Home away from home

I'm home, but not at home. I'm staying with my family in my hometown while James is finishing up his work in the US. My sister needed me to look after my nephew till he can get a spot in the day care so my holiday extended without James. A tricky situation.

It's the first time in 10 years since I spent such a long time in Taiwan. Things are familiar yet strange at the same time. I visited the elementary school where I taught 11 years ago. The campus looks almost identical but the names on posters and display mean nothing to me. I did this sketch in a lovely corner on the campus. Even though many things at this school have changed, the sculpture and the beautiful spring flowers remain the same.

I also tried to go to a sketch outing hosted by USK Tainan. The way they organize outings is a bit different from what I'm familiar with. I guess that was why I missed them. In the end I made it my own sketch outing and walked around the location with my sketch kit. Looking at the city where I grew up as an urban sketcher is something I don't know how to describe, especially it's been so long since I left. While I was sketching, I started to remember the warmth, the spring breeze and the noise in this old southern city. Without urban sketching, I don't think I'd be able to have this profound feeling.

Tree trimming workers in Tainan, Taiwan