M31 - July 2026 - Issue 008
M31 - July 2026 - Issue 008 Hello, hello! So yes, the previous edition of this newsletter went out quite a few months ago (back in March or April I think), in which I described what was happening with me (long story short: dealing with health issues), and instead of just continuing to sent out monthly newsletter that didn't have much to say, I decided to take a break until things started being active again. I think now's that time. So read on below for the latest on PechaKucha Night, PauseTalk, etc. and here's hopefully looking forward to a return to the monthly cadence this newsletter used to have. -- What's M31? It's a name I used close to two decades ago as my sort of publishing imprint/company label for the activities I was doing while I lived in Tokyo, and I've decided to revive it. It's simply inspired by my birthday of May 31 (although I just recently realized that it's usually used to refer to the Andromeda galaxy, which also seems appropriate, considering how it covers my "galaxy" of activities). The logo you see above was designed by Ian Lynam, and is part of a set of 31 logos he created for me back in the late 2000s, which I've decided to start re-using for this newsletter. All the activities I organize in Shanghai have dedicated groups in WeChat, where you'll get the latest updates, and so please contact me to be added to any of them. PauseTalkI am indeed thinking of doing the next PauseTalk session in late July (which will be Vol. 101), and I'm hoping I can iron out details on a date and venue by the time the next PechaKucha Night event takes place (see below). When info on the next session does get finalized, you'll see updates on the PauseTalk website and in the WeChat group. You'll find archives of past events on the PauseTalk website, which includes recaps for each session. PechaKucha Night
Poster for PechaKucha Night Vol. 52 Next up for our PechaKucha Night series in Shanghai is Vol. 52, and after a bit of a break (for obvious reasons), we're back on Thursday, July 9 (next week) at a wonderful new venue along Shuzhou Creek called DIALOGS. Although there's no specific theme for the night, since it marks a bit of a return -- our Vol. 51 was back in March, and I last hosted in January) -- our lineup includes plenty of returning presenters. I really can't wait for this event, and if interested, scan the QR code on the poster above for tickets. You can always check our Shanghai page on the official PechaKucha website to see the listings for the latest events, and contact me if you'd like to be added to our group on WeChat. FOTO5
FOTO5's "Rhythm in Stillness" Despite my health issues earlier this year, I still continued to share a FOTO5 weekly theme in the WeChat group, although I didn't always participate by contributing a set, as I had always done up to this point. But I'm pretty much back at it now -- even though some of the themes I shared recently were a bit challenging to do due to the uncooperating weather. Pictured above was my contribution for the recent theme Rhythm in Stillness, and here are a few other recent themes I contributed to (as shared on Bluesky): Lines of Movement, Summer Shadows, and The Geometry of Sound. In the FOTO5 photography club, each week I share a theme/prompt and everyone is invited to take five photos that are inspired by that theme. If you're interested in partcipating, contact me so I can add you to the group on WeChat. Shanghai Design Pins 📍
Coffee shed at Luxun Park Shanghai Design Pins📍 definitely slowed down in recent months, while I focused on getting healthy again, but there were still a few pins shared here and there, and at one point last month I also brought up the fact that I was really finding it disappointing to see what I considered to be so many unispiring brand "experiences" pop-ups happening all over the city -- and I'm sure this is not something limited to Shanghai. Below, some of the latest Shanghai Design Pins📍 that were shared in the group.
Shanghai Design Pins 📍 is a group on WeChat where we share design-related spots (and events) in Shanghai -- contact me to be added. One More ThingI'll keep it at this for now, which is already something I'm happy about: starting to see things -- and more specifically my creative activities -- coming back to life. I'm still trying to take things a bit easy, and don't want to force myself too much on things (so I would still expect more delays between each PauseTalk and PechaKucha Night sessions), and I don't think I'll be launching anything new anytime soon (like the zine project I had teased). But for now, simply "doing" feels good to me. And that's it -- if you have any questions or comments on anything shared here, do reach out. And please note that there are WeChat groups I run for all these activities, so contact me to be added. For more on me, you can alway have a look at my personal website (where I share the newsletters in case you missed previous editions) -- I've been blogging since 1998 -- or for lighter stuff (and lots of movie reviews) you can follow me on Bluesky.
M31 - July 2026 - Issue 008 |