One day, when I was still teaching in Semarang International School, I saw Natasha, a female student in my class which has been known as the artist of the class, was busy writing on pieces of paper on her table that for me look like such an old ugly skin map… I was thinking, “Aren’t all students suppose not to work on art?”
I approached her with an intention to get her concentration back.
“What are you doing, Nat?” I asked. She didn’t answer anything but only showing her new work of art that seems like a book to me. An old book with papers that I think it was white in the beginning but now look more yellow or brown which I believe the original version was broken by nature. Plus some marks of burning lines on it’s every single side. She was still holding an ink-pen trying to write something I forgot. I did not really pay attention on what she was writing but more on the papers she wrote on. My complain would suddenly turned into appreciation. (Hmm… it actually wasn’t the Art class, right Nat?)
But it really was her Art task from weeks ago. Or maybe even physics…? Ah I wasn’t so sure cause weeks ago means i wasn’t teaching there yet. One thing Ii was sure was she had a workbook which told her how to make a new paper to have more artistic old-look papers. Those must have been through a process of burning in some parts of it, and put it outside of house to get direct sunrise and get rained for weeks.
Depends on how old-look you want it but when you think it was enough then take it and bind it. It will look more artistic if you bind it with natural material such as wood, straw, etc. or you possibly can bind it first before you put it under the sun and rain.
This is the moment I always said, that we will always learn something everywhere, from anyone and anytime. And that was the moment I learnt from natasha. She was the one who finally inspired me to make the similar unique thing, even though not as good as what Natasha did…:))
My Holly Letters
It wasn’t only for my self satisfaction but it was because I had been looking for unique ideas to write my French bestfriend who also had a unique way to send letters. The last I receieved was a letter in which the papers were flooded by little lids of mimosa flower with its specific smell. Olalaa…she knows exactly that I always want to see and touch this flower directly!! She also added with a skecth of Sacre Coeur curch, the last memorable place in Paris we visited together, and some other souvenirs.
Well, finally I used Natasha’s idea with the old-look paper. I write it down the title on its first page as “Holly Letters: Part One”. Why? Let only both of us know why…hehehe….
Anyway, bunches of thanks, Nat!
