You may already know that Katy Perry filmed the video for her hit song  Firework in Budapest a few years ago.

Youtube 

Budapest Photograph Gallery  is now open.

The gallery shows a small selection of the photographs I took. More can be seen on this Youtube  video

Budapest Sunset   made by my friend Mike Dammann. The lyrics are by Mike Dammann and music is co written with Saul Aguilar Solano.

Photos by Sabina Lucia © 2012

Long live Whitney. I will always love you.

With thanks to Youtube. 

My favourite as a teenager was I wanna dance with somebody.

His famous ‘I have a dream’ speech lives on and has inspired many after him and continues to do so. It is still as relevant today.

“When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

Very powerful video. Please watch to the end to find out why. Interesting to note that although it has over 13 million views, when you search for the video on Youtube  it does not show up in the first page of results.

The Flood -Take That       Lyrics found here

Standing On the edge of forever
At the start of whatever
Shouting love at the world
Back then We were like cavemen
But we mapped the moon and the stars
Then we forgave them
We will meet you where the lights are
The defenders of the faith we are
When the thunder turns around
They’ll run so hard we’ll tear the ground away
You know no one dies
In these love-drowned eyes
Through our love-drowned eyes
We’ll watch you sleep tonight
Although no one understood, we were holding back the flood
Learning how to dance the rainWe were holding back the flood
They said we’d never dance again
Bleeding But none of us leaving
Watch your mouth, son
Or you’ll find yourself floating home
Here we come now on a dark star
Seeing demons, not what we are
Tiny minds and eager hands
Will try to strike but now will end today
There’s progress now
Where there once was none
Where there once was, ahThen everything came along
Although no one understood, we were holding back the flood
Learning how to dance the rain
There was more of them than us
Now they’ll never dance again
Although no one understood there was more of them than us
Learning how to dance the rainWe were holding back the floodThey said we’d never dance again
We will meet you where the lights are
The defenders of the faith we are
When the thunder turns aroundThey’ll run so hard we’ll tear the ground away
Although no one understood there was more of them than us
Learning how to dance the rainThere was more of them than usNow they’ll never dance again
Now we’ll never dance again

As Australia sees in the new year, I am thinking of the one we leave behind and a question set to me by my friend @KateLister -          ” “What Did You Learn In 2011?”

I will share with you some of the lessons I learned, and have been reminded of, over the last year.

1.  I learned that loss is part of everybody’s lives and once we accept this, it is easier to deal with. Nothing is permanent, not even the universe, so when we lose somone or something it is best to remember the good and forget the bad, whilst retaining the lessons we learned.

2.  I was reminded that despite tragedy, sadness and loss, we can find happiness and love again. ‘Love like you’ve never been hurt’ is how it goes is it not?

3. I learned on a personal and professional level that a few people working together can make a difference. I read somewhere that it is in fact, the only thing that ever has. With the non profit group I do social media and PR for, Greener Upon Thames, we called for a ban on plastic bags at London 2012 Olympics and the very next day, Boris Johnson, whose team have been helping us, called for a ban on plastic bags across London in time for the Olympics which of course is even better.

4. As a very cerebral person I am learning that sometimes you have to forget what your head says and just follow your heart.

5. A lot of amazing health and nutrition information from this group on Facebook PREVENTION AND HEALING – NATURAL CURES including cancer prevention and cure.

6.  That there are hundreds of people with Rh negative blood type  like me (A Rh-) that are researching where we come from and finding out lots of interesting facts about our ancestors and the importance of our blood type in terms of diet and pregnancy and a whole lot of other reasons.

7. TRUST your INSTINCT. I had such a strong instinct NOT to go somewhere towards the end of last year, but despite protestations I was convinced by my partner at the time that everything would be fine.  I even stopped again, and repeated my warning of a strong gut feeling that it was a bad idea to go to this place. To cut a very long story very short, we went and I am now physically and mentally scarred for life as a consequence of the events that unfolded that evening. I hope, no…I WILL, do my utmost to not allow myself to be persuaded to act against my instincts again.

8. Giving up buying at least one pair of shoes a month is doable. I am no less happy and have more money to spend on things I actually need. Having said that fashionistas, I did manage to finally find the pefect-for-me shoe boots, or ‘shoobs’ as I like to call them. For under £20 from New Look.
Bargain!

9. Made some great discoveries about PR, writing to celebrities and reaching out to a wider audience through social media which I am really enjoying. Thanks for your help @Zangmo and @firetown with inspiration and tips.

10. When one door closes another opens.

What did you learn in 2011?

Opening the door to 2012. Must dash to primp and preen myself in preperation for tonight’s partying. Make a wish at midnight . Have fun and be safe whatever you do. See you next year!

Sabina x

Festival Of Lights – Princes St. Gardens, December 2011 © Sabina Lucia

Merry Christmas to you all and Happy Hannukah,

Whatever you’re celebrating this festive season, may you be surrounded by family and friends. That is the greatest gift after all; spending quality time with the ones you love.

My gift to you this Christmas – a poem by Wilfred Peterson from The Art Of Living

Christmas is not in tinsel and lights and outward show.
The secret lies in an inner glow.
It’s lighting a fire inside the heart.
Good will and joy a vital part.
It’s higher thought and a greater plan.
It’s glorious dream in the soul of man.

Peace to you, your family and friends and all on earth.

Sabina Lucia 2011

They can say why much better than I.
Watch this:

Then sign the letter here: http://december18th.org/

Please share on facebook and Twitter and reblog. Thanks.

Living in London, as I do for now, I have the European continent at my doorstep. With very cheap, reliable flights from easyJet it would be silly not to take advantage. I have recently fallen in love with the stunningly beautiful city of Budapest, capital of Hungary.

http://www.budapest.world-guides.com/budapest_maps.html

The first thing you notice when you get to the centre of the city is the smell. Sweet, caramalised nuts, everywhere you go, it’s so distinctive and comforting; it takes you back to being a child at the fairground. Then if you’re as lucky as I was, the big expanse of clear blue sky will fill your heart with joy. Compared to London, there is so much more space in Budapest. The streets are much wider and all the buildings are exceptionally beautifu , everything feels more open and relaxed.  May have something to do with the 2 million population count, compared to London’s aprox 13 million. Less people to bump into! Which brings me onto the Hungarian’s attitude to personal space. I’m smiling as I write this because I am probably going to sound like an uptight English girl, but I really get uncomfortable when people stand right next to me. I mean so close that clothes are touching. But in Hungary it seems to be the norm and people are more reluctant to move out of your way as you’re walking down the street, creating a bit of a chicken run game. Which one of us will move at the last minute? Funny.

In central Pest where I stayed, it is so pretty;  poplar trees line  most of the tram-route streets, which incidentally operate 24 hours as do some of the bars. With this in mind it is easy to see why Budapest is a favourite location for stag and hen parties. Not to mention the ratio of bars (more per square metre than anywhere in the world) selling half a litre of beer for, on average, just under £2.

I am unable to upload my photos to this website for now. But my friend Michael Dammann made this video of some of my photographs to a song he wrote and sang.

If you’re not in the market for a stag or hen party and all night drinking isn’t your thing, there’s a wealth of cultural things to do and see in Budapest. Top of my list would be Buda Castle and Mathias Church on the Buda side of the Danube. The long, steep, thirst inducing walk up to the top of the Citadella is well worth it for the stunning, panoramic views of both sides of the city and beyond. If you are a woman on your own though, leave before sunset as there is no public transport to get back down and the path is too narrow, crumbly and dangerous to walk on your own in the dark. I had to get a taxi back to town and was ridiculously over charged as there was no competition.

A trip to Budapest would not be complete without a visit to the famous, natural, thermal spring baths, Szechenyi . Open all year round it costs about £10 -£15 per person per visit. The outdoor pool is a lovely temperature and we happily stayed in for over an hour although it advises not more than about 15/20 mins.  Don’t expect luxury, the facilities could be a lot better but it is so relaxing you won’t care and you will come away refreshed and envigorated.

The food in Hungary is very well prepared and fresh and wholesome and GM free for now. But if you are a vegetarian you will find it difficult. Many places don’t have a vegetarian option so you may want to stay somewhere where you can prepare your own food. Eating out is relatively cheap though and you can enjoy a beautifully presented, good quality meal for around £15 for two with one glass of wine/beer. Lado Cafe on Dohany Utca is a favourite of mine and on certain nights of the week you can be entertained with live jazz there. The staff are exceptionally helpful and mostly speak good English.  I stayed just a few minutes away, round the corner at Thumbs Up Hostel which is 5 minutes from Blaha Luzja square or Tér and Metro station by the same name in the Pest and ‘best’ side of town. ‘Thumbs Up’ is the most relaxed and homely hostel I’ve ever stayed in and that’s saying something. There is a huge common room with free Wifi, a computer if you don’t bring a laptop. TV, good sized kitchen with free tea and coffee, facilites for cooking and even a table to enjoy your meal. A balcony for smokers and always something fun happening. The staff will go out of their way to make your stay the best it can be. ‘For the best in Pest’ stay here. Book early as it is popular and tends to get booked through friends’ recommendations. For a family or more people you can also ask about a short term apartment let near by. Honestly you couldn’t stay in a more central and convenient location. I walked most places quite easily and there are trams, buses and the underground Metro all a few minutes away if you need them. Tescos and 24 hour grocery stores are also very close by.

Language:

Don’t be too startled if you hear ‘pussy’ being said quite freely. It’s more innocent than it may at first seem and ‘puszi’ in Hungarian means a peck on the cheek.

Hello:               Szia      (pronounced Tsia). Also used for Goodbye a bit like ‘Ciao’ in Italian.

Yes:                     Igen

No:                       Nem

Thank you:        Köszönöm  (roughly pronounced Koorsunham)

Please:                Kérem

Cheers/Toast: Egészségédre!  (I remember this as ‘Eggyshegadrey’)

Find more words and phrases here: Hungarian basic phrases

Enjoy your stay then come back and tell me all about it! Have fun, happy and safe travels.

Sabina

Related Post: Photography Gallery Budapest

Related post: Tate And TheThames

If you’ve missed the recent brouhaha over the E-Cat (which stands for Energy Catalyzer), you’re missing out on a three ring circus over a technology that will either change everything or change nothing because what is promised is, in theory, power too cheap to be worth metering.

The E-Cat is a simple device albeit with functioning that defies all known explanations.

In summary, the E-Cat is a cold fusion (CF) device (the inventor, Andrea Rossi, prefers to term the technology “Low Energy Nuclear Reaction” which appears to be the same thing as CF but a less contentious phrasing). I’ll refer you to my Network World column for a more long-winded explanation of the background and theories about the device.

The problem with Rossi’s system is that it is too good to be true. It is claimed that the E-Cat only requires some initial heating to start after which the reaction is self-sustaining. The reaction uses a secret catalyst to transform nickel into copper with heat being produced which can be used to make steam, drive a Stirling engine, or be used for whatever you please.

If this device works as claimed, the world will change and not just a little but hugely and at every level of how we’re organized, how we make stuff, how we travel, and how wealth is distributed. And those changes won’t just impact the US or the Western hemisphere; they will transform the entire world because incredibly cheap energy is the ultimate game changer.

So, here’s what I’m wondering: If the E-Cat does work, how will ultra-cheap energy transform your world? Imagine the following:
Where today you use petroleum products for motive energy (for example, to propel cars, trucks, and planes) you will be using steam engines or Stirling engines. In theory you’ll be able to drive across the country for cents. What will that do to the trucking industry? The shipping industry? Aviation?
With the demand for gasoline falling overnight and petroleum becoming needed primarily as feedstock for plastics, the US would immediately become self-sufficient in crude oil. What will happen in the Middle East without the huge flow of cash from the Western hemisphere? How will world politics be changed?
An E-Cat system could power your house or office making the existing grid obsolete. What would it mean to make your personal and corporate electricity and gas bills nearly zero?
The cost of manufacturing would fall very quickly with energy removed from the equation. If you are in manufacturing of any kind, this will affect you enormously. How fast could and how would you rework your corporate strategy to become competitive in a market where prices suddenly plummeted (note that the suddenly reduced cash flows would play havoc with the finance structures of many corporations).

So, the E-Cat will be demonstrated on the 28th of this month and I, for one, will be watching with great interest and enormous hope because if Rossi’s E-Cat system works, it will be goodbye recession and hello, brave new world.

Taken from http://www.forbes.com/sites/markgibbs/2011/10/17/hello-cheap-energy-hello-brave-new-world/

Related article: http://sabinalucia.com/919/

The following are not the videos I originally linked to. I imbeded another one which mysteriously disappeared. Anyway the following links, videos were recommended to me by someone who knows far more about this subject than I.

Check out the following:

F.M.CHALKALIS ENERGY MULTIPLIER

http://chalkalis.blogspot.com/

Angular Force Generator

TPP Power Pyramid

Share the information with your friends and family, spread the good news. God knows we need some!

Facebook:  Free Energy Truth page

Related article: Free Energy For A Brave New World?