What book should I read next: La Rose Retrouvée?

What is "La Rose Retrouvée"?

It is the name of book currently I am reading, the first novel of Turkish writer Serdar Ozkan. Diana's fantastic story creates a new fresh life inside me. Its style is very similar to St.Exupery's Little Prince and Paulo Coelho's Alchemist.

Briefly story:
"A great philosophical tale, a story of rare poetry, a poignant reflection on the meaning of existence, and a profound quest that leads the reader through Turkey!

Diane has just lost his mother. Just before dying, the latter wrote him a letter announcing that his father was not dead but had escaped with ... her twin sister Mary. A sister who embodies everything that Diane had always wanted to be. The quest to find this unknown sister Diane take up Turkey, where a strange woman will have to learn to converse with the roses before putting on the trail of her sister and, ultimately, herself." (serdarozkan.info)

Well, it has been published in 25 different countries, and La Rose Retrouvée is the name of its French publication in Canada.

I searched its accessible editions with publisher names:

SPAIN – Maeva Ediciones
ROMANIA – R.A.O. International Publishing
PORTUGAL – Publicacoes Europa America
JAPAN – Village Books
SOUTH KOREA – Woongjin Think Big
BULGARIA – Bard
ITALY – Bompiani (RCS)
BRAZIL – Editora Nova Fronteira
FRANCE – Presses du Chatelet
RUSSIA – Hemiro Limited
FINLAND – Minerva
POLAND – Bertelsmann
INDONESIA – PT Gramedia
INDIA (MARATHI) – Mehta Publishing
LEBANON – All-Prints
GERMANY – Blanvalet (Random House)
GREECE – Livanis
CANADA (QUÉBEC) – Les Intouchables
CZECH REPUBLIC – Triton
TURKEY – Doğan Kitap
NETHERLANDS –De stem van de roos (The House of Books)
HUNGARY –A Megtalált Rózsa (Trivium)
LATVIA – Rozes Balss (Atena)
CROATIA – Glas Ruže (Hena Com)
SERBIA – Izgubljena ruža (Okean)
SLOVENIA – Izgubljena Vrtnica (Mladinska)

What is not "La Rose Retrouvée"?
-the Lost Rose. The Turkish name of book means the Lost Rose, while its french title is the Found Rose. Well, just bit interesting...

Useful titles for "La Rose Retrouvée"?
A critique of La Rose Retrouvee on TV youtube.com
Rose retrouvée La amazon.ca

I could rediscover myself by reading this book. Let's see!

References:
http://www.serdarozkan.info/cb1.html

Beethoven's secret love in Moonlight Sonata

Who is "Beethoven's secret love in Moonlight Sonata"?

-Countess Giulietta Guicciardi.

Countess Giulietta, at her 17, was Beethoven's pupil in 1801. Beethoven fell in love with her and dedicated Moonlight Sonata to her.

But his love was not over just with this great sonata.

"It is certain that Beethoven proposed marriage to Giulietta, and that she was inclined to accept. One of her parents was in favour of the match.

But the other - probably her father - forbade her to marry a man "without rank, fortune or permanent engagement; a man, too, of character and temperament so peculiar, and afflicted with the incipient stages of an infirmity which, if not arrested and cured, must deprive him of all hope of obtaining any high and remunerative official appointment and at length compel him to abandon his career as the great pianoforte virtuoso". -Thayer's Life of Beethoven-" (madaboutbeethoven.com)

Finally, Giulietta married Count Wenzel Robert Gallenberg in 1803.

Who is not "Beethoven's secret love in Moonlight Sonata"?
- Anne Finch, because that couldn't be possible. Anne was a 16th century countess.

Useful titles for "Beethoven's secret love in Moonlight Sonata"?
Moonlight Sonata classicalmusic.about.com
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Immortal beloved kingsbarn.freeserve.co.uk

I can always feel passion of Beethoven's love to Giulietta when I listen to great Moonlight Sonata.

References:
http://www.madaboutbeethoven.com/pages/people_and_places/people_friends/biog_guicciardi.htm
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/finch/finch-anne.html

Largo, Sofia

What is Largo?

"Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, USA and is part of the Tampa Bay Area. Centrally located, it is the crossroads of the county. As of the 2000 census, the City had a total population of 69,371. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 71,704"(wikipedia.org)

It is not the Largo inspires me. One of the best architectural pieces of Socialist Clasisizm which is also named as Largo makes a huge artistic impression on me.

www.olatours.com
Largo consists of three big buildings which generously reflects plain and symetrical lines of socialist clasisizm. It is on the center square of Sofia, or the center of Sofia has been where the Largo is placed.

The main middle building seen on photo left is former Party House and now used by National Assembly of Bulgaria. One of other two buildings belongs to Council of Ministers of Bulgaria and other is Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan today.



What is not Largo?
-a mountain name

Useful titles for Largo?
Pictures of Sofia, Bulgaria: The Largo findlocalguide.com
Travel to Bulgaria paylessbg.com

You should visit Sofia one day, then I am sure you will visit Largo.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largo,_Florida
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largo,_Sofia

L'art pour l'art

What is "L'art pour l'art"?

It is a french slogan from 19th century. I am sure you are familiar to its english translation: "Art is for art's sake." Well of course this idea have been criticized by artists and philosophers and it is still critisizable.

In my opinion, the best crituqe could be done by analyzing the question "Is art functional?".
As an artist, my view does not believe in the functionality of art. Art is not craft!

In his 1891 essay "The Soul of Man Under Socialism", Oscar Wilde greatly explains my idea on art and maybe yours:
"A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament. Its beauty comes from the fact that the author is what he is. It has nothing to do with the fact that other people want what they want. Indeed, the moment that an artist takes notice of what other people want, and tries to supply the demand, he ceases to be an artist, and becomes a dull or an amusing craftsman, an honest or dishonest tradesman. He has no further claim to be considered as an artist." (witcombe.sbc.edu)

What is not "L'art pour l'art"?
-a French slang

Useful titles for "Art is for art's sake"?
Art for art's sake or just for resale? rics.org
Art for Art's Sake? nvs.sagepub.com

Freedom brings the concept "Art is for art's sake".

References:
http://witcombe.sbc.edu/modernism/artsake.html

What is 'Hitler fails art exam'?

It is a true sentence stating actually Hitler's destiny. Hitler failed art exam in October 1907, although being a painter, artist was his strong passion.

news.bbc.co.uk
"He decided to attend the prestigious Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. In October 1907, at age eighteen, he withdrew his inheritance money from the bank and went to live and study in Vienna. Hitler's mother was by now suffering from breast cancer and had been unsuccessfully operated on in January. But Hitler's driving ambition to be a great artist overcame his reluctance to leave her.

He took the two day entrance exam for the academy's school of painting. Confident and self assured, he awaited the result, quite sure he would get in. But failure struck him like a bolt of lightning. His test drawings were judged unsatisfactory and he was not admitted. Hitler was badly shaken by this rejection. He went back to the academy to get an explanation and was told his drawings showed a lack of talent for artistic painting, notably a lack of appreciation of the human form. He was told, however, that he had some ability for the field of architecture.

But without the required high school diploma, going to the building school and after that, the academy's architectural school, seemed doubtful. Hitler resolved to take the painting school entrance exam again next year. Now, feeling quite depressed, Hitler left Vienna and returned home where his beloved mother was now dying from cancer, making matters even worse." (historyplace.com)

I am not a psychologoist, but how an artistic soul had changed into an emotionless halacoust leader is absolutely strange.

What is not 'Hitler fails art exam'?
-A joke. When I first time heart that, just surprised.

Useful titles for Hitler's art
Hitler: Authoritarian & Artist? erzulie1985.blogspot.com
Adolf Hitler arthistory.about.com
Hitler's Boyhood thinkquest.org

Maybe, if Hitler stayed as an artist his lifetime, world wouldn't talk about a halacaoust today.

References:
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/art.htm

What is spaghetti snake?

-It is as light as a single spaghetti, 10 centimeter long. I am talking about the smallest snake of the world. Biolog Blair Hedges who studies at Penn State University discovered it in a Forest, Caribbean Barbados Island.

AP/Penn State
From Discovery news Aug. 4, 2008:
"A snake that's as thin as a spaghetti noodle with a body small enough to rest comfortably on a U.S. quarter has just been identified as the world's smallest snake, according to a paper published today in the journal Zootaxa" (discovery.com)

" Finding the globe's tiniest snake demonstrates the remarkable diversity of the ecologically delicate Caribbean. It also illustrates a fundamental ecological principle: Since Darwin's days, scientists have noticed that islands often are home to both oversized and miniaturized beasts." (foxnews.com)

What is not spaghetti snake?
-a delicious meal

Useful Titles for Spaghetti Snake
World's smallest snake digg.com
52 new species discovered msnbc.msn.com
Snakes of North America pitt.edu

I think snakes are always scary even if they are as thin as spaghetti.

References:
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/08/04/snake-smallest-barbados.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,396632,00.html

What is in vitro fertilization?

It is fertilization of an egg outside of the body. 'vitro' is a latin word and means glass. It is shortly 'IVF'.

Wikipedia definition:
"In vitro fertilisation or fertilization(IVF) is a process by which egg cells are fertilised by sperm outside the woman's womb, in vitro. IVF is a major treatment in infertility when other methods of assisted reproductive technology have failed. The process involves hormonally controlling the ovulatory process, removing ova (eggs) from the woman's ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them in a fluid medium. The fertilised egg (zygote) is then transferred to the patient's uterus with the intent to establish a successful pregnancy." (wikipedia.org)

Method:
"Due to improvements in ultrasound imaging, surgery is no longer necessary for most In Vitro Fertilization patients. A technique for recovery of eggs from the ovary is described below. It uses a sonographically-guided needle to replace the surgical procedure which previously was used to recover oocytes (eggs). This procedure, called Transvaginal Oocyte Retrieval, requires neither hospitalization nor general anesthesia." (ivf.com)

IVF Cost and Financing:
"The cost of in vitro fertilization (IVF) is generally about $12,000 per cycle. However, the treatment does not always work the first time it is performed, so some couples choose to undergo multiple cycles. Learn more about how financing can be used to offset the cost of IVF." (docshop.com)

IVF Candidates:
"Millions of people in the United States want to have children but cannot because of infertility. In vitro fertilization, an assisted reproductive technique, is a way that infertile couples may be able to achieve pregnancy safely and successfully." (docshop.com)


What is not IVF?
-It is not short form of International Vacation Foundation

Useful titles for IVF
IVF Introduction nhsdirect.nhs.uk
IVF Connections ivfconnections.com
IVF- Success Rates jonesinstitute.org
In Vitro Fertilization Fees youtube.com
Cheap In Vitro Fertilization Treatment (IVF) Hospital India indianmedguru.com

Now I know what IVF is, and what this gossip means about Brangelina.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_vitro_fertilisation
http://www.ivf.com/ivffaq.html
http://www.docshop.com/education/fertility/treatments/in-vitro/

What is cheap holiday?

-It could be a holiday in Turkey.

Well, an American tourist spends 500 $ in average for a Turkey holiday by accomodating in 5 star hotels. (stargazete.com)

www.thomson.co.uk
"Holidays in Turkey provide a complete kaleidoscope of exciting opportunities for couples looking for last minute breaks in the sun, families planning children-friendly holidays to Turkey and anyone wanting a different take on a sun-and-sea based Mediterranean getaway. Turkey straddles two continents; it's where the East and the West meet to shake hands so, as you might expect, holidays in Turkey offer a coming together of many different ingredients." (thomson.co.uk)

" Turkey is friendly, largely unspoilt, beautiful, culturally rich and relatively cheap. Turkey is now a major holiday destination in Europe with the rapid development of both summer holiday and winter holiday resorts. Turkey is modern enough to be comfortable yet traditional enough to be interesting." (directline-holidays.co.uk)

What is not cheap holiday?
-a holiday in London.

Useful Titles for Cheap Holiday
Cheap Holidays cheapholidaydeals.co.uk
Cheapest Holiday compareonlinehotels.com
Cheap holidays in Turkey dealchecker.co.uk
Turkey Tourism turkeytourism.com
Turkey 2008: holiday booking guide telegraph.co.uk

I hope you find your cheapest holiday.


References:
http://www.stargazete.com/guncel/hangi-turist-neden-geliyor-ne-kadar-harciyor-116082.htm
http://www.thomson.co.uk/destinations/europe/turkey/holidays-turkey.html
http://www.directline-holidays.co.uk/Turkey

What is Phoenix?

-Is it a mythical bird that dies in flames and is reborn from the ashes?
-Is it a large city in US?

Well, although both two are Phoenix, I am going to write about another Phoneix.

Phoenix is a spacecraft that landed in the north polar region of Mars. (wikipedia.org)

www.fourth-millennium.net
Another detailed describtion from wikipedia:

"Phoenix is a robotic spacecraft on a space exploration mission on Mars under the Mars Scout Program. The scientists conducting the mission are using instruments aboard the Phoenix lander to search for environments suitable for microbial life on Mars, and to research the history of water there." (wikipedia.org)

Mission of Phoenix: " Mars is a cold desert planet with no liquid water on its surface. But in the Martian arctic, water ice lurks just below ground level. Discoveries made by the Mars Odyssey Orbiter in 2002 show large amounts of subsurface water ice in the northern arctic plain. The Phoenix lander targets this circumpolar region using a robotic arm to dig through the protective top soil layer to the water ice below and ultimately, to bring both soil and water ice to the lander platform for sophisticated scientific analysis. " (nasa.gov)

What is not Phoenix?
-My merely inspiration source (because I have others)

Useful Titles for Phoenix
Phoenix Mars Mission arizona.edu
Phoenix lander msnbc.msn.com
Mars Exploration nasa.gov
The Search for Water nasa.gov

We wait Phoenix back home, if it really does not embrace Mars as its hometown. :)


References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(spacecraft)
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/mission/index.html

What is Pilates?

-It could be a family name though I am sure this is not the meaning of it you look for. Well, some quotations about Pilates:

"The Pilates Method (or simply Pilates), pronounced /pɪˈlɑ:ti:z/ is a physical fitness system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates.[1] As of 2005 there are 11 million people who practice the discipline regularly and 14,000 instructors in the United States.[2]" (wikipedia.org)

" a type of exercise based on yoga and dance that you do with special equipment which makes you push, pull, and stretch, so that your body moves more easily and becomes stronger." (seslisozluk.com)

"a body conditioning routine that seeks to build flexibility, strength, endurance, and coordination without adding muscle bulk." kidshealth.org

What is not Pilates?
-I think it is not a rock band name.
-It is not a computer brand.

Useful Links for Pilates
Pilates Equipment pilates.com
Pilates Foundation UK pilatesfoundation.com
Pilates Style Magazine pilatesstyle.com
Pilates Video youtube.com
Pilates Method Alliance pilatesmethodalliance.org

That is all about Pilates I found for you. Don't expect everything from Sam.


References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilates
http://www.seslisozluk.com/?word=pilates
http://www.pilatesmethodalliance.org/whatis.html