I have to admit, I had barely heard of Kazakhstan before Borat the film came along. I haven’t seen Borat and I don’t imagine I will. It doesn’t sound like my kind of entertainment. I have noticed though that I have been noticing this place more and more in the streams of information that pass by me.

I have recently read a book that was in part set in Kazakhstan called ‘The Zahir’ by Paolo Coelho. I totally enjoyed the book. It was about relationships. I love Paolo Coelho’s books and have read all bar about three of them. I am contemplating rereading some of them actually because they have so much in them. This latest read was about obsession and love and I enjoyed reading it. There is more I want to learn about it and I have given a lot of thought to many of the ideas in the book.

I recently read this article on one of my favourite blogs:Inhabitat:Norman Foster’s Entertainment Centre in Kazakhstan

Williamstown

April 11, 2007

johblogs

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Whilst I was in Melbourne, I visited Williamstown for an afternoon. It was busy, yet the landscape and housing are quite different from other areas of inner city Melbourne.

Montsalvat

April 10, 2007

johblogs

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I have just returned last night from a holiday in suburban Melbourne. I stayed with my daughter for a week. I totally enjoyed her company and had a look around the area she is now living. I took her to Monsalvat one day. I used to go there when I lived in the burbs and wanted to feel like I didn’t. It has changed in some ways and become more developed. There is a restaurant and you pay to enter. I enjoyed the visit although it was different to the solo trips I once treasured.

There was some great landscapes in the Long Gallery. If you haven’t ever been to Montsalvat, you should check out the link. It is Australia’s Oldest Artist Community.

There were peacocks there. It seemed the Easter thing to do since I had just been contemplating that.

Kazakhstan and ‘The Zahir’

Williamstown

Montsalvat

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