A wish

Dear friend,

I wish you were here. Easy thing to say I know, but. When you're not around, and I have this problem... Well, I hate to call it a problem. Or call it, it, in fact. But there is this situation, this stress, this concern, and I can't ask you any more to help me but I wish I could. You always made things clearer. I wondered how I spoilt you. I don't want to spoil anything else. Imperfect the rose and all that. But now you're not here, I don't know whether or not I'm spoiling another. Ruining. Hurting. Stamping on the flowers, blowing petals into the mud. It feels like you're just as distant as friends who have gone upstairs; found the password to a floor further up with the latch locked tight. Occasionally one might hear the music, but, there's no... Feeling. Touch. Sensation. It's just an emptiness. It feels like you are gone too. But you are not. You are with others, far, far away, on the same level but entirely distant. I mourn for you, but there is a kindness that you can live so freely and remain you. You is very important. Yourself is essential - fantastic, amazing. Never stop, please never stop being you.
But no matter how I reflect back, you're not here, and that's that. I can't ask you for your advice, no matter how good and relevant it'd be. I can't tell you that I care and remember you, I can't tell you how much I miss you, how I wish we could be in touch again, my dear friend.

Duolingo - Best free app for language on Andriod

Duolingo is a fun and creative app that is rather genius in it's way of teaching.

As described in the video above the app is free and the people behind it get money by students translating documents while they're learning. Not only is there reading and writing training, but there are listening based challenges as well which can be a little unclear to hear but useful in learning. It's a shame one can't switch listening based questions off as it not only excludes Deaf and hard of hearing users but also those who simply wish to learn how to read and write the language. When progress is dependent on listening it makes the app hard to use discreetly while travelling without earphones. Yet that's my only real complaint. The app is wonderful, and while the languages offered are currently europe-centric, by offering various free languages to learn for free in a single app without any adds and with a fun gaming element, it is defiantly a must-install for anyone interested in learning languages.

Ipswich

 

 

Ipswich is a quirky little town in the heart of Suffolk.

 

For example, check out the detail on the buildings.

 

 

I'd say this could be 'quirky'.

 

 

 

 

 



They are easy to not notice, but I like this subtleness in the town. Ipswich doesn't like to be too different after all. For example, there is the dry dock that the council recently poured a lot of money into.

 

 

 

 

But it's still in Ipswich so...

 

 

We have to put our little mark on it.

 

 

And then something different too. The TARDIS belongs to the Isaccs Pub. A busy and popular pub on the waterfront that's although its loud - is a nice place for most kinds of people to meet.

We have a fair good many pubs in fact.

And like most towns, we have graffiti, Ipswich style.

 

 

Just joking, we have more artistic artists too.

 

 

There's a lot more to the town, but I'm coming end to the photos I've took.

Until next time.

Friend

Still breaks my heart, you know. I miss you.

Osman Hamdi Bey

Since this blog has a little bit of everything, I thought it was about time I wrote a little about painters and paintings I admire. This is a small post about Osman Hamdi Bey's work.

 

 

Both of these paintings were done by the artist Osman Hamdi Bey. Not only did he create a variety of beautiful paintings, but he was also the founder of two museums in what is now Istanbul. As readers may know by now, I am particularly found of instruments, and I like the subtle-ness of the woodwind instrument behind the ladies back, the redness of the dress, the leaning forwards to greet the tortoise. I would love to see the painting live. In the second painting you see a woman reading the Qur'an. I like the religious connotations, the detail, the bright golden colour of her dress, her expression as she reads, the art in the background. The window in particular is wonderful.

 

I think in the future I will study Hamdi Bey's work and perhaps try to draw inspiration from it, though I have a feeling it'd be rather tricky.