Japanese calligraphy
I love calligraphy. It’s fun to do, aesthetically pleasing, and in my case utterly impractical, one of the few things I do just for their own sake. I started playing around with calligraphy when I lived in Korea, so now that I’m in Japan I couldn’t miss the opportunity to learn a bit about the […]
Working magic
A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic. –Carl Sagan *** Photo by Jaredd Craig on Unsplash
Space traveller
The incredibly friendly host of a guesthouse in Fuji saw me sketching one day, and asked if I can draw something on the huge blackboard in the house kitchen. He complimented on my drawing so many times before I even got started, that I was a bit worried I wouldn’t be able to live up […]
Holy mountain
Teach me to
Stand strong and tall
Through typhoons cyclones
And collapse
Of common sense
Show me how to
Hug the Earth and
Set up a sturdy base there
So that I won’t topple
As I stretch out to the Heavens
Pushing way past my limits
Remind me
To always keep
My head up high
To raise above
Turbulent petty weather
To keep raising like this
Till I become
One with the Sky
Thank you card
One thing I’ve always wanted to do more of is giving out thank you cards, on both big and small occasions. Now that I’ve spent a fortune in Japanese stationery shops, I have no more excuses.
The Empress
Textiles are hard. I almost gave up on this portrait, but luckily after reworking the dress for the 3rd time it finally started making sense. Also, yes, I just spent most of my day fixing a painting I only made it for its own sake. Aren’t holidays amazing?
Mountain view
I dreamed about seeing Mt Fuji ever since I remember. We took a detour on our trip to Japan so that I could make my dream come true, and booked a room with mountain view so that I could just sit there and watch it for hours. Unfortunately, between heavy rain and clouds, the mountain […]
Note to self
I’m fast to judge experiences as either good or bad. When I’m tired or hungry, I’ll label almost anything as bad. Then I’ll spend the rest of the day grumpy and upset about something that wouldn’t necessarily be a problem under different circumstances (like after I had lunch). As I’m starting my vacation today, I […]
Lost in Tokyo
If you’re looking for me, I’m lost in Tokyo. I’m totally mesmerized by this city and all its neon lights, cute tiny plants in cute tiny backyards, and multiple layers of highways, pathways, and trains stacked on top of one another. I’m also surprised by how familiar it all seems. So many tiny details, from […]