Telliria

Natures two faces
earthquake
and blooming sakura




Japan Red Cross Society Donation

So last Saturday was my birthday which I didn't celebrate particularly - guess I'm just that old. The only thing I stick to on my birthday is to eat Sacher cake which is probably one of the most chocolaty chocolate cakes ever invented and I offer a tribute to the late Franz Sacher for his ingenuity. Of course my wife knows my modest perversions and we spent a nice afternoon with my parents eating Sacher cake.

Though I'm not so much into highlighting my birthday I guess it's an opportunity for reflection of the year that has passed. And, of course, to look forward - to the next level. This was a concept presented to me by a quick remark made by one of my friends. Six of us have run a D&D campaign weekly since the middle of July, so our conversations are often bent towards RPG jargon. He said "Level up! Do you get any new feature? or is it skill points for this level? ".

It struck me that the rpg way might be an better way to measure up your achievements. I suppose looking at yourself from a 3d person's view would give a more objective angle. Divide whatever you did last year into appropriate categories and fill out your character sheet. What skills did you learn? Any features? Titles? The most exciting (?) - new gear? Or perhaps even a change of alignment? Video games and rpg are simplifications of real life and a way for us to relax in worlds where the rules are predetermined and choices are simpler. But maybe we can bring some of those things back to learn about ourselves...
Some of my own hopes for next year this level is to get my MSc title, +1 Perform: Sword Art and perhaps a new sword. What are yours?



Live Long and Prosper
/Telliria

PS.
Next up I'll write a feature on the incredible music videos of the japanese electropop group Perfume (Pafuumu).
DS.

So I'm just back from three weeks of well needed vacation in Japan. The title of this journal means "Kamakura hibernation" and it was the theme of my wife's and my trip. Basically three weeks of taking it easy in the ancient capital (1192-1333) of Kamakura south of Tokyo, at the pacific coast. We spent much time visiting the many temples, shrines and gardens of the town and I hope to post some of the nice photos I took in the coming weeks.

Back home I feel filled with new energy for my work where I continue to finish my thesis work in nanotechnology. I also have a new sword which I got just before I left for Japan and I didn't get to try it out until today. I had a great feeling about this sword when I tested it the first time in november last year and it still feels excellent after the training today - it's just my own form which is rusty and slow

I'm also going to take an evening course in Japanese - after each visit I feel more strongly that I want to be able to talk properly with my family in Japan, hopefully this can be the first step towards that goal.

I think there will be lots of things going on for me in 2010, there will be plenty of changes and hopefully lots of opportunities. I have great expectations for the year of the Tiger.



Live long and prosper
/Telliria

Taken from AmrothDin...

1) For each of the 9 first people answering this journal I will put his/her avatar and the three deviations I like from his/her/its gallery on the list.

2) If you answer, you'll have to do the same in your journal, putting me on the first place, completing this way the list with 10 people.The idea of this is not to get a free feature, it is to spread art around for everyone.

And because I stole this from his journal, the first place goes toooo...

1. A fellow swede (visst är jag originell, AmrothDin) and the author his own warhammer comics. Check out his crazy wh40k galore gallery.

amrothdin.deviantart.com/art/4… - We're all awaiting the arrival of the true kin.
amrothdin.deviantart.com/art/B… - Because I'm a donor (for the blood god!)
amrothdin.deviantart.com/art/N… - Because scrolling is fun Great comedy doesn't take much. Also check out the band Eels and their Novocaine for the soul (yes, the music is somewhat weird, genre undefinable).

2. Open

3. Open

4. Open

5. Open

6. Open

7. Open

8. Open

9. Open

10. Open



Live long and Prosper
/Telliria

Finally I got around to do this and, in the end, it didn't take more than half an hour. My new avatar is a stamp I had made with the Japanese (Chinese) characters for my last name which in English means Oakstar. In Japanese it becomes kashiboshi which of course sounds hilarious

As I just got married I'm going to change my name to Tojo but I figured it'd be nice to preserve my old name in the icon. This type of stamp is also used for signing important papers, but as I now have a new one I figured it's safe to have it here . Admittedly those really used for signing are usually somewhat more intricate in detail and also inverted in colour because those are more difficult to do and thereby more difficult to copy.



If you are interested in having one made you can surf to www.yuin.co.jp/. I bought mine from them directly in Japan so I'm not sure how they ship internationally.




Live long and prosper
/Telliria