101 in 1001: Cat Parade

Paignton Carnival Procession

Last night I participated in the parade, as part of Paignton Carnival, in the next town over. That means I can now cross off the 101 in 1001 goal:

• 071. Be in a parade/procession

The group I was with was raising money for and awareness about Blue Cross, in particular the rehoming centre that I volunteer at. The centre takes in and cares for stray cats and cats that owners can no longer take care of due to illness, age, change of circumstances or the cat's behavioural problems. However, Blue Cross in general is a charity that has rehoming centres and veterinary clinics all over the UK and looks after not only cats, but dogs, horses and small pets (rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, rats etc.) as well. 

Shaky photo but I like it. I was blowing bubbles at the time, haha

Boop & I

I got to Paignton at about 5pm, because there were prizes for the best groups/floats and the judges needed to see everyone beforehand. The parade didn't start until 7:45pm, so during that time another volunteer and I put makeup cat whiskers and noses on everyone who wanted them and sorted out other things too. (My dress also had cat print on, by the way!)

The procession took us all the way around Paignton and it eventually finished at around 10:30pm. It was a lot of fun and Batman even showed up!

Batman and Batgirl's bike

My friend (who also took all the photos in this post) met up with me again at the end and we walked back to our town via the coastline/beaches. There were a lot of gulls and crows that we loved watching and everything was so beautiful. And yes, I did wear the cat ears and make-up on the walk back too!

Paignton Pier

The moon shrouded in clouds

101 in 1001: Creatures, Aliens, Military Officers, and More

Monotropa In Spore Space

I completed another 101 in 1001 goal recently, whilst doing something I love.

• 032. Finish 10 digital paintings

You can view the previous paintings here. This is the last six, starting with the picture above, 'Monotropa In Spore Space'. It was inspired by the plant Monotropa uniflora, commonly known as ghost pipes. They have pure white stems, each with a single flower. The blooms themselves are sometimes white like the stems, but are often tinged with hues of another colour/other colours as well. They're also parasitic and rely completely on their hosts.

Eske

The next one I completed was a character design for someone in a story/graphic novel that I'm working on at the moment. His name is Eske and he is employed by the military in the nation in which he currently resides (he's originally from somewhere else).

Morning Ritual/Midnight Mass: Mary

Following Eske, I finished the digital painting 'Mary', which is part of a series called Morning Ritual/Midnight Mass. There are two distinct sets of images which will go together to make two larger pieces at the end.

Architeuthis

Next came 'Architeuthis', inspired by the golden Giant Squid, Architeuthis dux. Most of the character designs I do are in black and white now, but 'Architeuthis' definitely needed his colours!

Miseria And The Familiar Shape

My space princess friend Miseria was the lovely "muse" for my next drawing. Green, purple and black are colours that they often wear, so that became the colour scheme for them. And also, I just wanted to draw a magic moon jellyfish made of stars, so that happened too!

The Paracosmonaut

Lastly, 'The Paracosmonaut', a combination of "paracosm" and "cosmonaut".  I had intended to finish the next Morning Ritual/Midnight Mass digital painting, but this one played like a little film in my head, my brain took a "screenshot" of it and made it into a picture. This could have been called "Parastronaut" or something similar, but a) it doesn't work as well and b) in the little "film" there was definitely a Russian cosmonaut. 

Fun facts: A cosmonaut is different to other astronauts because they are trained by and part of Roscosmos (Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities) in Russia, as opposed to the space organisations of other countries. The space agencies of other countries have different requirements for the amount of flight experience time acquired and, for example, the age/height restrictions differ from  those of other nations as well.

A with that, the goal is complete!

101 in 1001: Watch 20 Short Films (11-20)

It's been a while since I wrote anything here, but I've been steadily working through my 101 in 1001 list...and forgetting to post about them! Over the past few months I've been watching lots of films that are under 40 minutes long for the goal:

• 069. Watch 20 short films.

I've tried to select a mixture of films again, but of course I do have my own personal watching preferences. Thanks again goes to my friend Kei for linking me to the My French Film Festival site, where I watched all of the French shorts. And with that, in no particular order, here are the final ten films:

Unwind

Title: Unwind (2012)

Director: Tansay Gardam

Language: English

Genre: Sci-fi, drama, medical

Runtime: 6 minutes

Plot: After the Heartland War was fought over abortion, a compromise was reached, allowing parents to sign an order for their children between the ages of 13 and 18 to be unwound - taken to "harvest camps" and have their body parts harvested for later use. 

Thoughts: Based on a book of the same name by Neal Shusterman, the short Unwind focuses on Kelsey, a teen going through her unwinding process. Even though there are only three shots used - Kelsey's eyes, the nurse's face and the doctor - and most of those are very lengthy, the film doesn't get boring. All of Kelsey's emotions are conveyed through her eyes and it works very well, especially against the faux caring words from the nurse ("oh sweety, don't worry", "you don't die, sweety, you just stop living", "you're saving lives" etc.). It's quite obvious throughout that both the nurse and the doctor view this patient not as a person, but as a collection of living organs, which they need to dismantle as part of their jobs. It's a somewhat uncomfortable watch, as I think was intended, but I enjoyed it.

Noyade interdite / No Drowning

Title: Noyade interdite / No Drowning (2016)

Director: Mélanie Laleu

Language: French

Genre: Sci-fi, drama, romance, some comedy

Runtime: 17 minutes

Plot: Humans are following the Voice's orders. Inserting coins into slots provides the beat. Solitude settles in for good and reigns over the world. Suddenly, two dreamers cross paths, and the battle begins. When a strip-tease mermaid encounters a diver and wish thief, the world around them had better watch out.

Thoughts: Although this short has a contemporary science fiction setting, it is very much a story about two unusual people who want more from their lives and begin to follow their dreams together. The character development is great and you get attached to and hopeful for both main characters. The "mermaid's" journey from  a disillusioned loner, resigned to her fate, to someone with hope who can share even her most ridiculous dreams with someone else is wonderful. The last 5 minutes of the film (including during/after the credits), as fantastical as they are, close the film really well whilst also leaving you wondering what will happen next. This quirky and unusual film was a great find that I'm glad to have seen.

Mama / 媽媽

Title: Mama / 媽媽 (2015)

Director:  Ernest Chong Shun Yuan

Language: Hakka

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 11 minutes

Plot: In a village, a lonely retired nurse goes through her daily routine with her son by her side as she reflects on the memories of her younger days with her husband and children.

Thoughts: This is a sad film, though it doesn't seem it until the last minute or so. The plot twist at the end wasn't a complete surprise (because who would just sit there not talking whilst someone asked them multiple questions?), but the way in which it was executed and the plot details made it more unanticipated. It was an interesting watch.

La Mort, Père & Fils / The Death, Dad & Son

Title: La Mort, Père & Fils / The Death, Dad & Son (2016)

Director:  Denis Walgenwitz & Winshluss

Language: None (it's a French film but has no voiceovers)

Genre: Comedy, drama, animation

Runtime: 13 minutes

Plot: Death's young son is reluctant to take over the family business as he doesn't wants to save lives, not take them. He tries to change his fate by performing a series of good deeds that go wrong and ultimately take him back to his family's fate.

Thoughts: The animation was beautiful and the score fit the events perfectly. Also, Death "junior" not only wanted to save lives, but wanted to be an angel because he saw one on TV. It was a charming, heartwarming tale showing that you can be yourself, accept who you are and also be "good", even if others don't understand your intentions. It was highly enjoyable and managed to be both funny and a little sad at the same time.

Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome

Title: Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954)

Director: Kenneth Anger

Language: None (English text displayed, but mostly silent)

Genre: Experimental

Runtime: 38 minutes

Plot: Historical figures, biblical characters, and mythical creatures gather in the pleasure dome. Aphrodite, Lilith, Isis, Kali, Astarte, Nero, Pan, the Great Beast and the Scarlet Woman all take part.

Thoughts: The "pleasure dome" in the title refers to Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem Kubla Khan, in which Khan orders that a "stately pleasure dome" be built in Xanadu. There are three versions of the film, all with different soundtracks and largely identical imagery, but I have only watched the version with Leos Janácek's Glagolitic Mass as the score.

I have a slight fascination with Kenneth Anger's work -experimental film in general - and have seen some of his shorts before (Rabbit's Moon, Lucifer Rising, Invocation of My Demon Brother, Puce Moment etc.). However, for some reason, I'd never watched this one.

Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome looks beautiful and everything - the costumes, hair and make-up, sets, lighting, and post-production - comes together to create a visually arresting film. Even though Glagolitic Mass is a musically wonderful piece, at times the score felt a little too dramatic for the film and I found myself wishing for silence in places. Having said that, Anger released this film in 1954 and a lot of the contemporary film scores had a similar overblown quality to them, especially the Biblical epics.

Perhaps that vague connection was deliberate, as there are also numerous symbolic and ritualistic references to Thelema, a philosophy and semi-religious practice founded by Aleister Crowley, throughout. Unless you're aware of them, though, the film just plays as a decadent, hallucinatory experimental short. Overall I'm glad I watched it!

So You've Grown Attached

Title: So You've Grown Attached (2014)

Director:  Kate Tsang

Language: English (US)

Genre: Comedy, drama, fantasy

Runtime: 15 minutes

Plot: When a young girl starts to grow up her imaginary friend has trouble letting go.

Thoughts: So You've Grown Attached was a really enjoyable watch! I particularly liked the way imaginary friends are portrayed as beings that actually exist, have lives, thoughts and emotions of their own, outside of their child's imagination. Ex doesn't speak, other than with short sentences on cue cards, but it's clear that he's increasingly distressed by the situation, despite only wanting what's best for Izzy.

From a cinematographic and soundtrack point of view, the whole thing is shot in black & white and the music is very 50's/60's pop/girl group ballad-esque. Both of these give the film a nostalgic yet unreal quality. 

The Brain Hack

Title: The Brain Hack (2015)

Director:  Joseph White

Language: English (UK)

Genre: Sci-fi, thriller

Runtime: 20 minutes

Plot: A theology/engineering student and a film student work together to create "the best film ever made", the results of which could be world-altering.

Thoughts: This was an interesting film that had quite a unique storyline. It builds on the idea that those who have certain neurological conditions, such as epilepsy, are able to "see god" or at least perceive the true nature of everything. This is because of what the pair describe as a "brain hack", which they want to induce in everyone through film. There were points during the short when things that happened to them seemed too unrealistic, but the last 5 minutes explained everything. I'd like to say more, but don't want to spoil it for anyone who decides to watch.

The Fisherman / 漁夫 

Title: The Fisherman / 漁夫 (2015)

Director:  Alejandro Suárez Lozano

Language: Cantonese

Genre: Creature horror, comedy

Runtime: 20 minutes

Plot: Wong is a fisherman in Hong Kong, struggling to make a living. One night, he leaves the heavily trafficked waters of the harbour and fish in calmer waters. When he catches something from another world, he dreams of making money from it and thinks his fortunes have changed.

Thoughts: This was a pretty decent film - the effects were great - and was worth watching. The plot was a fairly standard creature feature/alien creature plot, but it was entertaining and at times amusing as well. The only problem I had with it was that I didn't like Wong much, so didn't really empathise with his troubles or feel bad for him when he was fighting the creatures. However, the ending was quite unexpected and it made the whole thing better!

The Sad Man

Title: The Sad Man (2015)

Director:  Jake Lava

Language: None (only a soundtrack plays)

Genre: Horror, animation

Runtime: 3.5 minutes

Plot: A strange character wonders a desolate city alone until he meets an unusual little girl.

Thoughts: The "Sad Man" character reminded me a lot of Salad Fingers crossed with the forest spirits (Princess Mononoke) and No Face (Spirited Away), all of which I love, so I appreciated this short a lot. The soundscape and sparse use of colour both add to the post-apocalyptic, creepy vibe of the whole thing. When he meets the little girl, and it seems that she's equally as bizarre/disturbed as him, their friendship is uncomfortably fun to watch. However, the ending explains why he's actually so alone.

Symmetropia

Title: Symmetropia (2017)

Director:  Zachary Davis

Language: English (US)

Genre: Sci-fi, horror

Runtime: 7 minutes

Plot: A psychiatrist takes his patient out to a wood full of symmetrical trees in order to cure the patient's fear of symmetry. Then things take an unexpected turn...

Thoughts: The plot of Symmetropia is quite unique, due to the way in which the plot unfolds. Even though over half of the film is just spent watching the patient walk through the woods with a blindfold on, whilst listening to a tape of his one of his therapy sessions, it's actually intriguing as I wanted to find out what was going to happen next. And when you do eventually find out what's going on, it's great. Also, watch right until the end as there's another scene after the credits as well.

And with that, my short film-watching goal is complete!

101 in 1001 - Write 25 Poems (No. 21 - 25)

An unrelated picture I took of the sea/clouds

This is part 4/4 for goal 21 on my 101/1001 list:

021. Write 25 poems.


With this set of poems, this goal is complete!  You can read the first six here, the second six here, and the third eight here.

You can read the last five under the cut below↓↓↓

101 in 1001 - Make a Website

A screen of the site

The above is a screencap of my shiny new site, which I made for the 101 in 1001 goal:

• 012. Make a website.

My site can now be found here:

The Paracosm

Honestly, I thought I might fail this goal, as I've been putting it off for ages. It's done now though and I'm so glad it's off the list! Feel free to stop by and say hello~♥

101 in 1001 - Food Foraging: Dryads Saddle

Dryads Saddle (Polyporus squamosus)

Whilst out for a walk this afternoon, I came across some fungi growing on a tree stump. As it was Dryads Saddle (Polyporus squamosus), decided to take a small amount of it to make something for the 101 in 1001 goal:

091. Go foraging and make something with the resulting finds.

I found it growing on a tree that had fallen across a stream in the area below (forgot to take a photo of it from far away):

Stream

Me (left) walking along the river path

There were countless insects - especially bees, beetles, hoverflies and butterflies (orange tips, commas, peacocks, and holly blues) - and the trees were ringing with all kinds of birds/birdsong. It was so beautiful and peaceful. 

Comma Butterfly (Polygonia c-album)

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

I also spotted a buzzard in the sky, being chased off by a carrion crow several times, as it was circling above.

Crow (Corvus corone) and Buzzard (Buteo buteo):
After a swooping crow attack

After collecting some Dryads Saddle and returning home, I then had to decide what to do with it.

Dryads Saddle, looking like pizza slices

As I was preparing them for other people as well as myself, I decided to make something with a somewhat stronger flavour than the traditional "fried in butter and lemon" recipe. I opted for something  similar to a vegan tagine in the end:

Using the Dryads Saddle

Truthfully, these mushrooms are quite chewy when picked at the age (a little older) these were, but the flavour of them really came through and complimented the dish. Whilst I don't think I'd eat these regularly, I'm glad I tried them!

101 in 1001 - Re-learn How To Play Chess

Over the past few months I've spent some time working towards the 101 in 1001 goal:

• 053. Re-learn how to play chess

Setting up the board

I used to play chess in as part of a chess club when I was a kid, but haven't played in years and have largely forgotten much of what I learnt. That was the motivation behind this goal. After talking with my friend Rina about chess one evening, I realised that I did still remember how to set up the pieces, their basic moves and the basic rules of chess. So I then watched the tutorial below (which I found as one of the suggested videos of a link Rina sent me) to give me an extra refresher. It helped a lot, especially with things like the en passant rule because I didn't remember that at all!

After that, I used the website lichess.org to practise and my friend Luciel and I played some games against each other via that site too. I lost every time, because Luciel is much better at chess and things involving strategy than I am, but they were helping me to learn, so it was fun!

A few weeks later, Luciel and I then played a game using a chess set; I was white and they were black. I tried my best and they helped me a lot, but it inevitably ended up with me in this situation:

Just the king left, preparing for checkmate

Honestly, Luciel could have won much sooner than this, but chose not to so that we could keep playing. So, I am still really rubbish at chess, but I do remember how to play it, which was my goal. It's complete! I will probably keep practising though, because I'd really like to improve.

101 in 1001 - Make Something Out of Snow (Part 2:Milquetoast the Snow Cat)

Milquetoast the Snow Cat

After my last post about the 101 in 1001 goal:

• 085. Make a snowman/something out of snow

The skies again opened yesterday/today and my town was covered in a blanket of white ice crystals once more! I was really lucky this time, as I happened to be out volunteering on both mornings/early afternoons, around some amazing animals, plants and scenery. The snow gave everything a magical look (even if I couldn't feel my hands because of the cold/could feel them way too much when they warmed up!). 

When I got home, my friend and I decided to try to make another, bigger snow animal - this time opting for a snow cat (pictured above). The snow was much less powdery and compacted really well, which made it a lot easier than the last time When we were finished, we decided to name him Milquetoast the Snow Cat.

101 in 1001 - Make Something Out of Snow

Creepy the Snow Duck

Where I live, it hardly ever snows and when it does it rarely settles. However, over the past few weeks the weather here has been a little unusual and we've had a cold snap, bringing with it a blanket of snow.

Originally, I had intended to go to Dartmoor in order to achieve the 101 in 1001 goal:

• 085. Make a snowman/something out of snow

But this gave me the opportunity to make a little snow duck (pictured at the top), complete with grapes for eyes, in my own back garden. (Honestly, I'd just come back from the hospital that day, so I didn't really feel like trekking out to the moors anyway). 

The snow was very powdery, but I managed to construct my creepy little duck bit by bit!

My friend was taking the photos of me making him, but didn't take one from the side, and I also forgot to take one when I was finished. So the only completed photo I have is the first one in this post, which makes Creepy look a bit like a flat pancake duck, even though he was 3D. Nevermind - this goal is still complete!

101 in 1001 - Enter the 2018 BIAZA Photography Contest

Whiskers & Teeth

This is a goal from the 101 in 1001 list that I completed a while ago but forgot to post about until now (there are a few of those!):

• 084. Enter the 2018 BIAZA Photography Contest

I also didn't want to post about the photos until I was sure they were going to be allowed, as they had to be checked by the organisation I volunteer for first. They were accepted at the beginning of last month though, so here they are! The above picture is of an asian short-clawed otter. He was yawning at the time, but it ended up looking like he's grinning.

That's Quite Enough

The second photograph is of two macaroni penguins, one of which was making such a din! The penguin in the foreground seemed like she'd had enough.

Whilst these aren't the best photos I've ever taken, they captured a moment and showed the animals' personalities, which is why I chose them. The 2018 award winners will be announced at the BIAZA gala dinner (no, I'm not an attendee, haha!) in June. These were just entered for fun, so I'm not expecting anything. However, if you'd like to see some truly award-worthy images, you can check out last year's winners here.