HX Report
Irishman in the Middle East
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Cityscapes
Posted on January 20, 2019
Thanks to Patti for this weeks photo challenge.
MB took a 3-hour photo tour around Amsterdam some 2 years back in the company of a local professional photographer. He was a tad embarrassed at the end of the tour and somewhat reluctant to take his fat fee, having learnt so much from Irish/Arab shooter MB. In the end, however, he got over his embarrassment, grabbed the cash from the outstretched hand of MB and stuffed it gleefully into his pocket, education and cash at the same time!
More seriously, if you are into photography, and find yourself in unfamiliar territory, it’s well worthwhile to release the purse strings a little and get a local to show you the sights. MB would never have captured some of the shots he took that morning without the knowledge of the local photo lad, whose name now escapes MB.
MB took this one from the rooftop cafe of a tall building close to Amsterdam’s main train station. The sun was still illuminating most of the city but dark clouds were looming. Five minutes later the heavens opened, and the city was drenched.
Weekly Photo Challenge – Variations
Posted on January 24, 2018
The endless variety that one thing can contain – is one of Ben’s suggestions for a take on this week’s Variation theme. Ben chose a shot from the Gouda Cheese store in Amsterdam.
MB has also decided to use Amsterdam for his theme shot, selecting another product synonymous with Amsterdam, and Holland generally – Tulips.
Just across the street (and canal) from the Anne Frank house lies Amsterdam’s Tulip Museum. MB and daughter MB2 happened to spot the Museum only on account of the fact that they could not get into the AF House due to the huge numbers of people already in the never-ending queue. But the Tulip Museum turned out to be the silver lining on the AF dark cloud. It’s a real pleasure to visit and to learn the history of the tulip, brought by invading Ottoman Sultans back to Turkey from Kazakhstan and elsewhere, then brought to Europe by diplomats based in the Ottoman region. The Dutch then made it their own, so to speak.
The fact that Amsterdam had a large wealthy middle class at that time (for reasons MB will not get into here) permitted much trading and investing in tulip bulbs, the iPhone of their day. The years 1634 to 1637 saw a frenzy of such investment which was referred to at that time, and since, as ‘tulip mania’. People were investing approximately 50% of the price of a premium townhouse in Amsterdam on a single tulip bulb, whose particular colour might have been considered rare at that time. Three years passed before everybody work up and smelt the coffee tulips. By then, large personal fortunes had been lost in the world’s first recorded financial bubble, as bulb prices collapsed to a fraction of their previous worth.
For the information of HX followers – anyone considering a trip to Holland to view (or photograph) Holland’s famous tulip fields, April or May are the recommended months to do so.
Shot from the museum:
International Women’s Day – Minus 6 Days
Posted on March 3, 2017
MB is going to run a series of daily posts leading up to International Woman’s Day on 08 March.
So for IWD minus 6, MB gives followers a shot of a famous Andy Warhol painting of Marilyn Monroe – taken on his visit to Amsterdam in early November 2016.
Weekly Photo Challenge – The Road Taken
Posted on March 1, 2017
Weekly Photo Challenge – A Good Match (MB’s challenge to Banksy)
Posted on February 24, 2017
The guideline for this week’s photo challenge from Ben is as follows:
“This week, share a photo of a satisfying pairing from your own life. You should by no means limit yourself to edible stuff — You can mix and match places, people, objects, and activities that represent your idea of a harmonious, pleasing combination.”
And no better man to ‘mix n match’ people and/or objects and/or anything else you care to mention than artist Banksy. MB has used a Banksy shot or two in previous weeks challenges, from his visit with daughter MB2 to the Moco Museum in Amsterdam in November 2016, which featured a Banksy/Warhol exhibition.
MB has tried to look up this painting online to find an explanation. ‘A painting on a painting’ was the only description MB could find, so he remains in the dark as to any deeper meaning. Maybe it’s just a piss-take on art generally. MB will very much welcome the thoughts of HX followers in this regard.
However, who but the artist himself can really shine a light? So Mr Banksy, assuming you are a follower of MB’s HX blog (and if you’re not you certainly should be!!!), please tell MB WTF this painting is about???!!! MB can clearly see that it’s got ‘a good match’, but apart from that………………………..
Foto Friday – Rainfall
Posted on February 17, 2017
Rainfall.
It’s been a week of daily rainfall in Qatar this past week. MB has seen nothing like it during his many-year Middle Eastern sojourn. Alas, however, he didn’t manage to capture any Qatar rain shots. Read More
Weekly Photo Challenge – Solitude
Posted on February 3, 2017
Weekly Photo Challenge – Names
Posted on January 6, 2017
Alida Margaretha Bosshardt (8 June 1913 – 25 June 2007), better known as Major Bosshardt, was a well-known officer in The Salvation Army who was famous for her work with prostitutes in Amsterdam’s Red Light District over many years. One of the bridges over the canals in the district is dedicated to her memory to this day.
Recent early morning photo by MB, who was there for photo reasons, rather than any other!
Weekly Photo Challenge – Anticipation
Posted on December 16, 2016
MB has mentioned his recent trip to Amsterdam with daughter MB2 in recent posts. And he now does so again.
On afternoon Nr 1 of the trip, MB & MB2 went on an organised food walking tour of the central canal district. One of the food venues visited was a shop called Van Stepele Koekmakerij – which makes and sells only a single type of (totally delicious) cookie. It is a dark chocolate biscuit cookie, served warm, with melted white chocolate on the inside. According to our lady food guide, the shop is owned by a Dutch lady who previously lived abroad. On her return to Holland/Amsterdam, she spent nine months perfecting the best cookie in the universe, before she opened the cookie shop. Despite pleas from some to expand the range, she has refused to do so. And no matter what time of day one visits the shop, there is a queue of punters out the door to buy the delicious cookie.
As both MB and MB2 are total chocoholics, it became a ritual in the following days to revisit the cookie shop for the daily fix. The ‘anticipation’ each day was palpable, as visits to museums and other sights were indulged in, for the only reason that it’s what’s expected when on a short visit to an historic city. But the real purpose of the day was only fulfilled when the two travelers felt the taste of the melting dark biscuit and warm white chocolate in the mouth, to loud sounds of “mmmmmmmm………….”.
MB just checked online and found a blog post dedicated to said shop – http://www.jadescapades.com/van-stepele-koekmakerij-amsterdam/
(Thanks and acknowledgment to Jadescapes blog for the above link).
Weekly Photo Challenge – Relax
Posted on December 2, 2016
MB & daughter MB2 came across this guy on their recent trip to Amsterdam.
A city cycle tour, with MB & MB2 on board, wound its way after some time out to the reclaimed polder farmland, some distance outside the city. Cycle guide Sam stopped the entire entourage in their cycle tracks when he spotted this heron resting, relaxed as you like, on a wooden bridge over a small stream. Faster than anyone could shout ‘grab your SLR’, MB had his 7D ‘click clicking’ and captured a number of shots before Mr Heron flew off to find a more relaxing spot, where annoying camera-guys like MB would not bother him.
Weekly Photo Challenge – Magic
Posted on November 18, 2016
MB had a magical 4 days with daughter MB2 a few weeks back in magical Amsterdam. The central canal area of the city is where most of the tourist attractions are located, and was designated a Unesco World Heritage site in 2010. MB highly recommends a trip to those who have not visited. It’s magic!
Weekly Photo Challenge – Tiny
Posted on November 11, 2016
HX Report 