Though you might think that I've totally abandoned this blog, but on the contrary, I've been itching to post updates here. It feels like it's been decades since this blog gets any movement.
Anyway, Kiara and I still do spend much of our time together, but when a book comes our way, it's hello silence. Plus we LOVE anything Japanese, the food, the technology, and there's anime and manga. We have this weird obsession with anime and manga which we couldn't even explain why. With anime, we are well aware that everything is far from what's real. But I guess it's the human factors -- ideas and emotions which were magnified that probably draws as more to it.
But because I encourage more reading than watching, that's when manga comes in. And we love the thrill of reading a book backwards. Yeah, backwards. It was weird at the start, but we got the hang of it.
Janiz: What's with the sad face? Did anything happen to Najika?
Kiara: No, it's not that. While reading, I figured I want to be a manga artist.
Janiz: Oooh-kay. Seriously?
Kiara: Probably not to make it a career, but to draw as good as these guys do would be enough.
Janiz: You can baby! First thing tomorrow I'll buy you this "how to draw manga" kit.
Kiara: There is?
Janiz: Yeah, I've checked on it before at the bookstore.
Kiara: Thanks mom. *sigh* But knowing myself, I probably can't.
Janiz: Don't say that! Everything can be learned.
Kiara: Not this time mom. I'm "art-lousy" and "drawing-dumb".
Janiz: No, you can't be that bad.
Kiara: Believe me mom, I can't even draw to save my life.
Kiara's just a sweetheart, and it breaks my heart to see her so frustrated over wanting to draw so well. I bought her the "how to draw manga" kit as promised and she's been sketching thereon, and I must say that her drawing skills have improved a milestone away.
Out of the many things that we've learned from anime and manga, one lesson stands out, and that's to never give up on anything -- and to Kiara, not even to drawing.
