to pick up guests at the aeroplane door. The hotel has been designed by UK architect Margo Tarasovich. This mobil hotel is expected to cater to passengers in transit in Doha for a short period.


There is also in Doha one of the most beautiful museums in the Middle east, it 's The Museum of Islamic Art,  which was designed by architect I.M.Pei. The museum has a very large collection of Islamic art, a study and library. It lies on the edge of Doha harbour.



Flowes also grow along the Corniche and other gardens in Doha. Men and women take care of the flowers spite being in the desert.


Facing  the complex  works  step by step ...of the Dubai Towers in Doha. An Amazing construction.

Scale model of the project.
The Dubai Towers in Doha will be a combination of a high level hotel, offices, appartments and retail space. Robert Mattheu Johnson Mashall (RMJM) are the architects and engineering consultants. 
When the works are finished, it will be the tallest structure in Qatar.


A very important project is Lusail Iconic Stadium designed by architects Foster +Partners, it is located in the centre of a new development area in north of Doha. The stadium would host the 2022 FIFA world cup. 
The innovative construction reflects various elements of Qatari heritage such as the traditional dhow sail. Its designs includes a full retractable roof and the same environmentally friendly, solar cooling technologies. 
Parking and service areas are shared by canopies of solar collectors, which will produce energy for the stadium when it is in use, as well as generating power for neighbouring buildings.

Masdar City in Abu Dhabi,  the first green city to use renewable energy.


The architects Norman Foster + Partners are also creating  Masdar"the world 's first carbon neutral zero-waste city ", which is slowly becoming a reality. They inspired by the architecture of taditional arab cities with modern technological advancements. Final completition of the city is scheduled to happen between 2020 and 2025.




The majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is located in Abu Dhabi and is one of the most beautiful creations in the world.  Initiated by the late President of the United Arab Emirates, HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Grand Mosque design and construction were done by more than 3000 workers and 38 renowned contracting companies with artisans and materials from many countries.
The Sheik Zayed Mosque has been supported with more than one thousand columns in its outer are clad with more than 20.000 marble panels inlaid with semi-precious stones and mother of pearl.
The project was elaborated under the supervision of the  italian  architects Rocco Magnoli and Lorenzo Carmellini both appointed for the design of all the interiors.
The unique lighting system reflecting the phases of the moon was designed by lightning architects Jonathan  Speirs and Major.






Lee y conducirás, no leas y serás conducido.  Santa Teresa de Jesús (1515-1582). Escritora y Mística Española.