Reflecting

A reflection is catching and pointing out the shape of the object and the reflecting surface seems to be like a gate to the other dimension and to the unknown, secret world. As a child one of my favourite fantasy was to wonder and think if I could experience the world up side down. It was fun to watch the ceiling and think how much more interesting the home would be if I could walk there and have that empty, minimal space for running and playing.

This is just an example of how changing the perspective can make the ordinary things more mysterious, beautiful and exciting. And this sort of skill, that we maybe learned as a child in one of those lazy afternoons, when there was nothing to do..is actually one of the most important skills in life. Finding new ways to look at the situation and the world, finding other solutions, changing the direction of our thinking and reflecting ourselves in the social connections with others. This can make us more flexible and "giving" in our relationships with other people and more aware of our environment. We learn so much by watching and imitating the actions of other people or even registering the non living elements around us. 

The neuroscience is studying the meaning of the "mirror neurons" in the contexts of learning empathy, language and understanding the actions of other people. These neurocells were first found from the apes, but the neuroscience is still trying to find the final prove, that we as humans have those cells too. Anyway I like the idea of this ability to mirror the actions of other people by following, imitating, learning from them and this way understanding also our own behaviour better.

The mirroring surface is writing the story of our reality in unexpected ways and making the scenery abstract. The sun is sending a long distance waves, touching gently our planet, reaching sometimes hidden corners and warming up our face in sunny days.

The rain has been making big puddles on the streets during the last week. Like the sky was crying the lost of the warm season or maybe giving a nice shower for the plants and the trees in the nature. And if there would be snow one day, it would powder the naked shapes with the glittering beauty of winter. Until then, I will enjoy the reflections. 

Changing the perspective is keeping us curious and we seem to need these moments in our everyday life too. We have to make decisions based on the information, based on the ethics or how we feel. We want to make the right moves in our personal life and also in a bigger scale. Actually the whole life and existence seems to be like a big, reflecting mystery, which is endlessly changing the form. In the end we have to trust in our own vision and in our own special meaning in this world and find the contexts where some goals can be reached.

Part of the harbour area seen from the North side of IJ-river.

I seem to be in a abstract mood, dropping the words from my mind. Trying the organise the flashes of visions into understandable sentences. 

I crossed the river this week, took the ferry to the North side of Amsterdam. There is so many layers of history to watch in Amsterdam. I like the old houses by the canals, but somehow I am always more fascinated of the modern lines and shapes. I went to visit the film museum EYE to the other side of the Ij-river, opposite the central station. The public transportation boats are taking the locals and the tourists almost non stop speed across the water during the day. You do not have to wait for the next ferry for a long time and the crossing takes about 10 minutes. So near is this reflecting side of Amsterdam where you can admire the City view from distance. In Eye museum you visit the exhibition, go to a movie or just have a coffee in this fascinating house (opened 2012) designed by the Delugan Meissl Associated architects. 

The EYE museum on the left and a new Amsterdam Tor  beside it . The boats transporting people on the right.

The entrance to the film institute EYE

The creativity in us gives endless opportunities for reflecting our inner world and strengthens our bond to ourselves, the other people and the world. My motivation for taking the pictures and writing is also an attempt to try to understand myself better and express how I see the real and unreal. Like this I can have a look to the other side of the mirror, like watching me through the text and via the picture gates. I also like the thought that someone, a person with his or her own vision is seeing my words and giving me company like that - reflecting and mirroring the abstract world we live in. This is our bridge to the other side.