Sketchbook Diary Comics: London + Cisternino
A trip documented through a collection of panels and happy mistakes
During this trip to London and Cisternino to see family, friends and go to a wedding with my partner, I wanted to try making diary comics to record experiences in my sketchbook especially as it was my first time visiting both places! I love bringing my sketchbook on trips because travel sketches invoke the memory of a place better than photos can for me, I’m sure because of the time spent observing and intentionally preserving memories on a page. This time around I wanted to try something different by meshing the collage-y way I usually draw in my sketchbook with a comic format.
It was a really good break from my more intense work on tablet screens, but I caught myself trying to zoom and tap undo on my sketchbook pages several times. Maybe I needed an even longer break? I’ve realized that embracing the uncertainty and happy mistakes of sketchbook pages is similar to how I have to think about the process of film photography, so it seemed perfect to pair these together here. I 100% still struggle with it because I have trouble with loosening up in my work and being a perfectionist, but I’m learning to be better at it!
Day 1+2: Travel day, seeing family
I get a lot of travel anxiety leading up to and at the beginning of a trip that definitely has gotten worse since the pandemic. Thankfully, I’m not afraid of flying, but I don’t enjoy being trapped in close quarters with strangers for long periods of time. And it’s always a gamble as to whether you’re seated next to a decent human being! I also think that airports are generally a stressful place to spend hours waiting around in (except for you Changi Airport, I miss you so much).
After a hectic day of plane delays and missed reservations, we made it to London! As it’s another bustling metropolitan city, I can’t help but make comparisons to NYC which has now been my home for almost 12 years(!). There’s a lot of similarities between the two cities, but my initial reaction was to immediately fall in love with London. I really enjoyed walking around and admiring all the architecture and the background noise of accents I’m mostly used to hearing in films/TV shows/my long-past experience of going to an international school. I also love how culturally polite English people are. As someone who says “sorry” too much, I felt right at home!
The London Underground (or the ~choob~) was a really nice break from the MTA (NYC’s subway system), but I also feel like knowing how to navigate New York prepared me for a smoother transition to another big city’s subway system. It was funny to hear London’s very English version of the MTA’s “See Something, Say Something”: “See it. Say it. Sorted.”
Day 3: British Museum, Borough Market, The Barbican, river walk on the Thames
There was a specific exhibit at the British Museum that I wanted to catch, called China’s Hidden Century. It’s a look at life in China during the 19th century, which includes the end of 2000 years of dynastic rule and the tumultuous transition into modern China in which Britain played a large and unfortunate role. I studied this period in high school pretty extensively, so it was wild to get a glimpse into real life during this time beyond the limitations of a textbook. It was especially interesting to see how outside influences affected art and artisanal goods. One of my favorite pieces was an illustrated Chinese magazine from the late 1800s that depicted life in the Western world. The beautiful illustrations were distinctly Chinese in style, but depicted scenes such as New York firefighters rescuing a family from their burning apartment. It’s not hard to find a museum exhibit on China pre-19th century or on contemporary Chinese art, but getting this glimpse into the in-between was fascinating and really special.
Day 4: Hyde Park, a reunion, book hunting, Chinatown
I finally got to see my high school best friend Kim for the first time in 12 years! After we graduated from high school in Singapore, she went to university in the UK and I came back to the US for college. She’s never been to the US and this was my first time in London outside of transfers through Heathrow Airport! It’s really hard when friends and family are spread out all over the world, but it makes it that much more special when you can reunite again—I cried immediately!
We went on a book hunt across several bookstores to find the UK edition of The Last Mapmaker (no luck) and Flight by Mya-Rose Craig, illustrated by my good friend Lynn Scurfield, which is currently only out in the UK. At our second stop, we found Flight! It was the final copy on the shelves, and I felt so lucky that I managed to pick it up. It’s absolutely stunning in print!
Day 5+6: Wedding in Cisternino
My first time ever visiting Italy! We were in Cisternino over the weekend for a wedding. There were flowering bushes, fig trees and olive trees everywhere. Small-town southern Italy interestingly reminded me simultaneously of small-town southern Taiwan and southern California. Trullos, a traditional stone hut specific to the region, dotted the vast landscape in every direction.
The wedding was so beautiful, and lit by the biggest full moon as night fell. I ate too much and made friends with wonderful people I would have never crossed paths with otherwise. I also met the cutest little girl who talked to me through her mom because she was too shy, who was really excited to find out I was half-Taiwanese just like her!
Day 7: Ealing
We had one last day in London on the way home because unsurprisingly, it’s pretty difficult to get in and out of small-town Italy directly. We got to spend it with Kim and her husband Mike, seeing what life is like for a Londoner living in Ealing. It’s such an effortlessly beautiful neighborhood and I really appreciated seeing a slower side of London, away from the more hectic city center. Seeing an old friend and immediately falling back into the way things were like no time has passed is such a special feeling, and I really cherish being able to experience it.
Day 8: Home
We flew back on the 4th, and there’s nothing like the embarrassment of being welcomed back to the US by Americans chanting “USA, USA, USA” on the plane (why are they like this??). Falling asleep to fireworks glittering in the distance outside my bedroom window was pretty nice though, I’ll admit it.
The #1 most English sentence I heard on my trip as said by one Englishman to another at the sight of a long line coming out of the men’s bathroom (shocking):
“If ya wanna go for a wee, there’s no queue for the ur-EYE-nals.”
✦ Things I’m currently inspired by and obsessed with ✦
Silo (recommended by fellow Substacker + illustrator Lian Cho): A super well-made dystopian post-apocalyptic sci-fi on Apple TV+! I couldn’t stop myself from binge-watching it, it was so good and so intense!!
Nimona: An animated film based on ND Stevenson’s web-comic turned graphic novel on Netflix. Filled with so much fun, so much heart, and such a powerful and necessary story. Loved the animation style too. This and Spider-verse give me so much hope for the future of animation, but in order to reach that future, the creative teams in the animation industry need to be given the all support and respect they deserve!!
The Three Body Problem: Book 1 of the sci-fi trilogy by Liu Cixin. I’m super late to reading this, but so far it’s such a refreshing and compelling read, having never read any Chinese sci-fi before! I have a lot left to read, but I can’t wait to find out what happens next!
I gotta give it to you for sticking to the sketch book travel log during the trip. I find it difficult, especially in shorter trips! But whenever I've managed to stop and draw in one place, I have felt a more palpable recollection when I look back at those drawings. The drawings and photos are all so nice and that potato chip sculpture looks crisp!
I loved following your adventures! Ealing! What a great town name