I am an enthusiastic person that enjoys listening to music and watching movies (as do many people~). I also like to create my own videos, create my own music, and learn new languages like Japanese, Spanish, and Korean. I will always have a love for nature and the quiet places in the world even though I may live in a big city. In my mind there is no better place to live than where you can be around people that care for you. I believe am a very lucky person in that respect because I think I have found such people. I hope every day I can inspire someone to live a more wholesome and happy life, unafraid of being themselves and excited to make a difference in somebody else’s life.
…I also study Japanese Kanji extensively and quite enjoy doing so. To illustrate, at the close of May 2010 I completed writing each one of all 1,947 Joyo Kanji at least ten times in sequence whilst simultaneously exercising their usage in the painstaking but highly-interesting task of hand-writing approximately 7,000 compound-kanji words. My motto for this training is 自己啓発, self-enlightenment. For more detail, check out my post on the subject.
Dorian Wacquez 
Thank you so much for including my artwork on your wonderful, intellectually challenging and thought provoking writings. The title of the piece is supposed to be thought provoking also, with layers upon layers in graffiti style with calligraphy in a complex mixture of the chaotic and the incomprehensible, yet somewhat organized into quadrants or grids like Kyoto. I have signed it by using the “Ro” of my Japanese name Kon Te Ro or Lo Na in much the same way that people carve their initials into trees or rocks or tag their graffiti. I am, of course, referring to a Western genre. The very idea of graffiti in Japan is anathema, thus the work contains more contradictions. I do not usually write about my work, leaving the work to speak for itself and have each person interpret as they view it. There are no right or wrong answers.
You raise some very interesting questions to which I have few answers. It is a given that language and culture cannot be separated, and one reflects the other. I find Japanese to be a hugely complex puzzle of the poetic and indirect. I also find it fascinating that there seem to be many more words for colors in Japanese than in English, words used in poetry, yet words to describe emotions are far fewer than in English. I have never studied Japanese formally so would be happy to be corrected as well.
Please keep thinking and writing.
Best,
Rona
Dorian Says: “Check out Rona Conti’s gallery by clicking here. The piece that is being referenced in this comment and the one that was used as my Inspirational Image (Inspirimage) of the week of Jan 11th is called Graffiti.”
Thanks for your input Rona! What struck me as especially insightful is your recognition of the duality of the truth in Japanese/East Asian culture. That is, it contains many apparent contradictions which we as Westerners are constantly trying to understand/cope with . I just finished reading “The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently…and Why” by Richard E. Nisbett; after reading your comment, I believe you may find it interesting.
Thank you for the book recommendation, I will purchase it after I return from Japan. While it would definitely be a fine journey companion, I am going to focus on being in the moment and travel light physically but hopefully not intellectually.
Hi,
Just stumbled on your site and thought you might be interested in our film telling the stories of four diverse kids in the U.S. becoming bilingual in the public schools. You can watch the trailer at: http://www.speakingintonguesfilm.info.
I’ll keep checking in. Your blog is full of interesting threads.
Marcia
Fantastic! I am honored by your compliment and most humbled by your interest in my blog. I have been to your website and have just now finished watching the trailer and the panel discussion. Your work as a producer and director of films covering a wide range of oftentimes difficult to address social issues is truly admirable and one that I will look further into. As for your recent documentary, Speaking in Tongues, I will secure a copy for myself in the near future.
Now, before I forget, is your film in any way related or based off of the 5-part series by the same name coming out of Syncopated Productions? I am sure that you are already familiar with it.
I don’t usually reply to posts but I will in this case, great info…I will add a backlink and bookmark your site. Keep up the good work!
There is obviously a lot to learn. There are some good points here.
Just wanted to let you know…you had commented a while back on an illustration I had done (Beautiful Faces) and you had said that to combine the charm and emotion into a single image,no words.
For some reason that stuck with me, and I’m wondering if the words are what stops the illustrations from getting accepted to greeting card companies and licensing companies that I’ve been sending these to.
I’m interested…what made you make that comment? Are the words taking away from the illustrations? I really do want to try this. Let me know. Thanks.:)
Hi Dorian, I thought I’d check out my image and see how it looks on your site. Very nice. I found it interesting that you’re living in Korea, I plan on walking across (north to south) South Korea in an upcoming fall. I’m looking forward to seeing the land and photographing it also, but I’m sure language will be a difficulty for me. I plan on reading more about your life here to help me on my journey.
Best,
David
Hi Dorian,
Your blog has a lot to learn. Impressive indeed!
Remember, you commented on my post regarding Calligraphy and adding a link. http://anshulrautela.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/calligraphy-the-thing-i-luv-doin/#comments
In reply, I dropped a mail to you due to some inaccessibility to WordPress that time. Din’t get any reply from you then. Well, it was in 2010 quite a time back. A long span I know.
I was just going through my blog then saw that comment and thought of visiting you again. 🙂
Anshul.
Thank you so much for visiting me again!
I went back and had one more read of your article and,
I must admit,
it HAS been some time now, hasn’t it.
Glad that you sound well and good.
Cheers!
Dorian
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Hey Dorian,
I watched a couple of your videos on YouTube and they were amazing!
Where were you located when working as an ALT in Japan?
Hello Sumner,
My sincerest apologies for not responding sooner. I was located in Ehime, Japan.
Also, my heartfelt thanks for tuning in to my youtube channel. I have moved to Tokyo now, but I do hope to continue uploading content. Please stay tuned!