one month on

it s exactly one month since the big one hit the Japan north-east coast. i haven t been able to do much more than read up and follow the few news bulletins anxiously.

there was a beautiful but very sad video-clip posted on YouTube that i would like to share here too. the song is by Métis, a singer hitherto unknown to me, but i very much like her style, and the text of this particular song is very moving. i won t be translating, all i can say is that in general it questions whether we as humans haven t become too complacent and relaxed in our ways... haven t we forgotten to enjoy and appreciate the little things in life?

it is what has been going thru my mind for much longer now.

meanwhile, work at school is progressing well, working with my hands is keeping me occupied.

i have also been folding origami cranes (tsuru, just happens to be my middle name too, as it was my grandmother s) for an organization called Students Rebuild. i hope they succeed in their endeavor.

pray for Japan. don t forget about all the other disaster areas in the world.

please.

project nr 2

and here it is then, project nr 2 for school, the entourage ring is finally finished!

it took me some time to choose the stones. at first i thought i might go for purple amethysts or red garnets... but then i wanted skyblue aquamarines. once i got to the shop though, i saw this blue-green beryl and i was sold.

i don t want to ever take this ring off again, but our next and last project is coming up, also a ring set with a stone, and perhaps easier to wear on a daily basis... oh well, we ll see!

i like to wear it casual like this...

what an exercise!

i m almost there! project nr 2, the entourage is nearly finished, i just have to polish the thing, and then i can give it to my teacher, Mr. Faes, for setting! can t wait...

the middle prongs first

cleaning up the back

the first outside prongs form the base and the height of the entourage

phew, that worked out ok

all prongs soldered

now for the ring

will they stay together? taking a risk here

all soldered and pickled

after a first polish in the tumbler

ps. got our midterm results: 87.5%... now i m gloating!