Easter Eggs and A Rabbit at Rockefeller Center, New York City, NY

Easter Eggs and A Rabbit at Rockefeller Center

New York City, New York

On Monday, March 28, 2016

I went to New York City on Monday, March 28, 2016. I walked along 5 Ave., from 51st street down to 49th street where Rockefeller Center is located.  I saw a lot of people and beautiful decoration for the Easter occasion.   I enjoyed seeing beautiful white lily flowers and the contrasting colors of red Azalea flowers.  The pink, green, purple and orange color of very decorative and large eggs were displayed in the garden among colorful plants.  One special rabbit stood in the middle of a garden island with gorgeous flowers in white, pink, red and purple that decorated the surface of an egg standing on top of the rabbit’s head.  The rabbit was covered with green furry of plants.  Not only children will be in awe and fascinated by the look of this Easter Rabbit, but so will the adults enjoy the special decorations of this event.  I enjoyed taking photographs of the decorations and was equally happy to see the families and the visitors having good times together taking pictures as a memory of the happy time together for the future.   

Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts, Wednesday, March 30, 2016

 

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Memorial to the Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011.

Memorial to the Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011.

This story is for all the Japanese people that lost their lives from the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011.  My thoughts and concerns also go out to the people of Haiti who lost their lives from an earthquake in their country also, and other natural disasters that have happened all over the world.  To all humanity I ask that you do not be selfish and greedy, taking only for yourself.  Please share with the majority of people who work so hard for so little.  Life is short and unexpected and only kindness and generosity will bring all human beings and other living creatures to live in harmony.

Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts  Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Winter Geranium Flowers and Little Japanese

  On Friday, March 11, 2011 I woke up from the loud sound of crashing and the rushing sound of moving water.  I opened my eyes and looked to my left and saw my little indoor green forest by the windowsill next to my bed.  I did not see anything abnormal.  Then I turned to my right I saw my little forest by the other windowsill and saw a beautiful cluster of bright pink flowers.  Oh!  I have geranium flowers blooming in the winter.  It such a special occasion because the geranium usually has flowers in the summer time.  I got up and walked to the flowers.

To my surprise I saw a long line of little people climbing up to the geranium flowers.  They were very tiny people no bigger than ant.  There were men, women and children also.  I put my face close to these people and whispered quietly. 

 Hello! Where are you coming from?” I said.  The little voice answered me.

 

                                              “We came from Sandai”.

“Where is Sandai?  Sorry but my geography is very poor”, I responded.

We are from Sandai, Japan but some of us from nearby towns  the little people answered.  

 How did you all get here?” I asked.

                                                                   “We do not know how we got here. We heard a loud crashing sound and then we saw huge waves come in our direction. We all closed our eyes and when we opened our eyes we saw your beautiful winter geranium flowers. We love forests; we love plants and beautiful flowers. In our country pretty soon we will have Cherry blossom in the spring”, the little people told me.

“We have Cherry blossom here in Newark, New Jersey too”, I responded eagerly.  “Around mid April, next month the cherry blossoms will bloom at Branch Brook Park in Newark. It is only about a ten minute car ride from here to the Park. I can take you there. My husband, our daughter and I usually go to see the cherry blossoms every year.”

We know of the cherry blossom in Branch Brook Park in Newark, New Jersey. Our ancestors gave  the cherry blossom trees to the city of Washington, D.C.”, Mrs. Caroline Bamberger-Fuld donated 2,050 Japanese Cherry Blossom trees to the Essex County Park Commission in 1972 after she saw the Cherry Blossoms at Washington,D.C.,” the little people told me proudly.

 “Would you like to have something to eat or drink? I asked.

                                                               “No, thank you we do not have to eat or drink anything. We are free from material thing now. Thank you for asking and for wanting to take us to see the Cherry Blossoms at Branch Brook Park. If we want to go anywhere, we just think about it and we will be there.  We do not need transportation. We came here to visit your indoor forests that you created for yourself and your family. We wish people will grow more plants and trees instead of cutting down forests.  Beside your lovely geranium flowers, we also enjoy seeing your avocado plants that you grew from seeds inside the fruit you ate.”

  “Do you see my mango trees? I have two of them but they are still small. My avocado trees are much bigger.” I say proudly.

                                    “We admire the way you water your plants by using the remaining water from washing your vegetables. You save a lot of water by doing that.  On our island we have to conserve water. If everyone saves a gallon of water a day we will have millions gallons of water saved for the whole city and country.” The little people’s comments make me feel very good.

“Can you stay with me until summer time?  At that time you can see my butterfly bushes bloom with flowers.  I have white and lilac colors. They are very fragrant. The monarch, swallowtail, and other butterflies will come to drink the nectar from the flowers.”  I really wanted to have my little friends stay with me.

 “Thank you, so much but we would like to visit many as gardens and forests in this country and the cherry blossoms from Washington, DC will bloom soon”, the little people said.  “We will come back to visit you and your family again in summer time. We will come with the butterflies. If you see our people from Japan at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Branch Brook Park please tells them not to worry about us. We are very happy now because we are so free, we can go anywhere we wish, we do not need food, housing or other material things any more. We will be happier if people cultivate more gardens and forests, then we can visit more gardens and forests all over the world”.

Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts, Tuesday, March 15, 2011

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Ing’s Little Forest and Other Innovative Projects

Ing’s Little Forest and Other Innovative Projects,

Plant Wall Mural in Downtown Newark, New Jersey

And

Titti’s Flowers, Lemon & Orange Trees and Fruits

From Giulianova, Italy

I have plants in my studio during winter months for many years now.  The first reason is to protect my plant from freezing from the cold weather outside.  Secondly, I love plants and want to see their beauty at all times.  This is probably because I was born in Thailand where we always see green leaves and colorful flowers all year long.  At my house in Bangkok we have mangoes, bananas, lemons, pomegranates and other fruit trees, other flower bearing plants, and herb that we use in cooking such as lemon grass and different kind of chili.  Thirdly is for health purpose, because there is no window in my studio, hence air in the room is impure.  The plants take in carbon dioxide from my exhale and give oxygen from the photosynthesis.  I use fluorescent bulbs for the light sauce.  The plants can purify my working room.  I am very happy with my art gallery and working room.  I always see my avocados, mangoes, grapefruits, tangerines, and other trees with my sculptures, paintings and John’s artwork every day.  I stay up working to 4 or 5 A.M. and then I go to bed.

Last year I was happy to see that the New Prudential Building has a plant wall mural on the front wall of the building on Broad Street opposite the Military Park in downtown Newark, New Jersey.  It is much livelier and prettier than regular construction material walls.  I took some pictures which are shown after, “My little forest room.

Few days ago I checked the collections on Google + found the Innovation site by The Plaid Zebra posting an article on “Moss-growing concrete absorbs CO2, insulates and is also a vertical garden”.  I was very glad to know that there are many people are caring about our planet and conscious of global warming and trying to cut down carbon dioxide as much as they can.  At present, we may not receive the obvious effect of the problem that arises from global warming, but future generations are going to suffer from the consequences of our ignorance and selfishness by our not taking action now, leaving the burden to our children, grand children and generations to come.

Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts, Sunday, March 6, 2016

Ing’s Little Forest

 

 

Plant Wall Mural in Downtown Newark, New Jersey

Other Innovative Projects

The followings are articles from Google + Innovation collections by The Plaid Zebra, A Brief History of Global Warming, and Bing Has A Cool Interactive Solar System Map 

Moss-growing concrete absorbs CO2, insulates and is also a vertical garden

October 24, 2015

https://www.theplaidzebra.com/moss-growing-concrete-absorbs-co2-insulates-and-is-also-a-vertical-garden/

 BY: SWIKAR OLI 

Sustainability has always been a game of catch up. The current energy production and construction trends mean that sustainability researchers have to come up with clever ways to lower emissions.

Researchers at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Barcelona have found a creative solution to a long-established emissions problem. They discovered how to cleverly build megastructures with a biological concretethat lowers CO2, regulates heat and is totally eye catching. Its surface grows mosses, lichens, fungi and other biological organisms.

Researchers at UPC have found a way to build structures with biological concrete, which allows biological organisms to grow on it, lowering CO2 in the air.

Buildings with this concrete can—in regions with a calm mediterranean climate—absorb CO2 and release oxygen with micro-algae and the other “pigmented microorganisms” that coat it. These vertical gardens boast aesthetic appeal, but the biological concrete’s beauty also lies in its clever design.

The concrete works in layers. The top layer absorbs and stores rainwater and grows the microorganisms underneath. A final layer of the concrete repels water to keep the internal structure safe. The top can also absorb solar radiation, which insulates the building and regulates temperatures for the people inside.

While concrete has high pH levels that don’t allow plants to grow, this one is made more acidic, which lowers the pH to levels safer for growth.

Layers in the concrete absorb, store, and repel water at different levels, allowing for microorganisms to grow but also keep the structure of the concrete solid.

 UPC’s website states that the researchers had bigger plans for the design. They say, “a further aim is that the appearance of the façades constructed with the new material should evolve over time, showing changes of colour according to the time of year.”

Image sources: cecilepoignant.com,  inhabitat.com,  moustachemagazine.com,  urbangardensweb.com,  greenwizard.com

A Brief History of Global Warming

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-07-21/a-brief-history-of-global-warming

Global warming turns 120 next year… sort of.  Next year will be the 120th anniversary of the first time we figured out that human activity could be causing climate change.  Since then, the science has gotten firmer and the politics have gotten murkier, but the outlook for the future remains uncertain.  This is the history of manmade global warming in three minutes.  (Corrects number of hottest years in history since 1998.)(Video by: Aland Jeffries, Christian Capestany, Eric Roston)

Bing Has A Cool Interactive Solar System Map

https://www.seroundtable.com/bing-interactive-solar-system-21724.html

If you search for [solar system] in Bing you get this really fun and cool interactive map. The map shows the plants and stars will rotating and you can change the rotation speed and direction. You can rotate the map around and click into different planets.

Here is a photo of it:

On Reddit a Microsoft person said “The developer worked really hard on it! Also, it should show up on all desktop browsers and m.bing.com on iOS and Android in any English-speaking market. We’re going to be shipping this feature and our other educational features to more countries soon.”

It does indeed work on mobile as well.

Give it a try.

Forum discussion at Reddit.

PREVIOUS STORY: Google Image Search Tests Colored Label Filters

Titti’s Orange & Lemon Trees and Fruits Pictures from Giulianova, Italy, Saturday, March 5, 2016

Below are our emails. I correspond to one of our good friends from Italy and her two pictures of orange and lemon trees and fruits:

From blossoms to fruits

Hi, Ing

Here are my lemons and my oranges. Lots of healthy squashes and lots of beautiful coloured fruits. Sometime it seems a pity to pick them…

A nice weekend to all of you,

Titti

Hi Titti,

You really make my day.  I feel a bit sad and depressed this morning after I got up.  But after I opened your email seeing your healthy and beautiful orange & lemon trees and gorgeous fruits I felt so lively and glad to see that somewhere in this world people are peaceful, cultivating and enjoying nature.

  It is a dramatic contrast between the fighting and killing in many places that causes suffering and creates refugees which in turn causes people to flee from their troubled countries.

 The refugees get discriminated against by the countries where they arrive.  But I can understand the attitude and situations where they do not want the refugees because these countries have troubles themselves and are afraid of bad people or terrorists getting into their countries and causing more problems. As they say, “Trouble begets trouble”.

 Sorry for pouring out all this sadness, but it causes me to feel depressed thinking about the human race.  Please be happy with your plants and family.  You are in the best position.  Happiness is a very difficult to acquire these days.  You are in utopia.

 Big kisses and hugs to you and your family,

Ing & John

3.5.16

Tiiti’s Flower pictures from Giulianova Italy, Sunday, August 15, 2015

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John Watts’ Play Reading, James Lawson & Ing’s Photographs

“Join us for an evening of romance, and heartbreak, and tears, and Fred Astaire, and etc……Thursday, February 25th, at 6:30 at The Players, Gramercy Park South, NYC”

“Some great actors reading my play, The Bookstore, at The Players on Thursday night, February 25th.”

Left to right: Katie Muciolo Kolins, Trudy Steibl, Shana Farr, Jeffrey Hardy and Milton Elliot” John posted on Facebook

THE BOOKSTORE

Synopsis:

Paul, the owner of a used bookstore, only allows outsiders to enter on his terms, defining his existence through books that surround him.  Julie, a dreamer, hides in a protective wall of images from her nostalgic preoccupation with Hollywood movies.  Julie’s interest in books on Hollywood brings her into Paul’s shop.  An attraction of opposites brings a conflict of survival strategies in a world that both find threatening.  Julie’s Hollywood obsession is a shield against abandonment by her father and then her husband.  Paul’s bookstore protects him from the outside world and a fear of commitment to others.  Both reach for companionship but are held back by a lifetime of missteps.  Encounters with friends help shed light on issues between them.  Julie’s protective mother, Mrs. Thompson looks out for Julie’s interests and a potential husband while Mrs. G, Paul’s neighbor, and George the mailman, have similar instincts toward Paul. 

John said “I couldn’t resist taking this photo on the Path last night”

On Thursday, February 25th, 2016 I accompanied John to New York City for his play “The Bookstore” reading at The Players, Gramercy Park South, NYC.  John was very lucky to have great actors reading his romantic comedy.  The actors are Katie Muciolo Kolins as Mrs. Gee, Trudy Steibl as Mrs. Thompson, Shana Farr as Julie, Jeffrey Hardy as Paul and Milton Elliot as George, and Portia Adney was kind enough to read the stage directions.  The reading went very well.  The audience seemed to enjoy the story.

The reading and the feedback allowed john to begin his rewrite developing his story and characters with more depth and clarity.  After the reading there was a discussion and comments from the audience.  James Lawson the organizer of the Writers@ThePlayers, lead the discussion offering his analysis first.  The writers always appreciate the comments, they help the writers to see the weak areas, which may help them improve in the rewriting of the play.

Some of us went to the lounge for food, drink, and further discussion .  James Lawson showed us some of his creative and beautiful snow photographs from his farm, some of which are shown below.

Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts, February 28th, 2016

James Lawson’s Photographs

As to descriptions:

 …. playing with my new I-pad during Blizzard Jonas, 2016 and the after-thaw in rural Rhode Island while house sitting the family farm at Earth Care Farm.  Charlestown, R.I.

 Golden sun set

Covered hay bale

See the cow?

Earth Care Farm

The turkey caught me!

Blizzard at night

My grand-niece, Caitlin

Pix for you and great to see you, as always!

Hi Jim,

Thank you very much for your lovely pictures.  You are a very good photographer.  Your composition is very good.  It gives a good impression what you want others to understand and feel.  Your grand-niece, Caitlin is a very pretty girl.  The stained glass door looking out to the white blanket of snow makes one feels comfortable to be inside looking at the coldness, yet the beautiful scenery beyond the pretty flowers and green leaves of the entry is still enticing.     

Do you mind if I post your pictures on my website Blog page?  If it is OK please email the place and date of the pictures or any descriptions that you would like to help us to understand your feeling about the place and the scenery.

It was nice to see you last night.  John always learns and appreciates from your comments.

Hope to see you soon.

Best,

Ing & John

Please send me (snow scenery) IMG_0036 in photo (JPEG) form.

Hi Ing,

 Sure you can use the photos on your blog. The image you asked me to send is a video (according to my I-pad) , but I was just trying to make a photo.

 As I said, I’m new to the I-pad. The “video” runs all of about 3 seconds, so you aren’t missing much.

 As to descriptions:

 …. playing with my new I-pad during Blizzard Jonas, 2016 and the after-thaw in rural Rhode Island while house sitting the family farm at Earth Care Farm.

 Charlestown, R.I.

Thank you Jim; you are a very generous person.  I will send you the link after I post your pictures.

Please keep taking more pictures to inspire others with your gifted ability.

Best,

Ing

2.27.16

 The following are more of my photographs from our sculpture garden, the last year,  2015:

Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts’ Sculpture

Ing-On Vibulbhan-Watts’ Sculpture

Above photographs are John Watts’ Large Sculptures in our backyard garden, downtown Newark, New Jersey

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