#fromatob

[ PhotoSeriesNo 059 24 - 36 ]

[ Bratislava, Slovakia ]

camera • Nikon F65

lens • AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

film • 35mm Lomography color negative 400

scan • Epson Perfection V600 Photo

[ © 2023 Zoltán Borsos ]

Answer time!

1. For work, I document dietary restrictions, special occasions, and mobility restrictions for guests to then send a report to the chefs, kitchen team, bar team, and managers. It gives them general idea of what the night is gonna look like, so they can plan ahead and whatnot. I love so much what I’m learning about food, dude. It’s insane. Next time you come, we should go to one of the restaurants!!

2. The most recent book I read was Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon. I’m not done with it yet, but I think you’d really like it.

There’s a chapter called “Write the Book You Want to Read,” and the author suggests creating and climbing your own family tree of artists you look up to, your heroes. After you’ve got a tree of your heroes (see below lol), you start creating branches and add the friends of your heroes. 

You research, find, and define what the commonalities between these artists and their work are, the things that tends to spark something in you. From there, you create your own branch, and well, define what works for you as an artist.  

V deep. V much recommend. I’ve been turning it into powder every night, so I can snort it straight into my brain. 

And that’s my tedtalk on that. 

3. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about intersectionality and responsibility. Like... life after college has brought up far too many situations where I’m asking myself: Do I have x thought or feel x thing because I grew up poor? Is it because of my experience in growing up Latina? Is it because I’m a woman? Because of my weight? Sexuality? Oh, it turns out its the combination of all that. How much of this thought is coming from valid feelings, and how much is an excuse? In this particular situation, is it both? How do I navigate this? Why is “navigate” the word that’s used a lot in these situations? idk, its a pretty decent way to describe that state..... How much of this is out of my control? What’s in my control? What can I do with that? 

Been taking it one day at a time with these kinds of things. 

4. Bed time has been around midnight? Between 11 and midnight for sure. To wind down, I’ve been watching an episode of something warm, soft, fuzzy, or feels-y and drinking some wawa, as Kassie famously calls it. The creator of Avatar created a new animated show called The Dragon Prince, and it’s super dope and v feelsful. Just finished the second season of that. Another show called The Bold Type is coming back today (!), so I’ll be watching that before bed probs. (Any recs are appreciateddddd)

But mornings!!!! I’ve been doing morning pages like a morning-routine-youtuber-ass, bullet-journal-ass, shove-apple-cider-vinegar-up-my-ass kind of bitch, and it’s been great. 

5. Art? Not lately. I’ve been brewin’ some things, but I’ve mostly been cleaning up my brother’s old room. I’m making it into my new room and making my old room into an art-ffice. I want to be able to wake up, walk over there, and feel god in that chilis.

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On Zachary Levi - his voice.... Zachary Levi is Flynn Rider, and Flynn Rider is Zachary Levi. That was not voice acting. It’s Just Him. 

Kinda like how Deadpool is Pikachu.

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So, 

1. Do you have a bedtime routine?

2. What’s been your favorite part of your time alone while Nick’s been away?

3. Is there a movie theater near you? What are the movie theaters like in Spartanburg? When is the last time you saw a movie in a theater?

4. If you could go somewhere for a week, right now, money is no limit, where would you go and why? What would you do there?

5. What’s something in your house that you find yourself looking at or admiring for a long time?

For a call, any day after 6 is good with me, just lmk!

2 weeks?? It’s almost been 2 weeks. I’m gonna write this letter, and then we’re gonna have to talk about how time is a prank. 

So things I’ve been learning about food/the gourmet world: 

Dude, there’s a shorthand for absolutely every-fuckening-thing. For example, if I say (1) no tree nuts (allergy - F/O/BP/D/B/A NOT OK) peanuts OK, the chefs and team understand I’m saying flours, oils, by-products, distillations, bitters, and amari derived from tree nuts are allergies of a guest in the party. Crazy, huh?

If I put a number in front of the word “top,” everyone magically knows I’m talking about a table. So like, if I say “Oh yeah, I held a 2-top for them,” they know I set a table of 2 aside for a potential guest. I’m... still trying to figure out why “top” is the word or if its just because of “table top.” Unsure.

There’s so many ways to make cocktails, and I.... don’t even know how to make one. Maybe that’ll change by the end of the year??

Or not lol. I still am not much of a drinker, but mocktails are always a thing, I guess.

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I really like this thing you said: “how much of our troubles came from wallowing in those limitations rather than trying to overcome them?” 

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Hold up, hold up, hair-styling videos? You holding out on me? lol What’s the channel, dude? Drop. That. Link.

Overall, I’m happy to hear about your days alone. With the embroidery, the walks to the library, and all that free time, it seems like those moments were very relaxing, but I get what you’re saying about fun. I’ve been feeling that way, too. 

About mountain climbing - I remember us talking about doing that one day together. If we were to mountain climb, where do you think we should go? Ever had any places in mind? I’ve been trying to think if I’ve done it before, but I haven't. I only know hills; you know mountains.

“Disney is really appealing to that wide audience.” 🤣 🤣 🤣

I honestly spent a good 10 minutes trying to imagine your ceiling fan, it’s crescent moons, and it’s crescent moon noses the first time I read your letter almost 2 weeks ago. 

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Aw man, I’ve missed this:

1. The most recent food I discovered I liked to eat was squid?? Like, I had whole ass squid tentacles, and it wasn’t bad. I had it at one of the restaurants at work, and the teriyaki sauce it was cooked with was so good??? I’m just in shock. 

2. Artist, Will Darbyshire - Him and his partner Arden have always made these Aesthetic videos that document self in a very pure and honest way. There’s also just a lot of nature in his videos, and they feel v grounding.

Artist, Anna Akana - She just is so cool. She’s the older sister I’ve always wanted. She’s done short films, stop motion animation, was in Ant Man for 2 seconds, is working on an album, and draws. She reminds me that you can be a thinker that has a lot of thinks, and you can decide different ways to artist those thinks every day.

Thinker, Shan Boodram - She’s coming to save all relationships on this precious, polluted blue and green orb.

Thinker - Evan Puschak - TLDR, he’s a man of letters, for sure. I think you’d like him.

3. I’ve been spending most of my time with myself lately, and she’s the person I love spending time with the most. 

I sometimes have been going out with coworkers for dinner, been meeting new people at writing workshops, facetimed brian and sarah, missing you/brian/sarah but I’m really happy with all this time I’ve had for myself these past few weeks. It’s been nice.

4. A good day looks like an empty house, early sunlight, windows wide-open, peeled oranges, a looooong shower, looking through online stores for something I don’t need, a movie that alters at least one, 4-6 hours of planning/organizing/budgeting, and water on water on water, with ice to cronch on. Other times its binging one show all day and ordering Portillos. 

5. I don’t really find myself looking at a particular thing lately, but I’ve been looking, like really /looking/, at my mom and her hair. She’s definitely starting to age p quickly, and it’s weird. Before, it was subtle. Now, I see it, I see more wrinkles, more gray hair. She’s delicate, she’s porcelain, and that scares me a bit, tbh. Most of the time, though, I look at her, and I just admire that she’s a whole bunch of wonderful. Sonia’s..... kinda the best.

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So,

1. What’s a song you’ve been playing on repeat lately? What do you like about it?

2. What’s something about yourself that you’ve always undoubtedly loved? Or what’s something about yourself that took you a while to love? 

3. In arms reach, what the most interesting person/thing/sound/smell near you? What makes it or them so interesting?

4. How about you - what do Berlin’s good days look like? 

5. Not to be a copy cat, but this rat wants to know about the artists and thinkers you’ve been admiring lately, too. Who are they? What about them or their work do you connect with most?

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Ending with a monthly reminder that I miss you and support you so so much.

Lmao, the guy I saw the cole sprouts movie with isn’t the same dude I told you about. More on that when I call! What time’s best for you? I’m free all of tomorrow morning until 3:00 PM, free all day Wednesday, and free any time after 6 for all the other days. 

And dude, yea, anytime a show or movie rips my heart out, I take a picture of the screen. You know, we love drama. I like remembering what pulled my heart strings but also seeing what worked for the show. 

On the missing art thing - For the time I’ve known you, I agree; I don’t think I’ve seen you say no to extra work. And that was super motivating to be around, honestly. Around you, I knew there was no way I wouldn’t be motivated because you were like that with your art assignments, too. You gave them your all and some. 

Girl Scouts - That makes a lot of sense to me. It’s v on brand ™. 

Please. Give. Yourself. Permission. To. Do. Art. 

You’re an incredible creator of stories and worlds. Don’t let her go!!

omg puppies with flANNELSSS!! I want ten, not two. I changed my mind.

About to drive a family friend to the airport, so I’ll answer the questions when I get back home tonight. Just in case, I’m sending this now because LMK WHEN YOURE FREE FOR A CALL THIS WEEK.

I looked up “wisteria vines,” and I’m happy I did. I miss seeing flowers in the spring. There’s still some cold days happening here, so I’m gonna have to wait a bit until the geraniums and daffodils decide to be a thing again.

Funny how Spartanburg ended up being the place, huh? What’s more funny is that google chrome is underlining it’s name with a red squiggly.... must not be a real place.....  👀

Another funny thing: As a rat from the city, I’ve literally never heard of an aviary until this year. One of the restaurants at work is called the Aviary, and the first time I heard the word, I remember thinking “oh, so like, birds?”

Anyway, your questions:

1. Home’s been okay. Sonia and Fishsmell still drive me a bit crazy, but I’m hangin in there. I’ve been getting frustrated about still being at home, but I’m probably going to feel like this for while. Best thing to do right now is to focus on how I’m gonna change this situation instead of wasting my time being mad about it, you know? 

2. A new thing that I did since I last saw you - I saw a movie with a coworker. I don’t think I’ve done that before. We saw Five Feet Apart (that new Cole Sprouts movie). I was v much emotionally compromised after watching it, v much felt like I was walking out of The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby again.

3. As for a picture I really like:

I’ve been watching a show called Good Trouble, and it’s been focusing a lot on issues that woc face in corporate spaces. I took this picture because that particular scene was a big “wowie, I really needed that right now.”

4. Lunch was fuckin potbelly, my dude!! I had a chicken salad sandwich with cheddar cheese and s&v chips. And now that I think about it, two of those things weren’t things I ate before I met you. V cute.

5. How am I? Oh, buddy. I need more people my age and more artists around me, or I’m gonna need you to take me down ON SIGHT.

Which brings me to my next questions:

1. What’s something that’s been frustrating you lately?

2. How’s art? Do you miss her? I know I asked this already when I last saw you, but I gotta knooooow.

3. How’d the ankle thing happen?

4. In the AU where we live together and own a place by a lake, can we have two pups?