I was a teenager when my mom was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study in the US. We left Guyana and moved to America for two years, she in Albany and me in Miami. All my friends were back home in Georgetown. I remember buying a box of letter writing stationery from Eckerds Pharmacy to…
Category: Thoughts on Things
asphalt/art 8
Since the weather has gotten nice lately, I’ve been able to start walking in the mornings again. There’s an elementary school close to where I live, so I often see many lost treasures on the asphalt in my neighbourhood. If I’m patient, I can collect many of these images over time. Art sometimes requires patience….
yutori
I’ve been learning about the Japanese concept of yutori. This word refers to creating space in our lives. According to my Japanese friend, the word itself translates to “spaciousness” or “slack”. Perhaps yutori has to do with creating mental space and also physical space – which in turn makes more mental space. This space allows…
encounter on ikuchi island
I’ve never been one to do things in a rush. I need time to figure things out, then to experience them. So visiting a city in a day or two will always leave me feeling discombobulated. For the past four weeks, I’ve been travelling around Japan. Although we’ve been staying in each place for more…
encounter on a bridge (kyoto)
A few days ago, I’m walking back to my hotel. I notice an older man parking his bike against the bridge. I smile at him and say hello and he comes right over. “Where are you from?” he asks. “South America,” I reply. “Where exactly?” I explain how originally I’m from Guyana, but now live…
perfect day
The best part about traveling for me is not really having an agenda. I have almost five weeks of Japan exploration ahead of me. I don’t make a list of places to see or experience. I just meander. Yesterday morning while walking to an exhibition, I passed a beauty salon. It wasn’t flashy but rather…
chain mail
Most people who know me know that I am not on social media. And most people who follow this blog know that I recently opened a small online shop. I think you see where I’m going with this. A few days ago, I sent the link to my shop to a friend telling her about…
create for yourself first
As some of you may know, I started a (very) small online shop. In it, I carry greeting cards, stickers, and a 2025 calendar. I had no intention of making a calendar. I was happy just doing illustrations and drawings on my iPad. Then one day, I happened to see a video of someone making…
purge the cookies
Hi, Friend, I do so hope you’re well. Today I think Garfield was right to hate Mondays. Today I feel like Mondays should drop out of the week. But then Tuesdays would become Mondays and I don’t want to hate Tuesday too. For the past few days I’ve been hearing from a few of my…