Monday, May 6, 2013

Happy Easter/ Revenge of the Fifth!

The good thing about Lebanon, as I always say, is its diversity. We have so many sects and confessions that sometimes it's hard to keep track, but whenever one of them celebrates a holy day or has some kind of commemoration, everyone gets a holiday. If you miss Western Easter like I did this year, then you can still have your chocolate eggs on Eastern Easter. So Happy Easter to whoever celebrated today!

Here are some fun models you can try with your kids.


A little candy basket.


Bunny Basket
 


And here are some slightly more complex ones. 


A rabbit by Jun Maekawa. I thought the face
looked more like a fox's. I guess I did
something wrong...


A hatching chick by Peter Engel. If you look closely,
you can see a little beak popping out.
 









This last one may look simple, but you'll be surprised to know that it was the most complex model in this whole post.


On another note, it also happens to be May 5th, so if you missed May the Fourth (as I did), then there is always the Revenge of the Fifth! What does Star Wars Day have to do with Easter? Nothing. But that's what happens when I get behind on current events.

I made this little guy last year.


Fumiaki Kawahata's Yoda


I like doing "Fan Origami" so much, or as I will henceforth call it, Fanigami (because it's late and I've been listening to an audio book of the Iliad all day), that I couldn't let Star Wars Day pass by without posting a few clumsy models that have been on my list for a while. Here are some of the space crafts from the beloved saga, now in kami paper!


A simple X-wing
 








A clumsy Naboo Starfighter



TIE Fighter by Jeremy Shafer














Simple TIE Fighter






















And finally, I am embarrassed to even post these, but they go well with the collection. Note: this is not what they're supposed to look like.

Shu Sugamata's Millennium Falcon
















I also made a lightsaber, but I can't possibly post it as it turned out thoroughly inappropriate.



Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Work Never Stops

Happy Labor Day everyone!

I hope everyone had a good well-deserved day off. For workaholics like me, work is what you like to do to "relax", even at home. There is nothing like feeling productive after a quiet day at home with nothing but you, your books, and your laptop.

Home is my office, and the office is my home.




 I have done everything short of sleeping in that place. But I have the feeling that a day will come when I have to take a nap right there in my chair. I leave all of my stuff at the office: my Tupperware, my blanket when it's cold, and my books, which litter the desk.







However, my work station at home is no less busy or chaotic. Work just seems to follow me wherever I go.





On the whole, work is fun and never fails to be interesting, and the office has been a second home to me for nearly five years now. My obsessive folding is not only tolerated there; it is encouraged. For instance, we sometimes use origami demonstrations in our English classes to teach students process analysis. And origami often provides a nice touch to our projects.





















I made this (temporary) logo for one of our Civic Engagement projects called LingoTech.





I'm one of those freaks who are terrified of surprise days off and holidays for fear of not getting everything done. I do not bemoan the end of the weekend, but rather start planning the week to come. I might be exaggerating a little. Of course, it can get very tiring sometimes, and the prospect of sleeping in on days off is always welcome, but I know people who absolutely hate their jobs. So at the end of the day, I suppose I should count myself blessed.