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David Hockney, We Two Boys Together Clinging, 1961, oil on board.

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William Kentridge 

South African, b.1955  

Untitled (Colonial Landscape), 1996 

charcoal and pastel 56.5 x 75.5 cm.

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Proverbe en image: L’union fait la force (1910) by Fabien Fabiano

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my study space

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Jonathan Meese 

B.1977 

DER LEIBLICHE INSEKTENHANS, 2007 

oil and fabric collage on canvas  67 x 51 ½ in. | 170.2 x 130.8 cm.

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love love love <3

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André Masson 

1896-1987 

L'ŒUF ROUGE, septembre-octobre 1925 

oil on canvas  72 x 50 cm. | 28 ¼ x 19 ¾ in.

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Now, more than ever, clear writing matters.

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Jean Fautrier 

French 1898-1964 

UNTITLED, 1944 

Indian ink and charcoal on paper  25,5 x 19 cm. | 10 x 7 ½ in.

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Joan Miró 

1893-1983 

PAINTING, March 1931 

oil and collage on metal  18,1 x 20 cm. | 7 1/8 x 7 7/8 in.

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mandarin/japanese/life update

Soooo… the last update I posted was in July. I came back to Germany in late September and things didn’t work out the way I had expected them to. Long story short: my mental health took a nose dive and I didn’t feel like studying at all.

I’m feeling better now and at least for Mandarin I’m back on track! Japanese… not so much.

Mandarin Update #4: Starting from January, I started reading a lot again. Then I listened to podcasts more. Now I’m more into watching youtube videos. What I did/do: - use the New York Times’ Mandarin app to read articles - started listening to the 故事FM podcast - read 活着 by 余华 - watched some episodes of Yanxi Palace - watched 你的孩子不是你的孩子 (highly recommended!) - watch a LOT of youtube videos I’m also still texting and calling my Chinese-speaking friends, but all in all I don’t use the language enough, most of it is passive consumption. I think I’ll try the Diary Challenge to force myself to write more.  Japanese Update #7: My motivation to study Japanese has been pretty much non-existent since coming back to Germany. I don’t see or hear the language anywhere here, at least in Taiwan I could eavesdrop on tourists! What I did: - started watching Midnight Diner: Toyko Stories - played through NieR: Automata Impressive, eh? I hope my motivation will come back once I move. I got a job in a city that has a lot of expats, maybe I’ll look for a tandem partner there. In the meantime, I’ll try the 1 Month Kanji Challenge. I’m gonna focus on Kanji that don’t exist in Chinese or are written very differently or have a different meaning in Chinese/Japanese. And that’s it! Everybody stay safe and healthy in these trying times!

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Outgoing mail 💌

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during this strange time of quarantine, be in communication with your friends. keep your hands washed. start a new series on netflix. go for a walk. take a relaxing bubble bath. spend more time playing with your pets. finish the video game you started when you were a kid. do some cooking. read a book. write out your thoughts and feelings. consider that your mental health may decline some, but it is not a backtrack on progress. use this as an opportunity to learn more about yourself; find new things that help ease your mind and please your spirit. I know it’s a change of pace, but don’t let it get the best of you. stay safe, pursue positivity, and perservere always.

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Listening to: Folkesange (Myrkur)

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Sadamasa Motonaga

Japan 1922-2011

WORK, 1964   

oil, synthetic resin, and gravel on canvas mounted on board  91 x 116 cm. | 35 ⅞ x 45 ⅞ in.

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