Books are linear. We read them from cover to cover, in which we indulge ourselves in the narrative exactly as the author has devised. A book, after all, is unknown territory until the author leads you by the hand, revealing essential elements at the author’s whim.
I’ve written a novel about a young Chinese restaurant owner whose business is about to get demolished by a gargantuan development company. In order to relate to the true story, the reader must understand underlying tendencies, Chinese traditions and cultural schisms. I’m bridging all these necessary elements in a natural form. My book is layered, like an onion: at the centre lies the novel; and around it, in coherent contextual layers, I wrote articles which are in my opinion necessary to understand the Chinese culture and events in my novel.
The reader is free to skip to the novel, or cherrypick articles. I encourage the reader to explore the Fish Castle.
The book is available from Blurb for only €21,50.
Dear friend and stranger,
Two months ago, I moved with my wife and child from Hongkong to The Netherlands. There has been some run-ins with the immigration department. The current situation is as follows: the IND will grant my wife a residence permit, but only if I have an adequate income (EUR 1240 net, minimum wage). My wife’s traveling visum expires on 1st of July, which means if I don’t have a job by then, she must go back to Hongkong until I do.
I will graduate on 14th of June as a Bachelor of Design at the Royal Academy of Arts. I need to have a year contract which is active by 1st of July.
I’ll take any job involving creation if it means I can keep my family here with me. I don’t care where it is (within reason) or what I have to do. I live in the area of Amersfoort, but I don’t mind working in The Hague, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht.
I may have not much experience, but I make up for it in enthusiasm, motion and purpose. I will get things done.
It may be a moot point but of course I speak Dutch fluently. Please consider offering me a job, or forward me to someone who might. If not for me, then perhaps for my wife and five month old boy.
Went out with my film nikon on a real moody day in Hongkong. The clouds were so low they were obscuring most of the skyscrapers. This is a selection. (flickr)
When I came to Hongkong I needed a Chinese name for my HK ID card. My wife coined me 偉森 (“Wei Sam”) because it resembles my name… vaguely (David Samuel Wieland). I had to be able to sign my name frequently so I practised and practised until I could do it without cheating.
This “mural” sketch is a representation of that process.
(Click image for bigger size.)
Dear all,
Four years of Interactive/Media/Design have nearly come round. That means that the first cycle has been completed: the last air bubbles have been purged from the engine; all rotors and mechanical elements have now all been oiled and should no longer stall or sound squeaky; the perpetual motion of students progressing through a new educational institute has been established.
Click here to continue reading.
A dramatization of what really happened to me. I was in the library for weeks to finish a project. By the end of the day I usually grew really hungry and took some cookies with me. But before I had even removed the crinkly wrapper, the library nazi already busted me. How did he even know I was eating?
FULL SIZE HERE!
Do you know that feeling where you heard a story somewhere and you tell your friends, “Hey, someone should make a movie out of that!” Well, it happened to me. Only the feeling was so strong, that I said to my wife, “Hey, I want to make a movie out of this!” But I’ll be damned if I know where to even begin.
Click here to continue reading.
This picture was a complete surprise when it came back from the development shop. I took this long exposure at the boating station in Hongkong, behind a glass window. I propped the cam against the glass and opened the lens for 10 seconds or so. What I didn’t know was that the wide angle also caught my shade and the gloomy lights behind me in the glass.
Shot with Nikon FM3a + 24mm.
“Hong Kong under my gloom of doom” on Flickr.
I’ve finished scanning the handmade letter and it’s ready for use. Please find the full version on my flickr stream here.
It’s under CC license, so do with it what you like; but please let me know if you use it.
