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Much of a muchness
Things that make you go 'hmm'…
Books and bears
Posted by on January 14, 2008
I’ve had this paper for ages but I could never find it’s complement for the inside – until yesterday. I have had the grey/cream inside paper for ages too but just didn’t connect the two. They actually work very well together. The paper on the outside is a Japanese ‘Katazome-shi’ paper which literally means ‘stencil-dyed paper’. It is also referred to a ‘Wazome’. It’s more expensive than the Japanese ‘Chiyogami’ paper I often use, as it is very time consuming to make apparently. According to Falkiners :
“Based on traditional kimono-printing techniques, these elegant bold patterned papers were developed in Kyoto during the 20th century by an inspired soul. Using persimmon-dyed kozo as the stencils, and aided by paste and “Kojiro” (soy bean juice), the pigments absorb deeply into the paper to produce long-lasting colour and the unmistakable look of a print truly made by hand“.
I think this is a very ‘grown up’ book and the paper almost has the texture of fabric – beautiful.
It has been pointed out by various people that I have forgotten to mention several famous Polar Bears in my earlier post on the subject, so to remedy this here are a few more.
Firstly for Ed over at The Pisstakers, and to say thank you for TWO funny reviews this week, here is the Fox’s Glacier Mints Polar Bear. I hope your dad’s teeth have recovered.
Then for Alex, here is Knut, the cutest Polar Bear cub ever, who was abandoned by his mother at birth in Berlin Zoo. The zoo staff decided that the best thing to do was to not intervene and to leave him to die naturally. Cue public outcry and Knut was reprieved.
And I have just remembered this one, the Polar Bear in the Chilly Willy cartoons Did I mention I like penguins as well? (But that is a whole other post!)
Then there is this Polar Bear
and finally, the one I want to see. I am re-reading this book for the third or fourth time and can’t wait to see the film. This is Iorek Byrnison, the armoured Polar Bear from the wonderful children’s book ‘Northern Lights’ by Philip Pullman, now filmed as ‘The Golden Compass’ starring Daniel Craig (woo hoo!) and Nicole Kidman.
Not such a cuddly bear….
And finally, as they used to say on the news, my team, Manchester United, won their match against Newcastle United by 6 – 0 on Saturday, which took them to the top of the Premier League. Marvellous.
Much of a muchness 
You should soon be ranking number one for polar bear in Google!
cheers
PS My dad’s dentures are holding up fine.
That polar bear treadmill video is hilarious. My daughter loves both that video, and we both had a great time at the Golden Compass movie a few weeks ago. Nice blog!
Ed – I think I have finished with Polar Bears now. Just don’t get me started on Penguins. Pingu anyone?
Jeremy – I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I need to borrow a child to take to see the Golden Compass – although my youngest who is away at university did go and see it with his friends…
Glad you enjoy my blog too! Thanks!
Knut is adorable! Bridget loves! Yoo-hoo Daniel Craig huh? ;) He’s got nice eyes yeah!
Ah! So you are a United fan :) I’m a Liverpool 1st- United 2nd fan! I think that means I’m half happy they won ha! ;)
Thanks for your mail Di, for sharing, and the support. My mail is stubbornly refusing to process sending mails at the mo duh.
Daniel Craig is luscious. Those eyes indeed! I saw him in a play in London called ‘A Number’ with Michael Gambon. He is electrifying. He came into the bar afterwards and I stood a couple of feet away from him (drooling, if truth be told). The man is sex on a stick – gorgeous.
Uh, no, Knut’s caretakers had never thought to let him die. You may be thinking of the cub recently born in the Nuremberg zoo. Knut was pulled from the birthing den by Thomas Dorflein five hours after he was born because his mother was ignoring both him and his brother, who later died. Knut’s existence wasn’t even made known to the public until well after the zoo was sure he was going to survive. The outcry over allowing him to die began after a animal activist announced that the zoo *should* have let Knut die.
Oops! Sorry! I should have checked my facts! I just remenber that there was a group of people who said that that there should have been no intervention. I apologise to Berlin Zoo and Thomas Dorflein in particular!
Oops! Sorry! I should have checked my facts! I just remember that there was a group of people who said that that there should have been no intervention. I apologise to Berlin Zoo and Thomas Dorflein in particular!
Yay for more polar bears. Also, a whole-hearted clap for the polar bear and Chilly Willy. I love Penguins as well. My favorite hockey team is the Pittsburgh Penguins for heaven’s sake!
I have yet to read the Golden Compass, though I have purchased the e-book version. Have you read the others in the series?
Congrats to Manchester United. 6-0 is quite a walloping.
Yes, I have read all the trilogy several times and it really is very good indeed with some very dark themes explored, particularly given the age range it is aimed at.
As for the football – the boys done good :-)