I want to start designing again and so I thought, if anything might help in reminding me of past achievement. You should always be your n1 supporter afterall...
I will be back on here with pictures of new designs once I get started with them!!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Fashion designing Portfolio teaser
I wanted to showcase some of the styling and designing work I have done through the past few years...
I want to start designing again and so I thought, if anything might help in reminding me of past achievement. You should always be your n1 supporter afterall...
I will be back on here with pictures of new designs once I get started with them!!
I want to start designing again and so I thought, if anything might help in reminding me of past achievement. You should always be your n1 supporter afterall...
I will be back on here with pictures of new designs once I get started with them!!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Prayers
How important is prayer to you?
I have started a small facebook page called Prayer chains which you can find a link to my page. In the mean time, here are some quotes of what prayer means or signifies in some of the main religions around the world. Do correct me if I'm wrong, the information I found from various quoted sources.
Hope you enjoy it :)
Islam
From www.learn2pray.org.au
Prayer not only gives a deep connection with Allah swt, but in prayer one establishes patience, humility and sincerity. Prayer provides a means of repentance and is a restrainer from shameful and unjust deeds. This is portrayed through the following hadith:
"If a person had a stream outside his door and he bathed in it five times a day, do you think he would have any filth left on him?" The people said, "No filth would remain on him whatsoever." The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, "That is like the five daily prayers: Allah wipes away the sins by them." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
It is through prayer that one really finds inner peace and fulfillment. To Muslims it is also a source of patience, courage, hope, confidence, inner peace, stability, equality, unity and an expression of thankfulness to Allah swt.
Judaism
On a very basic level, prayer expresses our belief in G‑d. Our recognition that we are dependent on His beneficence, and that, as the one who controls all, it is within His ability to extricate us from our hardship. And as such, in a time of need—no matter how trivial the need may seem—we turn to the one whom we know can help. The Torah refers to prayer as “the service of the heart,” an act suffused with love and reverence. Prayer is about a child approaching his loving parent. In fact, the medieval sage Maimonides writes that “prayer without concentration is akin to a lifeless body.’
By Dovid Zaklikowski, www.chabad.org
Christianity
From http://www.squidoo.com/Praying4you
Prayer...A weapon in our spiritual arsenal...
Prayer is simply our communication with God. Included in our prayers are words of praise, thanks, worship as well as our requests. In Phillipians 4:6 says, Be anxious for nothing , but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
God is telling us that we need to be continually praying and our prayers should be our first resort not the last.
Buddhism
http://buddhistfaith.tripod.com
Buddhist prayer is a practice to awaken our inherent inner capacities of strength, compassion and wisdom rather than to petition external forces based on fear, idolizing, and worldly and/or heavenly gain. Buddhist prayer is a form of meditation; it is a practice of inner reconditioning. Buddhist prayer replaces the negative with the virtuous and points us to the blessings of Life
For Buddhists, prayer expresses an aspiration to pull something into one's life, like some new energy or purifying influence and share it with all beings. Likewise, prayer inspires our hearts towards wisdom and compassion for others and ourselves. It allows us to turn our hearts and minds to the beneficial, rousing our thoughts and actions towards Awakening. If we believe in something enough, it will take hold of us. In other words, believing in it, we will become what we believe. Our ability to be touched like this is evidence of the working of Great Compassion within us
Sikhism
http://www.searchsikhism.com/prayer.html
The Sikh's conception God is personal. He moves in him like a fish in the water, and lives with him like a wife with her husband. He is in constant communion with Him through prayer. Therefore prayer is much used in Sikhism. The Scripture consists chiefly of prayers. No ceremony whether religious or secular, is complete without prayer. Nay, most of the ceremonies and rituals contain nothing else. Before going on a journey, or opening a shop or occupying a new house, the Sikhs open the Holy Scriptures and asks God's blessing. Often if time and means permit, he also arranges for the singing of hymns of thanks-giving. But he will never omit a short prayer, which even the poorest can afford. No priest is required to address it. Anybody, man or woman old or young can lead in prayer. Even a boy or a girl may be seen conducting the morning or evening service and leading in prayer a big congregation consisting of the most learned and advanced in age. This is purposely encouraged, so that everybody may learn to shoulder his or her responsibilities without the help of a priestly class. The prayer varies in size and contents. Sometimes only a few words will do. A man starting on horseback with one foot in the stirrup, may mutter to himself : "O Lord of plume ! help. The Humble servant" Or a few lines may be quoted from the Scripture by way of saving grace before or after meal
Hinduism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_in_Hinduism
Prayer or worship is considered to be an integral part of the Hindu religion. The chanting of mantras is the most popular form of worship in Hinduism. Yoga and meditation are also considered as a form of devotional service towards the Lord. .
The Vedas are a collection of liturgy (mantras, hymns)
The Hindu devotional Bhakti movements emphasizes repetitive prayer. Stemming from the universal Soul or Brahman, prayer is focused on the personal forms of God, such as Shiva, Vishnu, or Vishnu's Avatars, Rama and Krishna.
Before the process of ritual, before the invoking of different deities for the fulfillment of various needs, came the human aspiration to the highest truth, the foundational monism of Hinduism, pertaining ultimately to the one Brahman. Brahman, which summarily can be called the unknowable, true, infinite and blissful Divine Ground, is the source and being of all existence from which the cosmos springs. This is the essence of the Vedic system.
Anyone with any other practices they would like represented, feel free to add on!
Much Love
xx
Fiona
I have started a small facebook page called Prayer chains which you can find a link to my page. In the mean time, here are some quotes of what prayer means or signifies in some of the main religions around the world. Do correct me if I'm wrong, the information I found from various quoted sources.
Hope you enjoy it :)
Islam
From www.learn2pray.org.au
Prayer not only gives a deep connection with Allah swt, but in prayer one establishes patience, humility and sincerity. Prayer provides a means of repentance and is a restrainer from shameful and unjust deeds. This is portrayed through the following hadith:
"If a person had a stream outside his door and he bathed in it five times a day, do you think he would have any filth left on him?" The people said, "No filth would remain on him whatsoever." The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, "That is like the five daily prayers: Allah wipes away the sins by them." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
It is through prayer that one really finds inner peace and fulfillment. To Muslims it is also a source of patience, courage, hope, confidence, inner peace, stability, equality, unity and an expression of thankfulness to Allah swt.
Judaism
On a very basic level, prayer expresses our belief in G‑d. Our recognition that we are dependent on His beneficence, and that, as the one who controls all, it is within His ability to extricate us from our hardship. And as such, in a time of need—no matter how trivial the need may seem—we turn to the one whom we know can help. The Torah refers to prayer as “the service of the heart,” an act suffused with love and reverence. Prayer is about a child approaching his loving parent. In fact, the medieval sage Maimonides writes that “prayer without concentration is akin to a lifeless body.’
By Dovid Zaklikowski, www.chabad.org
Christianity
From http://www.squidoo.com/Praying4you
Prayer...A weapon in our spiritual arsenal...
Prayer is simply our communication with God. Included in our prayers are words of praise, thanks, worship as well as our requests. In Phillipians 4:6 says, Be anxious for nothing , but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
God is telling us that we need to be continually praying and our prayers should be our first resort not the last.
Buddhism
http://buddhistfaith.tripod.com
Buddhist prayer is a practice to awaken our inherent inner capacities of strength, compassion and wisdom rather than to petition external forces based on fear, idolizing, and worldly and/or heavenly gain. Buddhist prayer is a form of meditation; it is a practice of inner reconditioning. Buddhist prayer replaces the negative with the virtuous and points us to the blessings of Life
For Buddhists, prayer expresses an aspiration to pull something into one's life, like some new energy or purifying influence and share it with all beings. Likewise, prayer inspires our hearts towards wisdom and compassion for others and ourselves. It allows us to turn our hearts and minds to the beneficial, rousing our thoughts and actions towards Awakening. If we believe in something enough, it will take hold of us. In other words, believing in it, we will become what we believe. Our ability to be touched like this is evidence of the working of Great Compassion within us
Sikhism
http://www.searchsikhism.com/prayer.html
The Sikh's conception God is personal. He moves in him like a fish in the water, and lives with him like a wife with her husband. He is in constant communion with Him through prayer. Therefore prayer is much used in Sikhism. The Scripture consists chiefly of prayers. No ceremony whether religious or secular, is complete without prayer. Nay, most of the ceremonies and rituals contain nothing else. Before going on a journey, or opening a shop or occupying a new house, the Sikhs open the Holy Scriptures and asks God's blessing. Often if time and means permit, he also arranges for the singing of hymns of thanks-giving. But he will never omit a short prayer, which even the poorest can afford. No priest is required to address it. Anybody, man or woman old or young can lead in prayer. Even a boy or a girl may be seen conducting the morning or evening service and leading in prayer a big congregation consisting of the most learned and advanced in age. This is purposely encouraged, so that everybody may learn to shoulder his or her responsibilities without the help of a priestly class. The prayer varies in size and contents. Sometimes only a few words will do. A man starting on horseback with one foot in the stirrup, may mutter to himself : "O Lord of plume ! help. The Humble servant" Or a few lines may be quoted from the Scripture by way of saving grace before or after meal
Hinduism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_in_Hinduism
Prayer or worship is considered to be an integral part of the Hindu religion. The chanting of mantras is the most popular form of worship in Hinduism. Yoga and meditation are also considered as a form of devotional service towards the Lord. .
The Vedas are a collection of liturgy (mantras, hymns)
The Hindu devotional Bhakti movements emphasizes repetitive prayer. Stemming from the universal Soul or Brahman, prayer is focused on the personal forms of God, such as Shiva, Vishnu, or Vishnu's Avatars, Rama and Krishna.
Before the process of ritual, before the invoking of different deities for the fulfillment of various needs, came the human aspiration to the highest truth, the foundational monism of Hinduism, pertaining ultimately to the one Brahman. Brahman, which summarily can be called the unknowable, true, infinite and blissful Divine Ground, is the source and being of all existence from which the cosmos springs. This is the essence of the Vedic system.
Anyone with any other practices they would like represented, feel free to add on!
Much Love
xx
Fiona
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
In the news today…
3 articles: My take on the world.
I’ve decided to make this blogging more regular so am going to try and write a weekly entry of my thoughts on 3 articles from the news that day, or anything happening in the world around us, related or completely random…
The first thing that grabbed my attention while surfing on the BBC News webpage was the situation in Indonesia. Not only have they been suffering from a tsunami but a volcano has also erupted in another part of the country. Tsunamis are my worst nightmare, literally, and my thought and prayers are with those caught out there, struggling and surviving.
Strangely enough the first thing that came to my mind was Eat Pray Love. Wither you’ve read the book, seen the film or none of the above you cannot have been oblivious to the phenomenon it created. So my thoughts are going to those who ended up booking their ‘round-the-world tickets “Elizabeth Gilbert style” as American travel companies had started advertising for, copying her journey from the US to Italy, India and Indonesia. May I just say that, this just beat the whole idea behind the book itself and I am worried about the effect the film is going to have on people? While the book was more about the emotional journey of a person finding himself or herself, the film was more focused on relationships and travelling.
So by buying tickets copying the characters journey, will not help you find your inner peace because you will be mimicking someone else’s search of themselves. You might become more like that person than yourself. If you are feeling lost in your life, that you have the lingering feeling that you have lost your touch and sense of belonging (which is a growing feeling in the western society) then take a break and reconnect with your self. Find what it is that your heart longs for, and it may not include jumping on a plane, increasing world pollution and copying, like a horde of sheep, what you saw last on screen. Internal peace comes from the knowledge and respect of one’s self, meditation and some sort of spirituality.
That is what the book was really about, and I don’t quite know how the film got to the point of creating the adverse effect.
This leads me to my next point, also on the BBC website, an article stating that recent researches have shown that people are more and more keen to go on silence retreats with no phone, no internet… just you and your own thoughts for the week with an hour counselling if needed during the day. Have a look, it’s an interesting article and I agree with it more than anything.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11588293
There seems to be sounds everywhere I go. I hate it, can’t even hear my own thoughts. Right now as I type I hear a bus waiting outside, puffing out, the music from a car behind the bus, more traffic, a police car and that’s with closed windows. And the rest of the time your either losing yourself in songs that portray emotions that are not yours, reading gossip about celebrity lives or faffing around in other people’s lives with facebook, twitter etc…
People are spending less and less time with themselves and therefore are getting less and less comfortable with themselves. I guess that is what leads to the “Eat Pray Love” syndrome. It’s time that people let got of their Iphone and blackberries one minute and take time to reconnect with what is around them. Talk with a friend face to face or ring them instead of ‘facebooking’ them, read a book, do something creative, meet up with some mates. Don’t let your life fall into the murky pond of digital being.
The last thing that I wanted to talk about is something to ponder on more than a fact. Counties in Italy and other countries around Europe and Africa are installing a ban on miniskirts in the hope to lessen crime, aggressions and sexual indecency. May I just remind you that Italy is also one of the countries banning women from wearing the burka. Interesting contrast isn’t it?
I think this sums up pretty well the unease of the society we live in today. Somehow, a there must be a balance to be found. I feel like I want to know what you think. What’s your take?
Personally, I do think that some girls take it way too far in terms of clothing with the shortness of their skirts and cuts of their tops. I don’t want to have someone’s boobs in my face when I get up to leave a bus, and I don’t want to see up a girl’s almost non-existing miniskirt when I am going up the escalator. But I haven’t got a choice, apparently, if I want to see where I’m going. You can look gorgeous and feminine and attractive without having to swoop that low. That is almost anti woman’s rights. I think we’ve gone from sexual liberation to sexual aberration. Look around you, that’s what everything is about these days. Magazines: Whose husband cheating on who? Charts: Rihanna with Rude Boy?
What are we gaining from this apart from horny underage teenagers, leading to teenage pregnancy and indecent behaviours from guys who can’t keep their hands in their pockets… to put things nicely!
A balance has to be found... But what can you expect from a society that is losing touch with themselves, with spirituality and trying to fill that gap with other things…
I think that’s enough for one day!
Hit back with feedback if you want ☺ I love a good debate!!!
Xoxo
Fio
Refferences are made to various BBC NEWS articles all available on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Pictures found on the net
I’ve decided to make this blogging more regular so am going to try and write a weekly entry of my thoughts on 3 articles from the news that day, or anything happening in the world around us, related or completely random…
The first thing that grabbed my attention while surfing on the BBC News webpage was the situation in Indonesia. Not only have they been suffering from a tsunami but a volcano has also erupted in another part of the country. Tsunamis are my worst nightmare, literally, and my thought and prayers are with those caught out there, struggling and surviving.
Strangely enough the first thing that came to my mind was Eat Pray Love. Wither you’ve read the book, seen the film or none of the above you cannot have been oblivious to the phenomenon it created. So my thoughts are going to those who ended up booking their ‘round-the-world tickets “Elizabeth Gilbert style” as American travel companies had started advertising for, copying her journey from the US to Italy, India and Indonesia. May I just say that, this just beat the whole idea behind the book itself and I am worried about the effect the film is going to have on people? While the book was more about the emotional journey of a person finding himself or herself, the film was more focused on relationships and travelling.
So by buying tickets copying the characters journey, will not help you find your inner peace because you will be mimicking someone else’s search of themselves. You might become more like that person than yourself. If you are feeling lost in your life, that you have the lingering feeling that you have lost your touch and sense of belonging (which is a growing feeling in the western society) then take a break and reconnect with your self. Find what it is that your heart longs for, and it may not include jumping on a plane, increasing world pollution and copying, like a horde of sheep, what you saw last on screen. Internal peace comes from the knowledge and respect of one’s self, meditation and some sort of spirituality.
That is what the book was really about, and I don’t quite know how the film got to the point of creating the adverse effect.
This leads me to my next point, also on the BBC website, an article stating that recent researches have shown that people are more and more keen to go on silence retreats with no phone, no internet… just you and your own thoughts for the week with an hour counselling if needed during the day. Have a look, it’s an interesting article and I agree with it more than anything.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11588293
There seems to be sounds everywhere I go. I hate it, can’t even hear my own thoughts. Right now as I type I hear a bus waiting outside, puffing out, the music from a car behind the bus, more traffic, a police car and that’s with closed windows. And the rest of the time your either losing yourself in songs that portray emotions that are not yours, reading gossip about celebrity lives or faffing around in other people’s lives with facebook, twitter etc…
People are spending less and less time with themselves and therefore are getting less and less comfortable with themselves. I guess that is what leads to the “Eat Pray Love” syndrome. It’s time that people let got of their Iphone and blackberries one minute and take time to reconnect with what is around them. Talk with a friend face to face or ring them instead of ‘facebooking’ them, read a book, do something creative, meet up with some mates. Don’t let your life fall into the murky pond of digital being.
The last thing that I wanted to talk about is something to ponder on more than a fact. Counties in Italy and other countries around Europe and Africa are installing a ban on miniskirts in the hope to lessen crime, aggressions and sexual indecency. May I just remind you that Italy is also one of the countries banning women from wearing the burka. Interesting contrast isn’t it?
I think this sums up pretty well the unease of the society we live in today. Somehow, a there must be a balance to be found. I feel like I want to know what you think. What’s your take?
Personally, I do think that some girls take it way too far in terms of clothing with the shortness of their skirts and cuts of their tops. I don’t want to have someone’s boobs in my face when I get up to leave a bus, and I don’t want to see up a girl’s almost non-existing miniskirt when I am going up the escalator. But I haven’t got a choice, apparently, if I want to see where I’m going. You can look gorgeous and feminine and attractive without having to swoop that low. That is almost anti woman’s rights. I think we’ve gone from sexual liberation to sexual aberration. Look around you, that’s what everything is about these days. Magazines: Whose husband cheating on who? Charts: Rihanna with Rude Boy?
What are we gaining from this apart from horny underage teenagers, leading to teenage pregnancy and indecent behaviours from guys who can’t keep their hands in their pockets… to put things nicely!
A balance has to be found... But what can you expect from a society that is losing touch with themselves, with spirituality and trying to fill that gap with other things…
I think that’s enough for one day!
Hit back with feedback if you want ☺ I love a good debate!!!
Xoxo
Fio
Refferences are made to various BBC NEWS articles all available on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Pictures found on the net
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Imaginary Portrait
And to finalise the list of my online showreel :)
An Imaginary Portrait, which I wrote with Sujay, the director, after he liked the story of the "First Time" monologue filmed for our acting classes.
It won a prize in the short film festival in Punes 2008.
An Imaginary Portrait, which I wrote with Sujay, the director, after he liked the story of the "First Time" monologue filmed for our acting classes.
It won a prize in the short film festival in Punes 2008.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Black Swan
This is the short I graduated from Uni with.
You can really feel my surrealist and experimental influences here! 5 years later... I'm working on a feature inspired by this story :)
UK 2007
Director: Fiona Cross
With Amith Rahman (previously known as Abraham Chowdhury) and James Horseman
Once upon a time, there was a very ugly duckling, unloved and rejected by his family and society. The lonesome bird grew strong and bitter, plotting a way to get back at society for what it had made of him.
Black swan reflects on what has pushed our society to create its own ugly ducklings. Transferring this tale onto the London life style today has proven itself to be more than successful, playing with the audiences’ conceptions and stereotypes. Saeed is first introduced as a young Muslim, whose faith has given him the strength to go and achieve his goal. Although this isn’t made clear, through his journey across central London, it is strongly believed he is on his way to join the line of terrorist attacks. But what is it that actually convinced us that this was who he was? This deaf and dreamy character in a white skin would not have seemed more innocent. And here comes Peter James, a disturbed attention seeker who thinks the whole world is against him. So, when a London station does blow up, and Saeed is in that station confronted by Peter James, our prejudice and maybe unconscious racism is forced forward. By focusing on who might be a potential suspect, we forgot to look at who showed obvious signs of danger. The grown ugly duckling, now an oddly graceful black swan, has finally found a way of getting back at society from ignoring him for such a long time.
The directors’ third short has taken a more experimental and political turn. The style is striking yet gritty with some beautiful locations such as the Woking mosque, the oldest of the whole of Britain. The sound inspired by French film “Sur mes Levres” supports the quirkiness of the fast editing and the montage sequence. The colours have subtly been edited to fit Saeed modified vision of the world around him, increasing the peculiar feeling, the world we know but some is somehow difficult to recognise.
Her surrealist influences lead her ideas and the narrative of this short reflect this with some recurrent landmarks already such as the montage/day dream sequence and the strong aesthetic presence of nature.
Far from the fairy tale aspect, the film however remains poetic and unpretentious with the integration of all members of the crew passing in front of the camera at one point in the film so as to prove that they are not above the audience and that they would have probably made the same mistake.
Black Swan is a tender yet abstract and disturbing short which pulls us all out momentarily of our reality and pushes us into this dark, prosaic and political position, forcing us to loose trust in our own thoughts.
You can really feel my surrealist and experimental influences here! 5 years later... I'm working on a feature inspired by this story :)
UK 2007
Director: Fiona Cross
With Amith Rahman (previously known as Abraham Chowdhury) and James Horseman
Once upon a time, there was a very ugly duckling, unloved and rejected by his family and society. The lonesome bird grew strong and bitter, plotting a way to get back at society for what it had made of him.
Black swan reflects on what has pushed our society to create its own ugly ducklings. Transferring this tale onto the London life style today has proven itself to be more than successful, playing with the audiences’ conceptions and stereotypes. Saeed is first introduced as a young Muslim, whose faith has given him the strength to go and achieve his goal. Although this isn’t made clear, through his journey across central London, it is strongly believed he is on his way to join the line of terrorist attacks. But what is it that actually convinced us that this was who he was? This deaf and dreamy character in a white skin would not have seemed more innocent. And here comes Peter James, a disturbed attention seeker who thinks the whole world is against him. So, when a London station does blow up, and Saeed is in that station confronted by Peter James, our prejudice and maybe unconscious racism is forced forward. By focusing on who might be a potential suspect, we forgot to look at who showed obvious signs of danger. The grown ugly duckling, now an oddly graceful black swan, has finally found a way of getting back at society from ignoring him for such a long time.
The directors’ third short has taken a more experimental and political turn. The style is striking yet gritty with some beautiful locations such as the Woking mosque, the oldest of the whole of Britain. The sound inspired by French film “Sur mes Levres” supports the quirkiness of the fast editing and the montage sequence. The colours have subtly been edited to fit Saeed modified vision of the world around him, increasing the peculiar feeling, the world we know but some is somehow difficult to recognise.
Her surrealist influences lead her ideas and the narrative of this short reflect this with some recurrent landmarks already such as the montage/day dream sequence and the strong aesthetic presence of nature.
Far from the fairy tale aspect, the film however remains poetic and unpretentious with the integration of all members of the crew passing in front of the camera at one point in the film so as to prove that they are not above the audience and that they would have probably made the same mistake.
Black Swan is a tender yet abstract and disturbing short which pulls us all out momentarily of our reality and pushes us into this dark, prosaic and political position, forcing us to loose trust in our own thoughts.
First Time
Directed in 2007.
Amazing looking back at old work and being able to see how much you progressed in 3 years.
Still this was one of my favourite shoots with an excellent team!
Much love to you all
Amazing looking back at old work and being able to see how much you progressed in 3 years.
Still this was one of my favourite shoots with an excellent team!
Much love to you all
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