Over the New Year (and an elephant question)

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In that long week of no computer whilst you pined for an update, here’s what happened on my side.

Christmas. It was surprisingly busy; I partied like a fiend. Which is to say that I ate out a lot with many of the same people. Look, I have friends on Christmas Eve.

Admittedly, most of this dinner was about Kim-Chi’s new haircut. We have the same hairdresser, hence this picture. See how I’m smizing so hard?

I finished the fruits on my mural with crayon. Why had I ever thought that using Posca paint pens was the best way to go? Done learned my lesson. Now all that remains is to turn these random circles into a fruit tree. I might break out my old calligraphy brush for this job.

My chopstick light fixture was coming apart because I kept hitting it with things. I figured it was high time I redid it, and maybe made it look less cock-a-hoop. Geometry or a degree in architecture might have really shortened this process, because it took me four hours and a lot of Christmas music to figure out that I would never be able to remake the bird nest structure with the giant fluorescent bulbs in the way. I settled for a more modern Japanese aesthetic. Materials: Kitchen paper, hot glue, chopsticks. Continue reading →

Out of Touch

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I am without a home computer without further notice. Last night I took mine to the Apple store in Shinsaibashi to get the display fixed. Weirdly enough, the same guy from my last trip to the Apple store helped me out. Dear Ingen told me that because of the holiday rush (New Year’s is bigger than Christmas in Japan) the repairs would take seven to ten days. City Hall will close from tomorrow through January 2nd, so I’ll have only my iPod to keep me connected online. In a way I’m looking forward to it. I’ll read some books or play some music. Constant internet access is my biggest distraction; who knows, perhaps the upcoming days of disconnect will spur me to knock off a few of my goals on ye old Projects! list.

Anyone else gone computer-less in these modern times?

Gingerbread: Revenge

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“Revenge” is a borrowed word in Japanese, one that I occasionally hear in class. If a student answers a question incorrectly but retries later in the class, s/he will often raise a hand with a declaration of “Ree-BEN-gee!” Were I to give them a more accurate translation of the sentiment, all my students would be shouting, “For my honor! Redemption!” I wrote earlier about my troubles with gingerbread. The mere thought of that day can make my blood boil with the fires of righteous indignation. As you may remember I ended that blog entry with a declaration of war. Or just one to make real gingerbread houses. Same thing. Either way, with Christmas right around the corner the time for my revenge drew nigh. Continue reading →

I Felt Sew Creative

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Let me first assure you that I’ll spin no yarns about my genius. I can’t chain it down; my genius comes and goes at will. Let me second assure you that I’ve already exhausted my stock of jewelry puns for this post. Wait, I almost forgot one: As soon as I get a bead on where I’m going with these puns I’ll move on to the next paragraph.

That bit about my genius is true, for the record. It is the will-o-the-wisp of attributes, I do declare. I’ll go for a month without making a thing, and then churn out seven new pieces in a week or two. That week or two is usually devoid of social interaction, and once the well of inspiration/jewelry supplies runs dry I emerge from my invariable squalor and start being friends with folk again.

As is likely evident from both my Internet absence and I Japan Go roller coaster of emotion, October was a tough month for me. I was really sick of being a foreigner, I was tired of teaching, completely over getting up before 7:00 (I’ve never been “under” getting up before then, anyway), done with my inability to communicate in Japanese and fed up with my illiteracy. I can’t say that I’m over this phase of culture fatigue, but I’m working on it. A gym is the thing which is joined by me, so progress.

Though it was terrible for my apartment and diet, October and November 1st-9th was great for Petunkalunka. Inspired by a custom piece for my jewelry muse and some of the mistakes natural elements in the Indian Summer necklace, I made two new beaded fringe necklaces using the regular yarn I mentioned in the Yeti Yarn post.

[Pause for unrelated "Tears of a Clown" dance break.]

Also, why is everyone so crazy for felt? I like the stuff, and enjoyed the felt storyboards of Noah’s Ark and Zacchaeus up in the tree while in Sunday School. I made a weird forest gnome costume with the stuff for Halloween two years ago. Everywhere I look online is felt this, felted that. Ooh, a felted sculpture of something useless! Yay, felt slippers! Huzzah, felted sweater panties! I mean, felt’s nice and all, but I can’t see it being…wait, shut up, it’s coming to me. Oh, yep, there it is, a font of ideas for jewelry that looks cozy and classy all at once. Blammo.

Now I have to price them and write cheesy descriptions for it all. I’m still struggling with setting the price so that it isn’t too scary, but at least breaks even on cost (especially for those fringe necklaces. Oh, the hours of labor). Yelch’s Boring Juice. But hey, I’m back on the radar.

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