photography
A good picture's worth 1000 words. This is a very popular dictum. Is it really worth 1000 words? We live in a visually intensive society. Bombarded daily with a steady, unrelenting stream of visual stimulation from all manner of media, we seek understanding
from pictures when we are only taught to understand words. We see mediated images more than we read words. Some have warned that if the trend continues, civilization will regress to illiteracy and lawlessness.
Other, more optimistic researchers predict that technological advances will merge words and pictures in new ways that will create innovative educational possibilities. The art of photography is ever changing. This is due to the continuous evolution of equipment and
technology. Entering the computer age where image manipulation has become a task so easy, even children can perform it. Never the less, I have assembled some of my images taken over the years and hope you will enjoy them.
 Although literature, cinematography, photography, poetry and music might be considered art forms, I decided to have an art notebook for other forms of art that are as interesting as those forms mentioned before yet less known to me, like painting, sculpturing, textile
arts, audiovisual arts, performance arts or other art forms. Perhaps some art forms might get a dedicated notebook in time but for the moment I feel a more general art notebook will serve my purpose just fine.
Being a hobby photographer for many years, I have become accustomed to take photos wherever I go. As my work demanded me to travel a lot, I have collected many photographs. I have found that having a camera on you all the time is impractical and more than once I have
seen the most beautiful photographs that could not be captured, simply because I did not have a camera on me. Other times I have purchased a disposable camera to not miss a scene and had to dispose of the photos as it definitely was not as I remembered.
 1. South Africa
Being born in bred in South Africa, would be a sin if I don't start my collection here.
Table Mountain is Cape Town's most famous landmark and one of the city's greatest attractions. The views in all directions are magnificent and the feeling of being on top of the world is what makes this such a popular destination. It’s best to visit on a clear
day, though a tablecloth of clouds can descend at any time, flowing over the edge like a breaking wave. Legend has it that the tablecloth is due to an old Afrikaner called Van Hunks who sits on Devil’s Peak having a smoking contest with the devil himself. They
just keep puffing away and neither ever wins. The mountain is part of a nature reserve and wooden walkways and designated paths allow you to wander around without damaging the unique plant life. The mountain also provides spectacular views from the surrounding
areas, especially the beaches on the western side. This picture was taken from the rocks on the west coast.
 Kruger National Park, is best known for the Lion, Elephant, Leopard,
Buffalo and Rhino - and is truly the flagship of Africa and South Africa's game reserves. Game viewing at Kruger National Park has been described as a 'spine-tingling experience'. Watch in absolute awe and wonder as the Lion stalks its prey, or at the Cheetah
chasing fleeing antelope at breathtaking speed. You might come across the Park's big and tall, the gigantic and stately Elephant, and gaze at the dizzying height of Africa's tallest creature, the Giraffe. Kruger National Park is the place to go if you want to
combine luxury with wildlife. Indulge in the sterling service and hospitality offered at the Park's luxurious lodges. There are few other places where you can enjoy a five-star meal while watching game from the comfort of your veranda. We also experienced open
vehicle game drives, private guided walks, night game drives, private camping concessions, all within Kruger Park.
 2. Scotland
Built on and around seven hills, today's Edinburgh is a wonderful blend of the old and the new, a remarkable place in which surprising changes of level occur at every turn. Small
enough to be explored on foot and with views to the Pentland Hills to the south and the hills of Fife beyond the Firth of Forth to the north, this is without doubt one of the world's most fascinating and beautiful cities.
The Central Edinburgh Features include one on Edinburgh itself, giving an overview of the central part of the city and its history. The
Edinburgh Castle symbolises the background to the city's most famous and outstanding landmark, while the
Lower Castle and Upper Castle reminds of better days long gone by.
To the north of Edinburgh lies its ancient port of Leith, now effectively a part of the city. The subject of large scale regeneration over the years, Leith is now firmly on the tourist trail as home to the Royal Yacht Britannia, moored alongside the shopping and
leisure centre at Ocean Terminal. The Stone of Destiny has been revered for centuries as a holy relic, fought over by nations and used successively by Dalriadic, Scottish, English and British monarchs as an important part of their enthronement ceremonies. At first
sight, it is difficult to understand why this plain and rather unremarkable block of sandstone has fired the passion that it has over the past 700 years. Yet the power and importance of the Stone (also known as the Stone of Scone) far outstrips its physical
appearance. It is arguably the greatest symbol and touchstone of Scottish nationhood and as such, has been a very potent icon for more than a thousand years.
 3. Italy
Visiting Italy, Rome, is definitely the highlight because Rome is the Eternal City. With an almost uninterrupted history as an important centre of power for more than two millennia, Rome is as close to eternal as it gets. According to the legend, Rome was founded on the Palatine Hill on April
21, 753 BC, by Romulus who also became the first king of Rome. The legend is not all wrong. The first traces of human settlement in the area have been found on the western slope of the Palatine Hill, dating from the 10th century BC, while the first evidence of the
existence of a city is from the middle of the 8th century BC.Ponte Sant'Angelo is the bridge that leads from the ancient Campus Martius to the mausoleum of emperor Hadrian, the current Castel Sant'Angelo, over the Tiber River. The first bridge in this location was the Pons Aelius,
build by emperor Hadrian in 133-134 CE to connect his mausoleum to the Campus Martius. This bridge lasted until 1450 CE.
In the Jubilee year of 1450, just before Christmas, as a huge number of pilgrims were crossing the bridge for the Vatican, the ancient bridge collapsed under the weight. More than 200 pilgrims perished in the river. Of the bridge the three
central arches survived. Pope Nicholas V ordered the repair of the bridge which was first done hastily.
Later Gian Lorenzo Bernini was given the task of restoring the bridge. Bernini made the designs for the statues that currently adorn the bridge and their organisation on the bridge. The actual work with the statues was performed by his pupils.
 4. England
Fortunate enough to
work in London for a short while is like opening Pandora's Box. It's a whole world in one city and in one day you can go from one extreme to the other. The city that produced Dickens, Gilbert & Sullivan, and afternoon tea has evolved into a city that has produced Martin Amis, punk
rock, and "take away" curry. London society never moved far from its British roots during its heyday as a world centre of commerce and colonial bureaucracy, but in this post-empire era, London has become truly international. Immigrants from former British colonies
like India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Jamaica, and Malaysia have flooded London's neighbourhoods in the past two decades and created a complex multi-cultural society of old economic classes and new ethnic identities. While exploring the lives of some of the residents in
London's diverse boroughs, Lexia students will  have the opportunity to participate in new changes in one of Europe's oldest
cities. Throughout history London has embraced every race and religion and has served as a magnet to foreign traders, offering a place of refuge for those fleeing persecution. As the capital of an empire that once spanned the globe, London has continually absorbed
great numbers of immigrants. The result is a truly multi-ethnic, integrated community where a variety of cultures live side by side. The Multiculturalism and the Global Dimension Seminar introduces students to the rich blend of cultures that make up this
historically cosmopolitan city. Writing forms an integral part of the seminar and students produce original work that may be descriptive or creative. They also "adopt" a particular neighbourhood, conducting interviews with immigrant residents and nationals and
consider the effects of globalism.
 5. America
For years we all have being watching television and were indoctrinated that
America is the land of plenty and the land of 'bigger is better'. In my stay there, I discovered a whole new country. Visiting Las Vegas is an experience that you can hardly afford to miss. Trying to describe Las Vegas in a few words is a formidable task.
Should the focus be on the city’s mystic qualities – the dazzling lights and glittering resorts where more than 35 million pleasure seeking tourists wager millions of dollars every year? Or should one look beyond the myth, at a south-western metropolitan area that
is home to 1.4 million people – a place with schools, parks, grocery stores, and quiet neighbourhoods populated by people from everywhere? One city, two stories. But that’s always been the history of Las Vegas. Its very creation seems like the ultimate contrast:
Las Vegas, Spanish for "the meadows," was founded by Mormon missionaries. These early settlers were followed by westward-travelling pioneers and, later, by the men who built Hoover Dam, the area’s first big tourist attraction. The legalization of gambling in the
30s transformed the city into an American Xanadu, where a street lined with stately pleasure domes tempts travellers searching for excitement, cuisine, entertainment and shopping. Dreams of riches are usually just that; but the dream of a better life, one that
adds some 50,000 modern-day pioneers to the population every year, is one that can come true. From the urban beat of
 a big city to the wide-open spaces of the outlying landscape, there’s a place in Las Vegas to suit everyone. Jobs are plentiful, thanks to a booming local economy and a pro-business environment in which
companies do not pay corporate income, franchise, inventory, or unitary taxes. The cost of living in Las Vegas is lower than in other comparable U.S. cities, in part because of the absence of any personal income tax. The people are friendly, the climate is healthy
and there’s something fun to do every night of the week. Is it any wonder that the recent U.S. census shows Nevada growing at a faster rate than any other state? Every hour 24 hours, 365 days a year, another two acres of Las Vegas land are developed for commercial
or residential use. Developers of master-planned communities that dot the city’s landscape are running out of new street names. Two phone books are printed every year to keep with up all the new residents and businesses.
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