In case someone hadn't noticed, I don't really write here anymore. My main blog is as of today on my main site. It's kind of more focused on my art/work. Whee!

Ilan and I had this discussion about what's the best part of sushi. Ilan insisted that it's the fish, whereas I think the best part of sushi is the seaweed. Second is the cucumber and third is the rice.

The fish, to me, is a much too fleeting experience - one moment it's there, the next it's gone. Of course, this is the whole point of sushi. It's a fleeting experience, much like viewing the cherry blossoms in spring or being a young samurai who is killed in battle.
Still, I like the reliable seaweed, cucumber and rice. You can always trust at least one of them to be there in any type of sushi. (Of course, my favourite sushi is kappamaki.)

Anyway, a fast way to enjoy these things is onigiri. I used cucumber, boiled egg and tonkatsu sauce for the filling.
I made six, but by the time I remembered to take a photo I had already eated half of them ...

Ilan met some nice people yesterday. One of them mentioned that his girlfriend works for eBay, doing French customer support. Soon she won't be working for them anymore, though - they are in fact flying her down to Morocco to teach Moroccans to do her job, so that eBay can sack their "expensive" European employees and hire new people in a country where they can pay lower wages.

Maybe she should not only teach the Moroccans how to do customer support, but also how to fight for better working conditions. With capitalism being global, the workers' struggle needs to be global as well!

Related to this, here economist Richard Wolff explains the state of affairs in the world. Slightly demagogic, but easy to understand ...

Capitalism Hits the Fan!!!


Finally, a song. As relevant today as ever.

(Only for Windows users XD ...)

Rules: Open the folder "My Pictures". Then open the sixth folder inside that folder. Then grab the sixth image in that folder and post it on your blog.

Okay, the sixth folder in my "My Pictures" folder is called "Gulleryssland" ('cutie-Russia'). This is the sixth image in there:



I don't remember which city this is from. Could be Petersburg. And stupidly I didn't even take a note of the photographer, although I usually do when I save photos off the internet. But in any case I want to live in that tower!

Rules:
1. Do not leave your room or use any requisites that are not your personal possessions.
2. Hold the camera in your right hand.
3. Look into the camera.




I kind of tried to convey what these colours symbolise to me.
Black is honesty, life, suffering, resignation, truth.
Red is blood, flesh, passion, wrath, love, revenge, hate, rebellion.
Blue is responsibility, boldness, reliability, openness, calm, bluntness, hope.
White is happiness, acceptance, death, purity.

I took more than 500 photos to get these four. Funny enough, the moment I saw each of these four after transferring the lot to my computer, I knew that they were The One.
I considered photoshopping away the camera strap from the red picture, but it adds to the composition ...

Recently I've noticed that I've started to look less hideous without makeup. Probably because I'm getting old and losing facial fat or something ... (Yay, less facial fat means that my 'Tatar lines' will be more visible!)
Or it could be because I've been germanified? German women very often don't wear any makeup, and sometimes I've actually felt like I send "wrong" messages by wearing strong eye makeup like I usually do.

This picture is fun because the colourless birthmark I have in my forehead is so prominent.

I walked into the room as Ilan was listening to Obama's inauguration speech. He went, "... and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

But of course he wasn't talking about the Israeli government. GOD KNOWS what their Israel policy will be.

For a couple of years now I have been unable to write anything worthwhile. These days it is very bad, because there are terrible things happening and I can't bring myself to write anything about it and it's driving me crazy. What the hell can I do?

According to Khalid Jarrar, I can at least donate money to the UNRWA. So today I did. Since I am very poor it was only 100 $, but I hope it will be of help to someone in Gaza.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Karen AbuZayd, expressed her horror to the extensive destruction visited upon Gaza Strip today and her deep sadness to the terrible loss in human life. UNRWA, the United Nation's Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, strongly urges the Israeli Government to heed calls for ceasing its bombardment on Gaza. Israel is a signatory to international conventions that protect non-combatants in times of conflict. These conventions are worthless if they are not upheld. ...more

Donate to UNRWA Special Gaza Appeal     تبرعوا لنداء الاستغاثة الخاص بغزة

By credit card or:

1. Arab Bank PLC
UNRWA USD Current account100191-4-510
SWIFT Code: ARABPS22600
El-Rimal Branch Omar El-Mukhtar St, Gaza

2. HSBC Bank
UNRWA USD Current account 002/057511-185
Swift Code: BBMEJOAX
Amman, Jordan

  

Short version: I have been boringly happy this year.

Long version:

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?

Made out with Ilan, upgraded Photoshop (from 7 to CS4, whee!), met my dad again after 8 years or so of non-communication (at Ainur's graduation party), made some kind of speech in front of a group of largely random people, participated in the 24 h comic book day, went to Beelitz and some other really interesting places.



2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn't make any last year, and I won't make any this year either. But I have a resolution going on permanently that I am going to grow as a person. Become stronger and better and more compassionate and accepting every day. Yay!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

The closest were Ainur's friend Susanna and her husband Khaled who had a little Magdalena this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Unlike last year, no.

5. What countries did you visit?

Orust/Sweden, Geneva/Switzerland, Lisbon/Portugal, Madrid and Córdoba/Spain. Very West European this year. But at least I travelled a lot more than last year.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

Willpower to concentrate even more on my comic making. In 2008 I only appear to have had satisfactory concentration during the 24 h comic book day, when I drew 21 pages in 24 hours, whee!

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched in your memory, and why?

Probably the day when Ilan and I exchanged saliva for the first time, though I'd have to look up the exact date in my diary. January 13th?

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Managing to be for the largest part happy in a romantic relationship for almost one year already. O_o

9. What was your biggest failure?

QuarkXPress -> PDF. RAAAH

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Just a couple of slight colds.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My new laptop! Tinet ♥ Dell Vostro 1500.

12. What was the best thing someone gave you?

My mum gave me a 4 month early morning Yoga class, which did noticeable good for me. 

13. Were you lucky in love or lucky in cards?

I never play cards, but I sure have been lucky in love this year. :o)

14. Where did most of your money go?

The rent, baby.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Piggies! Doggies! Penises!



16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

Alec Empire: Killing Machine, James Dean Bradfield: That's No Way to Tell a Lie, Jimi Hendrix: The Wind Cries Mary (all of them related to comics I've worked on in 2008); Amy Winehouse: Back to Black (because I first heard it in a bakery shop early in the morning when Ilan and I got some provisions for our first Beelitz trip), ... and, of course:




17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

Happier or sadder? - Happier.

Thinner or fatter? - That never changes much.

Richer or poorer? - Richer. I just got salaries from three different clients, so, yes, I will survive!

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Drawn (even) more comics.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Been cranky.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

At mum's house on the island, as usual, with mum, Ilan, a parrot and three fuzzy doggies!



21. How will you be spending New Year's Eve?

Same as above, minus doggies, plus peremech. Mmmm ...

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?

I guess I did. :o)

23. Did you fall out of love in 2008?

No, I finished all that in the previous year.

24. What was your favorite TV program?

The only TV program I watched was Saving Grace, as suggested to me by a client, which is endearingly Christian in a typical US-American way, and not all that awful really.

25. Do you hate anyone now whom you didn't hate this time last year?

I don't hate anyone.

26. What was the best book you read?

Definitely "Kanikosen" by Takiji Kobayashi.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Calexico and Khalas.

28. What did you want and get?

To have sex with Ilan. :op
Of course also all the basic things like good health, a roof over my head and food on my table.

29. What did you want and not get?

:o/ Can't think of anything, save for silly, petty things.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?

Maybe Survive Style 5+?

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 27, and was at the time visiting Ilan in Geneva. After we got out of bed, we went to have breakfast in the restaurant on the top floor of a department store, from where you had a nice view over the town.



Then we did some general Mapping Festival related stuff. I carried Geoff's guitar midi controller to L'Etage, where Lance Blisters was going to perform, and felt cool. I gave some hands in setting up the equipment at the venue, but mostly sat around hoping that I would get an opportunity to help with something.
At some point Ilan and I went to get something to eat at the Shark (which handled the catering), and came across a woman who was very evil to Ilan once, and I wanted to beat her up. The adrenaline surge made it impossible to finish my second veggieburger, but in the end Ilan was able to hold me back before she had even noticed his presence.
In the night Ilan performed with Lance Blisters, along with some other fun acts. Backstage we found the Pink Floyd record "Animals" and marvelled at all the piggies in the cover art. Then we hung out on the parking lot outside, where there were some performances and other stuff going on, but by then it wasn't my birthday anymore.

32. What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?

Less menstrual bleeding (but the same hormonal balance) = even more sex = even more satisfaction. Yay!

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

Same as always.
A special mention about my 1930's outfit at Ainur's graduation party might be in place: pale yellow blouse with big fish print in 1930's cut (tight waist, wide bust and shoulders, deep V-neck, short sleeves; made by myself), dark gray tweed skirt below the knees (second hand), brown vintage Mary Jane's (second hand). But I forgot to wear my Sergei's tooth necklace. ;_;



34. What kept you sane?

Drawing comics. The memory of Mitsu and Sergei.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Ilan is pretty celebre and public in the VJ scene, so ...

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

The black and white reporting about what happened in South Ossetia. In a parallel life I would have been there as a reporter, so it stirred me to wonder why I didn't go anyway, and I just wished I could find out the Truth.

37. Who did you miss?

Mitsu and Sergei.



38. Who was the best new person you met?

Netania can throat sing, so she is definitely the coolest new person I met this year.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:

Ilan, various bad examples, The Big Bad Book Blog, and most recently Dave Pearson have taught me how important and fruitful it is to be nice, polite and professional IN EVERY ASPECT.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

Yeah, said its all right
I won't forget
All the times I've waited patiently for you
And you'll do just what you choose to do
And I will be alone again tonight with you

Yeah, I heard a funny thing
Somebody said to me
"You know that I could be in love with almost everyone"
I think that people are
The greatest fun
And I will be alone again tonight with you

(How I for some bizarre reason kept mishearing Calexico's cover of Love's "Alone Again Or".)