just my adhded thoughts

ML: The only one left (7/10)

Now my wounds are bleeding over your heartache

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AfterAdrien Chapter 1...

My feelings on the official Avatar comics usually range from negative to indifferent; however, there is one official comic that I unabashedly love and it’s called “Relics”. It’s a standalone comic that takes place between the events of Book 1′s “The Northern Air Temple” and “The Waterbending Master”.

The art, story, humor, and characterizations are so spot-on that it feels like it could be an episode from the show. It was drawn by Johane Matte (aka Rufftoon), a storyboard artist on the show and creator of probably the longest-running, completed Avatar webcomic.

“Relics” is also the most explicitly Tibetan-Buddhist portrayal of the Air Nomads that we see in the franchise.

Mala / Threngwa

Right off the bat, we learn where Aang got his series finale necklace. Mala (माला), known as threngwa (ཕྲེང་བ) in Tibetan, are prayer beads used to keep track while one recites, chants, or mentally repeats a mantra— which are spiritual syllables or prayers. I talk about them more extensively here.

Stupa / Chorten

In the comic, Aang encounters a Tibetan-style stupa. Stupas (स्तूप), known as chortens (མཆོད་རྟེན་) in Tibetan, are Buddhist structures containing relics that are used as places of meditation. Like many chortens, the Air Nomad stupa possesses a ridged base with a hexagonal dome crowned with a spire.

On the chorten are a pair of eyes painted on all four sides of the base. This is a reference to the Eyes of Buddha (also called Buddha Eyes or Wisdom Eyes), a symbol used in Buddhist art. The eyes are painted on all four sides of the chorten to symbolize the Buddha’s wisdom seeing all things in all four cardinal directions. This imagery is common on many chortens in Nepal, such as Swayambhunath and Boudhanath in Kathmandu (pictured above).

Since the Buddha presumably does not exist in the ATLAverse, whose eyes do you think are being represented? I’m going to assume those are supposed to be Yangchen’s all-knowing eyes.

Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^

The thing I love about Terry’s writing is that he loved - loved - civil society.  He loved the correct functioning of the social contract.  He loved technology, loved innovation, but also loved nature and the ways of living that work with and through it.   He loved Britain, but hated empire (see “Jingo”) - he was a ruralist who hated provincialism, a capitalist who hated wealth, an urbanist who reveled in stories of pollution, crime and decay.  He was above all a man who loved systems, of nature, of thought, of tradition and of culture.  He believed in the best of humanity and knew that we could be even better if we just thought a little more.

As a writer: how skillful, how prolific, how consistent.  The yearly event of a new Discworld book has been a part of my life for more than two decades, and in that barrage of material there have been so few disappointments, so many surprises… to come out with a book as fresh and inspired as “Monstrous Regiment” as the 31st novel in your big fantasy series?  Ludicrous.  He was just full of treasure.  What a thing to have had, what a thing to have lost.

He was 23 when his first novel was published. After six years of writing professionally every single day. The Carpet People was a lovely novel, from a lovely writer, but almost all of Terry’s iconic truth bomb lines come from Discworld.

The Colour of Magic, the first ever Discworld novel was published in 1983. Terry was 35 years old. He had been writing professionally for 18 years. His career was old enough to vote, get married and drink. We now know that at 35 he was, tragically, over half way through his life. And do you know what us devoted, adoring Discworld fans say about The Colour of Magic? “Don’t start with Colour of Magic.”

It is the only reading order rule we ever give people. Because it’s not that great. Don’t get me wrong, very good book, although I’ll be honest I’ve never been able to finish it, but it’s nowhere near his later stuff. Compare it to Guards Guards, The Fifth Elephant, the utterly iconic Nightwatch and it pales in comparison because even after nearly 20 years of writing, half a lifetime of loving books and storytelling Terry was still learning.

He was a man with a wonderful natural talent, yes. But more importantly he worked and worked and worked to be a better writer. He was writing up until days before he died.  He spent 49 years learning and growing as a writer, taking so much joy in storytelling that not even Alzheimer’s could steal it from him. He wouldn’t want that joy stolen from you too.

Terry was a wonderful, kind, compassionate, genius of a writer. And all of this was in spite of many many people telling him he wasn’t good enough. At the age of five his headmaster told him that he would never amount to anything. He died a knight of the realm and one of the most beloved writers ever to have lived in a country with a vast and rich literary tradition. He wouldn’t let anyone tell him that he wasn’t good enough. And he wouldn’t want you to think you aren’t good enough. He especially wouldn’t want to be the reason why you think you aren’t good enough. 

You’re not Terry Pratchett. 

You are you.

“Yes,” I said.  “But I like seeing how authors grow.”

This one's really fun

Toph is a very interesting one.

She's the Goddess of Victory and the Truth, amongst other things. She's one of the most-revered gods out there, due to how powerful a domain she holds. Athletes, soldiers, and leaders alike all pray to her very often.

Her blindness is not at all seen as an issue by mortals-- actually, due to her blindness, mortals tend to be much kinder to disabled folk.

It's seen as sacrilegious to forbid someone from participating in sports, contest, or even war on the basis of their perceived abilities. It's seen almost as if you're saying that Toph wouldn't be able to do that.

She's also the patron of innovation. She's the first form of Metalbending, and inventors/tinkerers will often pray to both her and Sokka (god of wisdom) when they go to create something new.

The Blind Bandit is an enigma.

No one really knows what she is-- she might be the goddess of trickery? And lies? but she's the only goddess to have no temples, to never ask for offerings or prayers, and she doesn't really... act like a goddess.

Really, she's more of a cryptid than a goddess- she definitely isn't human, considering she's been hanging around for like 300 years... but yeah no one really knows what she's up to.

Yes the wolf she's riding on is Sokka- he isn't too happy about it but he has a soft spot for Toph.

Aang and The Blind Bandit meet each other pretty often on the road-- he's normally the epitome of "good deeds" but she's a really bad influence on him (some think that he just can't say no to someone that shares his sense of style)

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day 9: time loop (1/2)

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