Germany, again!

Germany, again!

It’s my second time in Germany this year. The third in just over a year. Can you imagine that? After all my reasoning to avoid Germany in my recent post, there was no hesitation in me whatsoever to be back again. Why has Germany become so appealing? Why do I have to be in Hamburg for the second time?

The difference between my last visits, I think, was realising that Germany became my visual home. It was here where I found my visual connections. It was here where I acquired inspiration to continue as a visual practitioner. I have been a visual practitioner for many years but it was the conversations that occurred here that made me realise and say, “Yes, I am a visual practitioner!”

One exciting thing was being able to ask advise on visual recording in quite a concrete way. It was wonderful to observe Malte von Tiesenhausen create a picture to inspire me in this work. He, himself, is very inspiring!

Another thing I realised was how friendly and helpful the Germans are. It was unbelievable how easy it was to talk to people and to ask for directions, for example. I was really amazed by this fact.

Will I be back in Germany soon? Sure, why not!

Germany, finally

Germany, finally


It’s true. I have to admit. I am such a sad person. My very first entry point to Europe was Frankfurt. After that I have been passing Germany many times. In Frankfurt, in Munich, in Hamburg and other stops where I don’t even try to remember the names of the places. Yes, stops. I was at the airports with no intention of going out. Sorry to say but Germany was one country that I was not attracted to. I can’t even pinpoint why. Maybe because in my mind, I associated Germany with physics, numbers and formulas. I pictured it with industrial buildings and nerdy, very efficient, no non-sense people. Even my former German colleague has a PhD in Chemistry! And in my travels, I want arts. I want arts badly. Yes, I am a sad person.

So when I went to Hamburg in September for an event, I was embarrassed to say that it was my first time to go out of the airport. And even more embarrassed because I was there meeting artistic people! The first person I got talking with was an artist who showed me her sketchbook of landscape drawings. I even went out with a group of Germans to do Urban Sketching. Then I met this lovely lady whose art I crazily admire. My heart skips a beat every time I see her sketchnotes. So my idea of Germany came tumbling down!


So this time was the second. This time in Berlin for a workshop about visuals! I was so wrong. So wrong that I feel the need to apologise. So to reverse this embarrassing situation, I’m supposed to be posting a photo of a German artist but that didn’t actually work out. I was so admiring his work that I forgot to take photos when the light is right. But then I finally got signed copies of his/my books! The amazing artist is Malte von Tiesenhausen.