J. Martin

March 31, 2024

Spring Break’s Over, Exams Are Done

After an intense March replete with bachelor and master degree exams, the summer term starts this week with a term project kick-off on Tuesday and my first lecture on Wednesday. And I’m all set, right on time! I did make myself familiar with all the shiny stuff that had arrived over the last weeks for my new training regime, and it’s great. Also, after freeing up writing time by cutting down on reviews, I will drastically reduce my Flickr output too—now that my Singapore 2023/24 albums are complete, I can shift to Penang Island in a leisurely fashion. Which will free up even more time that I desperately need! Not only am I lagging behind my writing schedule for the second Voidpunk novel but also for a paper on player decisions I’m working on. I really have to get my act together—before I look up and it’s suddenly the end of the year again!

Once more, I didn’t write any blog posts last week, only a few micro-reviews from movies/events I attended: Ferrario’s Umberto Eco: La biblioteca del mondo (meh); Borgli’s Dream Scenario (entertaining with flaws); Koreeda’s 怪物/Kaibutsu aka Monster, in Germany inexplicably and staggeringly mistitled as “Die Unschuld” (incredibly good, must-see); Donner’s 1976 The Omen (gory classic); and the »Neue Musik« concert Set-31: The Premieres (excellent). Then, I uploaded my final Singapore 2023/24 albums on Flickr, Mount Emily Park, Grounded (stuck in a hotel for a few days courtesy of Covid), and Up in the Air, and I also finished the Odds and Ends bucket and added a few images to the ongoing Düsseldorf album. And, as usual, there are fresh posts at my Instagram account betweendrafts and daily vintage travel-squaries at Pixelfed.

This week, if you live in or around Düsseldorf, you can meet me if you want to at the movies for Miyazaki Hayao’s 天空の城ラピュタ/Tenkū no Shiro Rapyuta aka Castle in the Sky on Tuesday night.
 
For your entertainment, here’s a real gem, “Red River Shore” by Bob Dylan, a song that didn’t make it on his Time Out of Mind album back in the days (h/t Carl Bergstrom). Then, a meticulously researched and lavishly illustrated online book on comics typography by Todd Klein (that was meant to be published but sadly wasn’t). Finally, a short documentary video about two types of cats.

And, not to forget, pleasant holidays where applicable and Happy Easter to all who celebrate. Enjoy!
J.