05-24: you'd have to stop the world just to stop the feeling
song on repeat: Good Luck, Babe! by Chappell Roan
wow! what a special edition of local colour, with snapshots from many different places stewarded by a plentitude of Indigenous groups. I come here and write from Indonesia, the Indigenous land of over a thousand ethnic groups, free from Dutch and Japanese colonization since 1945. I urge you to research and pay respects to the Indigenous peoples of the land you are reading this on, here.
Just being alive means that almost everyday, all kinds of things happen. So we change almost daily, too. It’s okay to let yourself be swayed back and forth, from day to day.
— Kazumi Kurigami, photographer, “On Taking Portraits and Having Your Portrait Taken” (daily Hobonichi quote from May 27, 2024)
I was on a walk with my cousins when I caught this out of the corner of my eye. A (not quite cobalt, a little more pastel, or maybe just sun-faded?) blue Cimory toothpick-flag stuck into one of these scarlet red blooms I’ve been seeing everywhere but have not gotten around to identify. They kind of remind me of beetle shells, or dragonfruit. I’m obsessed with how the red of the cursive text and Indonesian flag matches these beetle-dragonfruit-blooms so perfectly. I wonder if whoever did this felt that way too.
May 19, 6:09pm
Paige: This poppy made me think of you!!
The “I saw this and I thought of you” text is my favourite to receive (and send). And how lovely to be reacquainted with a flower I met last may!
May 24, 8:02pm
Howard: I love how literally the first thing I do this morning is give you a pep talk
Lol
May 24, 8:04pm
Mel: The cloudless blue sky and the vibrancy of the building against the shadowy windowpane and walls makes it look almost fake like you’re on a soundstage lol
In a good way
May 4, 5:02am
Kareen:
The balance of each bubblegum pink streaked petal against (what I can only call) the matcha green tendrils budding out at the centre — the contrast of colours and textures and shapes are kind of playful but elegant at the same time, don’t you think?
I looked it up and dogwoods stand for endurance, for durability through all seasons.
May 4, 10:25am
Mel: I don’t think I’ve ever seen pink dogwoods!!
May 26, 8:06pm
Mel: ACUSHLA THEY LOOK ALIEN
LIKE ALIEN CREATURES
In the best way possible
Wow!! So strange and so beautiful!
That almost-yellow zing of the lines in each leaf drawing your eyes straight into each pinky-red orb, and dancing with each chartreuse dot and tendril! It’s mesmerizing!
May 24, 8:07pm
Acushla: It is fun to be around familiar plants. And YES they do look alien.
Mel: I want to touch this sooooo bad
— and crack it open because it kind of looks like a rambutan? Maybe even dangle them from my ears like the perfect summer statement accessory?
May 8, 10:24am
Eleanor: clearing out my childhood bookshelf n these colours reminded me of you 💘
Eleanor and I have never talked about her before, but coincidentally, Jacqueline Wilson was my favourite author growing up (even before I found out she’s a lesbian, and before I realized I’m queer). I guess my aesthetic is children’s-book-cover-core? (How could you resist this candy-coloured cover? And the metallic details? I would totally wear that pink-heart and yellow-koala t-shirt.)
May 31, 3:45am
Ari: i saw these today and they are so mel-coded
What a joy to be introduced to a new-to-me flower by a friend!! These would ALSO make great earrings (do I dream about earrings too much? Probably). They remind me of a katamari that has rolled up nothing but pink-red-orange flowers. This flower katamari is what I’d imagine my heart to look like when I’m feeling happy — rolling round and round, growing and blooming with pink-orange life.
May 24, 12:51am
Rosie: I took this photo last night when I was driving home, there was this epic epic epic 霞霞霞霞霞霞霞霞 situation going on, and um driving east, just wanted to share that
Fun fact! My Chinese name, 丽霞 translates to “beautiful pinky-purple sunset glow”
Pinky-purple lights always remind me of perfect nights back home.
May 11, 10:42pm
Mel: Oh and omg I have intense northern lights fomo. Did you get to see it??
May 12, 3:16pm
Amitai: I don’t wanna increase your fomo but….ya I did
It was amazing
I’m finding that I love finding joy through the eyes of my loved ones. I feel the love that transcends distances and floats across time and pushes through discomfort — I feel loved. I hope you feel loved when you read my letters, too.
May 9, 11:36pm
James: walked outside and all these colours were the first thing i saw, taking this as a sign you’re gonna be home in no time
A shock of colour and a shock of life, all at once! I believe it!
I’m looking up! (And wow, there are flowers here too!)
Love you desperately 💗💜🌸🍇🌷🟣🌺☂️