Monday 5 October 2009

Fickle.



Nothing has been going on here, except that I've been skittishly throwing paint around and making quick, crazy paintings, brooding about the really big, slow ones and wishing they turned out as good as the little crazies.

This painting is called Brazil, which is a place where I have never been. I used to really want to go there to live, but I don't anymore, it's moved down my list. Perhaps I'm travel fickle.

I used to be so excited by the idea of learning another language and culture, but right now the thought of learning Portuguese and trying to decipher Brazilian culture codes is exhausting.

Actually the north of Europe is calling me. I've been all about the latin cultures for 5 years now, which is a fair percentage of my life. I feel like bikes and recycled toilet paper* and super efficient bureaucratic systems, and Dutch/Flemish or Swedish/Danish**... but also, now that I'm sharing:

The place where I really want to go soon is San Francisco. I like the idea of making some new friends, (maybe artists who will talk to me about painting?) and speaking English to such arty, english-speaking friends. The other day Mum asked me if i ever speak English to anyone and I when I said no, she said "That's weird". I 'spose it is weird.



*I mean the toilet paper made from recycled paper, usually unbleached. Spanish residents do not have access to such toilet paper.


**Given the opportunity, I would learn a hybrid version of these languages to spread their utility as far as possible.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Miss Hayley! Oh, I'm so behind in my blog visiting! What adventures to read here! I know you probably don't think so, but I think you have to be so brave to travel as you do. I have a hard time going through the states here in America let alone a whole other country and customs and languages and cultures. Oh my. But what a lovely thing to read about.

    Your painting is beautiful and so is the one you left with the big mean paintings. I'm sure it didn't get picked on. It is small but it is strong and confident and lovely too. Come to Los Angeles should you make it all the way to San Francisco. You could stay here with us - not fancy but we have a free couch!

    For some reason, your blog has started freezing my computer up. I think my browser has an issue with horizontal layouts of blogs because it does it on a couple of others too. So, I had to go to a different browser to get on. Nothing you need to do, just thought I'd mention it as other's might have the same problem.

    I'll swing by again soon. I need to see the crumbs too. Lots of lovely writing, thinking, and creating here!
    marsha

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  2. Loving that crazy there! And that crazy is one direct contrast to the picture I get in my head of northern Europe. By crikey, you may end up going all Mondrian or something. Or not.

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  3. The colours are so wild. Love it. Love the energy of it. Ah language, it's an irresistible thing. I wish there was more time to learn and more time and money to go do and learn on the fly. I lived in Vietnam and with no formal language training adored learning on the go. I couldn't hold long conversations but got by. Understood more than I could speak and am now craving European locations because I am told the languages are easier to learn - not sure the people would be as patient in teaching. Maybe South America ... so many options.

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