2011

photograph by Luka Yang

2011 is my opportunity to finally advance by choosing either left or right instead of insisting on walking straight when this is not possible.

It is a big puzzle to me how different my perspective at the end of 2009 was, compared to this year. Because, objectively, nothing much happened in 2010 to justify such a big difference. At the end of 2009 I was extremely tired, had few future perspectives and even less energy to implement any measures to change anything. I could even barely come up with a sane resolution for 2010. The end of this year is confusing as ever but at least now I am looking towards 2011 with positive energy and faith in change and finding long lost balance.

But with all my positive attitude towards change this year, one of the biggest of 2011 has imposed itself on me without me having anything to say about it. A certain family issue will force me to go through a major transition in terms of becoming more tolerant, selfless and responsible. It is a huge challenge for someone who has a reputation for being none of the above. But I have a strong feeling that if I don't get it right this time, I might not get another chance. Maybe it'll be my final graduation.

With respect to another issue that has been burdening me, 2011 seems less promising. The battle between old and new has yet to be settled.

snow

photograph by Eden Lee

I have arrived home a few days ago. Finally, it is snowing heavily around here. I am anticipating the sound of a shovel being scraped across the pavement in the morning and that makes me happy. I've heard it other places, but the echo is never quite the same as in the interior yard of our apartment block.

thought of you

It's saturday, it's cartoon day!

Today's cartoon is an old-school 2D style one, by Ryan Woodward, titled "Thought of You". Enjoy:

Thought of You from Ryan J Woodward on Vimeo.

The song is "World Spins Madly On" by The Weepies. Here's a behind the scenes, documenting the collaboration with modern dancers and choreographers.

via @fALk_g

kordan

Kordan from Brooklyn

Kordan: "Mirror" from KORDAN on Vimeo.

via Bloom CN on Facebook

memories

photograph by Angus柒

I miss the mixed smell of leather impregnated with Lucky Strike smoke and intoxicating tusche. I miss the orange lemonade and the white cherry and green nut sweets. I miss listening to Willie Nelson and drinking coke from a coffee mug.

point and shoot

illustration by Luz de Luciernaga

sinnvoll-berlin.de

At the Xmas market in Berlin I have recently bought one of many beautiful notebooks. Each one is hand made and one of a kind. Mine looks like this (both sides shown):

I love the texture of the notebook which was made from old newspaper and thread and the colors that emerge more or less randomly from various old newspaper pictures. The notebook comes from Sinnvoll in Berlin. Do check out their website for more interesting products, all made from recycled products like bicycle tubes, old paper, packages, cans, records etc. Moreover each product comes from a social service project with fair wages. Well done!

compliments

I was so happy to discover this type of street art (?) in my city! It was a piece of paper at the stop lights. It looked like an ordinary announcement, but it was written by hand, in colorful glitter and said: "for free: compliments". Anyone was free to take a compliment with them. And for the ones who didn't, it still made them smile! Great initiative!

re-formatting

photograph by changer

Strong winds make my steps hesitant, the fog renders my way uncertain. For the first time, I feel tempted to give in to a reasonable (what an awful word!) offer. A strong set of old-fashioned values and ideals is threatened, now (finally?).

Reason says go the new way. But my old way is of a brilliance and purity that few will ever have the privilege of knowing. Not one argument against the new way. But my old way is frail and weeping anticipating betrayal. Which way will I turn? Convert? Reformat?

Either way, a storm is ahead.

berlin in winter by night

Below I am sharing some (few) pictures of Berlin by night. It was about the same time in November two years ago, that I visited the city for the first time. And although at that point I had no time to explore the city, I tried to make up for that this year. Unfortunatelly, I had the nastiest cold, was running around with the dizziest and heaviest head I could imagine and was not really in the mood to take pictures, which is why I don't have a big selection and not even enough to show all of Berlin's faces I've seen.

If I were to describe Berlin with three words it would be: relaxed, young, international. And it would still not describe it entirely. It is artsy, modern, funny, alive. Personally, I also recognized some familiar cues, like wide open spaces and boulevards, old-school tall buildings, the subway interior, all of which made me feel comfortable. Last but not least, I love Berlin in winter, in lights, in snow (a little bit) and in the sweet scent of mulled wine and caramelized nuts.

online, offline

photograph by RICENZ

"Jellyfish, are you Spanish?"

"How did you end up in Shanghai?"

"I could swear you were Chinese. Even your picture looks Chinese!"

"How's the weather like in Portugal?"

"I don't know why, but I was sure you were from Hong Kong!"

And it is not just my nationality, my occupation sparks a great deal of dicussion as well. I have to explain my interests, my CV, my choices, and to be honest, I haven't even thought of cool answers for those questions. In one picture and a timelines, people project whatever they want to see. So I realized that Jellyfish only exists for everyone as they want her to be. Because of these expectations, I find it hard to meet up with people offline or chat with them (for example for interviews).

I can't say I am bothered, but I do feel a strange vibe everytime I have to correct/contradict people. It is not what they wanted to hear, this does not fit in the picture they have made of Jellyfish. To some extent maybe they feel tricked. Then I often have to justify and excuse myself. Luckily, most people are very nice and kind, they recover quickly after the first seconds of confusion, are open minded and warm. But I know that from then on, to them I stop being Jellyfish.

nosaj thing

...and some really cool visuals:

Nosaj Thing - MIS, Brasil 2010 (leg. português) from Cauê Ito on Vimeo.

direction long lost

photograph by Lihan Lin

...and going wherever I am taken.

hiromix

Hiromix is a successful female photographer from Japan. Born in 1976 in Tokyo as Toshikawa Hiromi, she was able to establish a name for herslef quite early as one of the most prominent representatives of the private/ introspective and snapshot style. In 1995, her photo diary series, Seventeen Girl Days, won the Canon’s 11th New Cosmos of Photography award.

Recently, I have bought her second photobook (almost identical in concept with "girls blue", which had a much more edgier feel but is now out of print), titled "HIROMIX", which contains random photos of herslef and everyday things, mainly food, flowers, pets, and friends (including actor Hiroyuki Ikeuchi and photographer Takashi Homma with blonde hair).

"Photography is the place where I can express all of what I feel and think in my everyday life. It would not be understood by grown-ups or kids - only we can see what it is. So, I don't expect everyone to understand it. It just makes me so happy when it reaches people, even a few."

For more on Hirmoix link here or here. For an interview link here. Photo source.