July 17 1. His photographs showed the perimeter of the ceiling of a cheap hotel room. There was something beautiful about them, uncluttered, quiet, almost still (but the gaze shifts). I asked him what was the point of view he was asking the viewer to occupy in order to engage in the investigation of a … Continue reading Ceiling – #19
Author: Laura Bellows
Designer, Anthropologist, Writer
Cempaka – #18
July 12 *Cempaka (Chempahkah) are tiny, white, South and southeast Asian Magnolia flowers that have an extraordinary perfume. Men climb the big trees to pick them in the early morning when the flowers are soft and closed. This is the desirable form. When they open, their petals stiffen and curve up and back. 1. The … Continue reading Cempaka – #18
Orang halus – the subtle people and the ring – #17
July 11 1. I lost the ring, that Julian made for me, in the yard after taking a bath. 2. I carried my jewelry with me from the bath house and set it all on the table. 3. I put my leather collar on (always first), earrings, necklace, rings, but was missing the one for … Continue reading Orang halus – the subtle people and the ring – #17
Body of Spice – #16
July 9 1. I put away the black pepper; I can't remember what part of the body is its correlative - freckles? Moles on the skin? 2. When the priest's wife died, she willed herself to depart on the full moon, an auspicious day, appropriate for a holy woman. The full moon is when the … Continue reading Body of Spice – #16
Spice – #15
July 8 1. The counter is too high in this kitchen for me to straighten my arm and use my weight to crush the ingredients of my spice paste (bumbu). I can't put my mortar on the floor because there is no door on the kitchen and the puppies will come in. 2. When I … Continue reading Spice – #15
Magic Jar – #14
July 6 1. I looked at the rice cooker - the Magic Jar - and commented to Suartini that the first time I stayed with her and Nyoman, 22 years ago, she was cooking rice in the traditional way, albeit with an aluminum pot over kerosene as opposed to a clay pot over a wood … Continue reading Magic Jar – #14
Hair – #13
July 4 1. When I comb my fingers through my hair to pull the knots, long grey hairs come away in my hand. 2. Mom used to touch my head and smooth my hair when I was sick. Sometimes Dad rested his hand on the top of my head, then moved his hand to the … Continue reading Hair – #13
Tiny Events & the Palace of Memories
June 27 I started out thinking about language, about how sentences can be structured differently to describe the same event. I was interested in that. And while I'm still interested in that, it's not where I want to focus my attention now, though I'm just a short distance into this project. I'm confident this is … Continue reading Tiny Events & the Palace of Memories
Black Raspberry – #12
June 26 1. It's good to walk on quiet roads. I found a black raspberry bush (2) and foraged 3 berries - 2 unripe. 2. I found a black raspberry bush. The last one before this one was in Spain 3. I picked black raspberries once in New Hampshire and remembering them makes me think, … Continue reading Black Raspberry – #12
Lightning Bug – #11
June 25 1. You and the firefly converged. But then you didn't. 2. I watched the lightning bug and said nothing. You were talking. 3. Each time I thought a firefly would be caught up on you, it was drawn through your stride. 4. I learned to do a lot of things from my elders, … Continue reading Lightning Bug – #11
Tiny Events 