Music
My sweet and tender beast – Eugen Doga
I was intrigued by the title of this walz song as it combines two entirely conflicting ideas. True to it’s name it is a magnificent sample of both tenderness and brutality that speaks of the highs and lows of love and romantic relationships in general.
Valse Sentimentale – Tchaikovsky
Is there any piece of music written by Tchaikovsky that is not perfect? Full of emotion it travels you vividly to a Russian ballroom of the 19th century full of dancing couples and gives an air of sensitivity and longing.
Books
20000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
French oceanographer Pierre Aronnax and his unflappable assistant Conseil join an expedition organized by the US Navy to hunt down and destroy the monster that threatens international shipping. After months of fruitless searching they finally grapple with their quarry, but they along with brash Canadian harpooner Ned Land are thrown overboard in the attack, only to find that the “monster” is actually a futuristic submarine, the Nautilus, commanded by a shadowy, mystical, preternaturally imposing man who calls himself Captain Nemo.
Howards End by E. M. Forster
Set in early-20th-cenury England it follows the lives of two open-minded and intelligent sisters, Margaret and Helen Schlegel, and their interactions with the conservative and capitalistic Wilcoxe family. Considered by many to be E. M. Forster’s masterpiece it is a book about social conventions, codes of honour and the reltionships in Edwardian England.
Movies
The Wind Rises (2013)
Based on the life of Japanese engineer, Jiro Horikoshi, this fictionalised biopic follows him from early childhood into his adult years and sheds light into the construction of the famous Mitsubishi A5M as well as Jiro’s personal life and journey.
Howards End (1992)
True to E. M. Forste’s novel of the same name and with a higly celebrated cast (Anthony Hopkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Helena Bonham-Carter and Emma Thompson) the film chronicles the lives of the Schlegel sisters and the events that intervined them with the WIlcoxes and their country house, Howards End.
Youtubers
Annika’s leaf
An intriguing Youtube channel selection that includes journal videos, daily vlogs and penpal ideas with a very pleasing pastel aesthetic.
Apps
Slowly
Slowly is one of my latest app discoveries and definetely the most unique of them all. The purpose of it is simple: find penpals from around the world and exchange letters. What makes it special though is the fact that you choose your penpal mainly out of common interests rather by how attractive you find him/her (after all the app only allows you to create an avatar of yourself)
