Judo

None of this "ninya" business.

Komfortzone

I'm making slow but steady progress on my comic - I have to think so differently because I'm not used to doing such long stories. Sometimes I feel like I'm dwelling too long on a scene or moving too quickly...but I'm playing it by ear as I go along.

Here's an uncolored page...although I kind of like the way this looks, too!

Perks

There are still only about 3,500 Japanese people in Berlin, which makes me quite a minority...

Precious

Broken

It's hard to maintain a language when you live abroad, even if it's your mother tongue. My deteriorating Japanese is definitely one of the biggest complexes I have.

Overthinking

High-speed hand-wave at close proximity is especially awkward.

Concern

I've done it!

After a long month of final preparations, I've finally finished my BA thesis project! If you are in Berlin and interested in seeing my karuta game "Amtsschimmelpilzernte", our thesis exhibition is still going on until this Thursday at:

Direktorenhaus

Am Krögel 2, 10179 Berlin (S/U Jannowitzbrücke or U2 Klosterstr.)

12:00-20:00 daily until 27. July

(I'll be around on Wednesday afternoon (16-20)) 

Woooooooot!

Husband

Superlatives

G's vocabulary consists of "not bad" and "not good". The other day he described something as being "not uncute," which I think was meant to be a compliment...

Morbid Thoughts

Hoshi Coupe

As a part of my illustrated reportage project, I spent my Saturday afternoon sketching at Hoshi Coupe Berlin, a Japanese hair salon run by Mr Ohno. The salon was brimming with action, with the stylists hustling and customers constantly coming and going. Thanks for a fascinating drawing and interview session!

Where Pigs Fly and Horses Puke

Hello!

Just a little update about an illustration project I did at the end of last semester (I blogged about it really briefly in February). The course was called "Wildes Berlin" (Wild Berlin) and we had to illustrate animals in some relation to Berlin. I'm kind of obsessed with languages, so I decided to work with animal-related sayings/idioms in Japanese, English, and German. I selected sayings with similar meanings and visually combined them -- which is kind of what goes on in my linguistically confused head! You can check out the entire book here!

Japanese People in Berlin

As a part of my semester project, I'm doing an illustrated reportage about Japanese people who work in Berlin! I'm interested in people in all different fields and trades, people with various backgrounds and spectacular or not-so-spectacular stories, people who can give me an insight into life as a Japanese person in Berlin. Do you know anyone? Or are YOU a Japanese person working in Berlin? If you do/are -- drop me a line at horibe (at) gmail.com! I would appreciate any piece of info -- thanks!

Rice-ist

Featuring our friends Annett and Adam. Speaking of Adam, his new book Make Me German is coming out in January (and we're in it! kinda!)! If How To Be German and Denglisch for Better Knowers are anything to go by, it's going to be hilarious ... so go pre-order your copy!

Garbage Bin

This probably explains why I weigh about 15kg more than my friend...

Coffee Jelly

The best!

Queues

I think there's very little that would get me to queue up when it's 34 degrees outside...

Pretty Girls

OMGBFF

I just want to high-five them all.