"Do you see me? I usually have on a headband and am writing in my journal if we aren't touring or in class. I kept my hair short and in a headband because we couldn't use anything electric, including hair dryers, flat irons, etc. Pretty much wash you hair and go. I remember where I was here. Sitting at a bus stop. My roommate for the six weeks we were gone is at the top left. No short legged pants in Eastern Europe. It wasn't culturally accepted. Either long dresses or long pants."
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"Wow, does this bring back memories! We climbed to the top of the castle in Prague, not knowing there was a much easier way to get there. We would climb and rest, then climb and rest. This drawing does a much better job of capturing just how hard that climb was than my photograph! You see --art is able to express feelings through symbolism, much better than a photo."
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"We were excited about our train ride from Prague to Budapest --that is until we got on the train. Since it was an overnight train ride, we had sleeping compartments. However, they were nothing like we expected. Crowded, three-tiered --barely enough room for all our luggage, and VERY hot. No air-conditioning and only a tiny window for the July weather. This drawing closes in on you. You feel cramped just looking at it. I can still feel the heat and being unable to move when I look at it."
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"Do you see me? Aline was always careful to make her sketches of each person stay true to what they looked like. I still can remember each person just by looking at her drawings. In this drawing, we all crammed into a cable car that took us to the top of Zakopane in Poland. It got colder and colder as we went up, until finally... we were at the top of the snowy mountain."
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"Here I am again. Her sketch of me is a somewhat irritating reminder that I am basically two long legs attached to a short body. She also captured me doing what I typically do --see the world with a camera in my face. The other lady who looks sad, probably was. We all secretly called her the "shopaholic!" She had two faces. Smiles when there were things to buy, and gloom when there wasn't. She bought so much stuff she had to ship it home periodically throughout the trip."
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"The top sketch is of my roommate taking a huge plunge. We climbed to the top of a burial mound in Krakow, Poland. Instead of going back down the path, she decided she would RUN down the incline. Bad idea. She started rolling and rolling. Lucky she didn't break her legs. Of course, none of us had a camera on her at the time. Aline's sketches were never dependent up timing.
The bottom sketch is one of my favorites. Do you see me? We were eating in the only Jewish restaurant in Krakow. Before the Holocaust there were 65,000 Jews living in Krakow. When we were there, there were less than 100. The restaurant was very old, with mahogany tables covered with crocheted tablecloths. There were menorahs on the antique sideboards lining the walls. We listened to a small Klezmer band perform songs, and we dined on traditional dishes. It was a very special night. I took a photo of the menorah that was just over my shoulder. I will never forget it... |