Debi van Zyl

Tagged again! This time by Karin, who was asked to show her favorite work place and has modified the tag to:

"Show me a special something (if you like),
some thing that is important or beautiful or meaningful or full of
memories for you - or all of that - and tell me about it."

I couldn't help but take a photo(s) of my current workplace (above), but to be good and actually fulfill the tag, here are photos of an old school map of Europe that I have had hanging in every apartment I've rented in Los Angeles. I bought it at a wonderful little store on Venice Blvd. about 9 years ago. I recently drove past and saw that it is no longer there.



Some reasons why this map is beautiful and meaningful to me:

1. I love maps. No ifs, ands, or buts... I love maps no matter how inaccurate, detailed, or even useless they are sometimes. I have a pretty good sense of direction and I tend to think of things from above and am north-centric, but I am fascinated by how differently one can interpret and represent orientation, scale, distance and landmarks.

2. This map servers as a reminder of 'what not to do.' It has fallen on my head a few times because I am very lazy and haven't really ever figured out a good way to attach it to the wall so that it won't fall on me. I used to have it hanging over my bed, but I have since learned my lesson. This is the region for earthquakes after all.

3. There is no copyright on the map, but it was produced when there was still a Yugoslavia, and a USSR and a Czechoslovakia. Changing political boundaries and countries who change their name have always fascinated me.

4. I am not positive, but quite sure, that the internet has replaced lovely roll-up maps likes these in school rooms. I remember times in school when the teacher had a hard time getting the map to roll back up so as to reveal the one behind it, or when something would spring loose and the map would not come down. All the kids would always laugh. I know that the internet has an amazing world to offer, but there is nothing like pointing at map or an atlas, or spinning a globe.

So there you have it... I pass this tag on to:
nina at mooidingen
maria at pêle-mêle
sandra at friederike!