Another New Year
I’ve been reveling in my Winter break! It’s given me a lot of time to do things I don’t usually do, and to discover more and more things about myself and life in general. It’s been a great time. I even have time to make food doodles now!
Patreon is where I do my long rambles about what I’m working on and the tools I’m using, so if you want an expanded and illustrated read, click here (don’t worry, there’s nothing to sign up for, just a different format!):
01
Care for a listen?
I’ve been using Radio.Garden to browse for radio stations around the world! Now, before you get your hopes up, there are a few radio stations that are restricted to their own area, so even though you can find them, they can only actually be accessed within their country. However, I was definitely jamming to Radio Cymru while rearranging my office a few weeks ago! When I turned it on, they were announcing the next song… from the Sister Act movie soundtrack! Super random, and lovely.
02
A Different Kind of Music
Glass Armonica – YouTube
The glass armonica is an incredible instrument! I’ve only seen a video of it, but it basically combines a xylophone (or harmonica, in a sense.. maybe a harp?) and playing water glasses. I’d love to play this someday. Highly unlikely, but hey, I’m actually pretty close to my latest unreasonable/unnecessary goal of landing a seaplane.
03
A Heartwarming Audio Adaptation
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse – BBC Radio 4
When I first popped on this audiobook adaptation, I hadn’t read Charlie Mackesy’s illustrated book. I’d seen it, but the loopy hand lettering is hard on the eyes, so I didn’t delve into it. Listening along in the first few minutes, I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be a narrative, a poem or what. But I was soon getting my heart handed to me through its series of life truths; narrative structure no longer mattered. It’s basically a manifesto about the importance of knowing that you are cared for by the people around you, and the audiobook does a great job of presenting the story in a heart-meltingly tender way.
04
The Sound of Language
The Interpreter – The New Yorker
I enjoy learning languages, most of which are considered “dead” or dying. My latest venture is Welsh. Though I’ve had to set it aside for a moment, I can catch many words while listening to Radio Cymru, and glean some general meanings. Each language comes with it’s own unique cultural aspects, but all of the languages I’ve learned are considered fairly standard. This is not true of the language spoken by the Amazonian Pirahã tribe. In fact, it’s an incredibly controversial language that seems to break some of the core tenants of linguistics. This article is a look at the language and culture of the people that speak it. Fascinating stuff!
Head on over to the free Patreon version for more illustrations, the extended ramble on what I’ve been up to and some sneak peeks at what is to come.
Until next time!
