Notes #9

I love coming back to my room and drowning in the sweet scent of Jasmines which lingers on all through my sleep. I wish the scent will never go away, even if it does, the sweetness will always be in my heart.

silly

It's really refreshing having friends that can do silly things and have the ability to laugh at ourselves together...I love you guys dit and dessi. (: This will become an album in itself.

Unconditional

The one lovely thing about children... is their unconditional love for you. I know the day will come when we will fight and the words "I hate you mom.. why can't u understand?!" will come out of his mouth. But I said those things a couple of years back.. sometimes I may still do so unknowingly. But I know deep inside I love my parents and it's a real kind of love which is deep and different from any kind of feeling i've ever felt. I'm away from the elf (nate) right now and having some time to think about life and how i've gotten here. All that "in-retrospect" and contemplation going on coupled with Toots Thielemans and Jeremy Monteiro's rendition of "What a wonderful world" in the background.. kinda makes you a little reflective on life.

Can you say C.U.T.E?

Nate at his haircut with my stylist "Uncle Mark" who he's super fond of. Every Mark is this Mark to him. Even Mark Webber from F1 is this uncle Mark to nate. During the last race, it was a close race for 3rd position between Mark Webber and another driver.. I started yelling "Go Mark" and Nate started yelling "Go Faster Uncle Mark". Good thing is that everyone's named Mark so if anything goes wrong, you can always blame Mark!!!

TOMACH Foo

That's Nate's way of saying Stomach Flu.

A virus he apparently caught. Today, after some cooking (yes I do cook) Nate came to me complaining that his neck hurt, later his tummy hurt. And not so long after, he threw up. It was projectile, which also made him better for 5 minutes with the whimpering and whining to follow... which didn't cease to stop. I had no choice but to take him to the Doctor's. Poor boy threw up in the middle of the clinic, where NO STAFF member offered any help but lucky thing I was immediately assisted by a very kind lady at the same clinic, waiting with her child.. She gave me her packet of wet wipes and ran along with me to grab as much toilet paper as we could to clean up the mess... all this while Nate's still whimpering like a sick little puppy dog in the corner. When the going gets tough and it hurts, you just gotta suck it in. Nate did that. So can I.. and it helps when you meet kind hearts along the way to push you on and smile at you. It's nice to be on the receiving end sometimes.

Mental note #3987

Assignment checklist for the past 2 months: - Genee International Ballet Competition - Singapore GP F1 Night Race - Padang Earthquake - Tanjung Pinang Asylum Seekers from Sri Lanka - Barclays Singapore Open Golf - APEC Ministerial Meetings Next: - Laos, SEA Games. I love my job and hope I continue to have the energy to work at this.

Great company

It's always refreshing to be able to meet up with friends out of the usual work environments. Met up with Joan for a very interesting lunch last week where the food was yummy despite the fact that we were served things beyond the ordinary by Roy, a very experienced sushi chef at the Standing Sushi Bar. You have to try this.... Thanks Joan, for the photos. (: And do please click on her post here to read more about our Fear Factor Lunch the other day!Standing Sushi Bar

+65 6533 7078 1 Raffles Place #B1-02B OUB Centre Singapore 048616 eat@standingsushibar.com

Open Monday – Saturday 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Blank

I've been away from posting my thoughts for too long.. partly cause i've been swamped with work. I love it. I love that I can escape from the daily grind by hiding in work.. i've realised however, recently, that writing cleanses the soul and the mind.. so updates are soon to come...

Happy Birthday Nate.

Nate is 3.

...Yay...

Sneak Preview of my ride

I can't wait to get onto the saddle again and rough it out in the trails.. I miss my Mountain bike and it was a good 2 + months away from me since i was too busy to ride and away covering assignments anyways. 2 more weeks til we reunite. It's been pink'd up and with a bit of a girly touch to it.

Barclays Singapore Open Golf

You can only imagine how "enjoyable" it is to cover the Singapore Open Golf this year. We've been in and out the golf course, getting soaked and then going into the air conditioned room, more than once a day as the weather starts to act up this week, interrupting play. I feel like a tea-bag right now.

p/s: Jeanette: Russel and I are missing you here this year.

CF card Error

This is the kind of computer screen you DO NOT wish to see after 5hrs on the golf course in the sun and rain. (:

Ha!

Overheard that the skills and vocal controls were amateurish... yuan lai.. Lucky thing I didn't bother to go

My room view

A hummingbird searches for Nectar from my hanging plants in the balcony. (don't mind the watermark. i actually filed this for work)

I am woman hear me ROAR!

This is darling Carol. Don't be fooled by her petite stature. She just survived a major accident with just some abrasions from the seat belt and walked away with a wide and pretty smile knowing that she has a second shot at life! Well done babe and wonderful attitude. This one's for you. Remember you walked away from this one! So don't think about what could have been anymore ok? (: HUGS!

Otherside of the Lens

can you tell how awkward i'm feeling?

I hate taking photos of myself when i'm conscious about it. That's why I became a photographer in the first place. To be on the other end of things. So when asked to take a photo of ourselves in an spot that's typically "our" country, as part of a compilation of photographs of photographers in the region for our ex-boss, the only place I could think of was the "merlion park". I felt so corny and embarrassed standing in front of it, I had to stand behind it. What makes the whole thing strange is that I have been spending all my photography life making photos of tourists, fireworks at that place when we have to illustrate pictures of the city-state's economic results or tourism numbers. So weird....shudder.. but here goes.. one for the album.. Have you taken yours yet? (now im inspired to start an album asking everyone to send in their merlion shots... you're gonna get pictures of people "sticking their hand out to catch the merlion's spit, opening their mouths to look like the merlion's spewing into their mouths!) Will think about it.

Silhouette me

I was so happy to have one of these done at a friend's party! So talented, the artist.

Fooling around

Nate can never keep a straight face for photos nowadays.

I love your smell

The day after I returned from Padang, a two week assignment, Nate came running to me in the airport. This is just one of the ways children (or at least my child) reacts to me when I leave for any extended period of time. Nate would either Hug me real tight and rest his chin on my shoulder for more than 10 minutes and hug me really tight when I try to let him go, or he would stare at me with some anger towards me for "abandoning" him.

The reaction at the airport where he ran towards me was quite novel for me. And later that night, he just sat up in bed, staring at me, and poking me with his finger as if to see if I was real. Too tired to keep me awake and I think he dozed off after a while anyways. That reaction may sound quite normal to many already with kids (it was new for me), but I got the real unexpected reaction the next morning when I was dressing up for work.

As I was half dressed, nate came and started hugging me with his cheeks on my belly and smelling me, not saying a word. He also started sucking on his lower lip ( a sign of distress ). He wouldn't let go. For a whole 15 minutes and he even tried to wiggle his was into my "womb" area. I take it as a very primate reaction... trying to settle into your mother's womb, the comfort zone. How bizzare.

Introducing..

• Wagyu Beef Patty, all 120g of it, no fillers • white button mushrooms, salad leaves, fresh tomatoes, cheese slice • all ‘kiapped’ in a lightly toasted, sesame-encrusted, handmade bun • gherkin relish & crunchy wedges by side

I had a hellofatime last night at The Garden Slug. Where Sophia, most kind, gave me a taste of heaven. After a long trip away for work where all we ate was rice and assam sauce, this Wagyu Burger woke all the taste buds plus those I never knew extisted. It was perfect. Juicy, just the right amount of taste to make you go yummmmmm and still kept classic so it's not overwhelming. Plus the people of TGS are super which completes the whole experience. So if you're wondering what to have for lunch, dinner or even breakky? Head down there now with your dogs and cats and don't forget to call me! Contact Details : The Garden Slug 55 Lorong L Telok Kurau, #01-59/61 Bright Centre, Singapore 425500

Tel/ Fax: 6346 0504

Open Daily: Mon - Tues 6pm-10pm Wed - Sun 10am-10pm Public Hol 10am-10pm

Thoughts and conversations

I was talking to a friend the other day about going on assignments for a while in not so comfy conditions and I couldn't help but feel a little empty when I came home after that assignment in Padang. Nothing to do with being screwed up in the mind of depressed or anything of that sort. And don't get me wrong, there's nothing more wonderful than friends and family. I guess the feeling of suddenly returning to normalcy from where we had nothing for 2 weeks just hit me. I was with my brothers (the team) every single day. We did everything together, roughed it out, yelled at each other, laughed, farted, ate, and got strandered as well together. We also processed the whole assignment together with its momentum of dialectics together. I wonder how the soldiers who live together for months at the battle field do it.. Having said that, any experience that comes your way is a growing experience. now for more!!! RAWR!!

Notes to self:

I was there too many days so I put it all in point form in my head. This is what I usually do, remember important things or quirky things that strike me daily. Just after the F1, I was sitting in the office one evening when I suddenly felt dizzy. I thought it was just me feeling jet lagged from F1 coverage where we were on european time, sleeping at really bad hours. Next thing I knew, the TV started to swing and the fake wall between Dow Jones and AP started creaking. Not having much confidence in this 20 over year old building (or is it 30) and being stuck on the 32nd floor, I decided to go downstairs and see what's happening. It was a tremor. Must be indonesia i thought. And sure it was. An earthquake had struck Padang, leaving a trail of tremors in SIngapore and Malaysia. Man.. the earth is really tired. So i found myself on standby to Padang, after standing down from coverage in Manila.

Sept. 31, 2009

- told to standby for jakarta - to run the desk there while everyone heads to Padang

- WTF?! i'd feel really sore about it.. shooting batik fashion shows while everyone was out in the action.

- Told to standby so I pack for earthquake zone - expect nothing there

- Wet wipes, check. Batteries - Check, DC-AC adapter, Check, 5 shirts and 3 pants including the one i'm wearing. OH and that time of the month has to happen NOW. Deal with it.

Oct. 1, 2009

- Maye-e goes to Budget Terminal finding Tiger Airways cancelling her noon flight.

- Many journalists are stranded too.

- I get a go ahead to take a chartered flight with channel 7 for USD$2000 a pop

- Go to another airport chartered flight gets canned.

- Beg my way onto another chartered flight which started its engines and stopped again cause Padang was closed for SBY.

- Feeling like throwing up from all that waiting and lack of oxygen in the Fauker plane.

- See the fauker and decide that maybe taking the boat is better. Looks like it's gonna fall apart,

- Flight technician gives me the safety booklet - Nice. i think but instead he tells me TO FAN MYSELF WITH IT.

- End up in Padang Raining and see Dita - hasn't slept for 2 days and is crabby.

- Sleep on restauran Floor.

- Sleep with socks on and passport on in case of tremors.

Oct. 2, 2009

- Wake at 5am and see Fadlan praying

- Have a super sweet tea and brush my teeth with mineral water by the drain

- Take a cold shower. NO running water. Flies and insects in water, Use Headlamp (consider switching it off so i don't see all that bad stuff)

- Keep mouth closed while scooping water over my head.

- Freezing but clean

- Drop my clean underwear onto the wet horrible floor.

- Put back old underwear on.

- Didnt tell anyone

- start of a long day.

- We get driver each.. we go around the city and the smell of bodies in collapsed buildings is bearable but not nice

- Wait for a while, shoot, drive around, shoot

- Go back to file from generators and sat phones.

- News of survivor getting pulled out

- Shoot in scrum. Got picked pocketed and lost my nokia

- People lost lives Phone is nothing

- Good thing i got picture from that scrum

- File, edit eat rice and asam

- Bathe with torch and mouth closed again

- Sleep on floor

Next day.. same thing.

Oct. 3, 2009

- Same drill, shoot more.

- See nicky loh.. What are the odds of that

- Fight with SCDF

- Think they are idiots anyway

- Get wet and grumpy in rain but happy from shooting

Oct. 4, 2009

- Think that binsar's pictures are awesome.

- Help with editing

- more smell of dead bodies

- We move to Takana Juo - like sardines in a room

- Shower is cleaner but still no flush

- Find out my driver Hendri has 2 girlfriends

- I'm entertained and think that his two women are silly not to know of each other's existence

- We eat some proper food and i'm happy to see Eric Talmadge again

- Smell dead body everywhere now.. on clothes on shoes... start thinking about ghosts.

- Too tired to think

- Woken up by morning prayers at 5am from next door neighbour whom may be that terrorist that was arrested at our hostel.. Yes we were living with him around and didn't know it.,

Oct. 5, 2009

- Schools try to re-open and I see Josh from UNICEF after a long time

- Now he's got 3 kids?!!! Men ... they don't do the giving birth.

Oct. 6, 2009

- We go to Pariaman with Save The Children

- My heart is broken when i see the kids standing on the roadside with houses broken behind them, begging for money

- I get a call from Greg and i'm happy to take a moment out of work

- We distribute aid and see happy faces

- Humbled

Oct. 7, 2009

- I decide that Indonesians are best. They can be grieving and yet give you a smile when greeted. They even make sure you've got food and water.

- I am humbled again

- I'm forgetting what day is what at this point.

- Check email for the first time and get angry at all the Photoplay report clogging up my emails

- We eat normally for once and yet our appitite is gone

Oct. 8, 2009

- We stare at each other in the mornings and wonder what to shoot next

- We laugh for an hour before sleeping and realise we've been doing that every night.

- We start to enjoy the team and wonder why we don't feel the after shocks everyone's talking about

- I decide i will die if there is another earthquake cause im too tired at night to feel anything

- I step into mud after hiking with binsar to the landslide.

- I can't help but think the place is beautiful

- I think singaporeans are spoilt and sheltered.

- Eric leaves.. feel sad and i start craving Sushi.

Oct. 9, 2009

- Getting worried about looking boring shooting the same stuff everyday.

- Thank god the marines are around. Now i can go on Helicopters again.

- I stick with Rebecca from USAID and we walk the broken streets. We get offered what looks and feels like stale donut but appreciate the sugar in it. ENERGY

- We get offered coconuts after shooting and can't seem to finish drinking. So much juice i think someone is secretly topping it up when im not looking.

- I shoot friday prayers without realising it was FRIDAY.

- Sleep on the CH-53E Super Stallion and still can't get over its name.

- Feels like tsunami again

- Can't wait to shower and listen to Boim's jokes once again.

- Talk to greg and think of sushi

Oct. 10, 2009

- More helicopter rides.

- Am burnt from the sun

Oct. 11, 2009

- i don't shoot. I am saturated and want to go home

Oct. 12, 2009

- I shoot and wait for my flight the next day.

- We eat KFC?! too weird.

Oct. 13, 2009

- Home bound and i really miss my team AP.

- I don't recognise nate but i remember his smile (:

F1 came and went

The view from Swissotel The Stamford of the F1 track

Vincent Thian, me, Dita Alangkara and Mark Baker - Team AP

Just like that.

However, this time round, we had a bigger and badder, and even better team. Things seemed a lot less hyped, which is a given since it's not the first time anymore. That big assignment that everyone was kinda dreading and waiting to get over came and went too quickly. The assignment left us all jet lagged as usual as we'd sleep at 3 in the morning and wake close to noon. Joan, did a fantastic job with the F1 Rocks concert coverage. It really paid to have reliable stringers do the other related assignments when we were understaffed. This year we had Kang Li and Joan. Both wonderful photographers who really contributed to the team. So it's 2 F1s down and 3 more to go. I hope we can keep the team next year. Now that everyone has left, Singapore is all quiet again. And thank god for 24hr steam boat restaurants.

Sensational

If you are a photographer, you will find this all so familiar and funny.

I'm still rolling on the floor laughing.

Out and about

Sorry for the silence. i've been away on assignment for the past 12 days in Padang, Indonesia which was hit by a massive earthquake. Will head home tomorrow and updates soon to come. I miss everyone and thanks for all the happy messages. Apologies if I missed any calls or messages or emails. We have limited connection here. See y'all soon.

Adrenalin ...

getting briefed

us going round the corner

home sweet home

I didn't even know how i got there but all of a sudden, my name was called out by the MC for some lucky draw I didn't even know I took part in?! I've never won a lucky pick in my life EVER..What a way to go about it. All I remember was being asked to write my name on a torn piece of paper with the company I work with. I thought they needed it because I hadn't brought along any business cards with me. So apparently I had won a passenger's seat in a supercar that can go from 0-100km/hr in 2.5s... I got to sit in a supercar built by McLaren, driven by finnish 2 time F1 world Champion Mika Hakkinen!! It felt really scary at first when we really picked up speed (like falling off the roller coaster) but as soon as the adrenalin kicked in, I was liking it very much.. Ha.. as they say: just another day at the office. What a nice way of starting F1 season. Woot!

An Apple a Day ...

Sometime in 1998, I started using the computer very intensively.

And it was a Mac. The good old 7300 desktop apple computer. I needed it for design school and we were cool then. At that time, no one was using macs. Itunes was not accessible to PC users. We were nearly viewed as the 'outsiders' for using something so rare. Back when the old apple computers looked like purses, like ice apples, as laptops. I remember my friend Ming had one which was so cool especially when he showed off his portfolios on them to couples hiring him as their wedding photographer. Then for the next 9 years, I was converted. I had to use a PC for work til yesterday (well technically til after the F1. It's too soon to the next assignment to switch systems). The Apple MacBook Pro 15 inch landed in the office. In a box so big I could fit Nate in it. It sure made a grand entrance. The thing is, now i'm the jurassic one who has totally lost touch with apple computers. I don't really know where to start. Don't wanna mess up the system. I know its easy. It's a Mac.. blah blah.. blah.. It's idiot proof.. but yeah, even switching mobile phones take a little bit of time for some adjustments. Disoriented that's what they say! But it's all happening... i'm so excited. HA!

Rain

There's something really special about the rain.. it really calms the mood and helps relaxes the mind.. Nice...

The Genee International Ballet - behind the scenes

note to self: (you don't have to read this. its' just my visual diary so I can recollect my experiences cause it's really kinda long) The last photo essay that I was really passionate about, finishing it feeling happy, at peace, and satisfied was about 9 years ago. It was when I spent 3 weeks in and out of Chiang Mai with the Sangha Metta group which worked closely with people living with HIV and AIDS. It just came to a point when I started thinking very hard about it, got into it, stopped thinking about it and allowed the story to unfold in front of me -where I could get close, then step back, dettach and start shooting again. It's really hard to find that balance where I got close enough but not too close so that I didn't start to go blind to things happening around me. That's when I really feel like i've not only been able to shoot and document what I cared deeply about, but was able to do it from just enough distance where the power of observation was not interferred with my personal feelings to a point of being indulgent or too shallow. I personally feel that that is the best equilibrium where story telling is concerned. Three to four months ago, I found out that the Genee International Ballet was coming to town. I flirted with the idea of doing a photo essay. Just pretty pictures, nothing much. Then the time came and I was suddenly thrown into action. I have often given short talks in friend's documentary classes where I would share experiences and give feedback to shooters. All of a sudden, I found myself on the other end. It felt really weird. I felt a little worried about what I was able to capture but I managed to focus and allow the story to unfold. As I did that, I started to feel the energy and vibe from the dancers. I started to feel inspired by their discipline and persistance. They dance, they fall, the pick up and start all over again. I started to realise that Ballet dancers were often very misunderstood. I used to just see the very pretty and graceful side of dancers. We fail to understand how strong they are simply because they make it look so easy. That started to pull me in the right direction and I started to enjoy myself. I love piano music, so this was a treat. At first, the dancers would react when they saw me but over the next 4 days, I guess i started to look like part of the furniture. They started getting really used to my presense, and maybe some trust was gained so they didn't mind that I was around. There were points when I would be right infront of them and they wouldn't even notice. All these things suddenly jolted me back to school days when we were taught about how the journey of a photo essay is often more valuable than the finished product. I totally agree. I learnt so much from these dancers. I've allowed myself to rekindle that passion for photography. Suddenly I am alive and inspired again. It just feels good to be back in action, doing something that I really love, knowing that I've still got it deep inside of me. The passion, that is. Apart from all these emotional lessons, I also tried my hand at putting together an audio multimedia sound piece. I've always admired fellow photographers who have done these. I've always wondered what editing sound would be like. I've always loved listening to the BBC sound stories. I've always wanted to try. There were some moments where i secretly wished that I was not given access to shoot certain things, so that I would have a lazy experience. It's quite mentally draining thinking of the "slideshow" and thinking about the photo essay and sound and how i want to piece everything together while shooting, editing and recording at the same time. There were days when I just felt like throwing up after editing days of work. I started forming ideas in my head.. hearing sounds all over again, stuff that I recorded. How I would piece them together. Eventually, I decided that I had enough photographs. The only missing shot was my parting photo and winner photo. So I decided to piece together as much as I could. The sound was put together first. In this case, sound was important other than for the obvious reasons that it would be an AUDIO slideshow. I already had all these photos, and it would be easier on me to match pictures with my sounds. So that was what I did. Maybe it helps to have a bit of music training. So i understand the timings but that's not important. It just helps. I had to download free demo softwares to edit sounds. Learnt it on Youtube, and tried my hand at it. I realise that it was never too hard, I was just really lazy last time. I dunno if I took the right steps to get where I did but all I knew was that I had it all in my head, and i just had to get it out down into the computer. Somehow. This is the Result: http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_entertainment/ballet_competition/index.html I'm really happy because the edit went out exactly the way (well, 98percent) I made it. It's really very satisfying. Playing with audio is very very fun. It brings your photos to another dimension. I'm really inspired to try more in future. I'm really blessed to have so many people support me in this, helping me make calls, making this work, pitching the ideas, talking me through it and encouraging me, allowing me to achieve another level in my own abilities and most importantly, being able to communicate with everyone through my photos, giving these ballerinas as much exposure and a glimpse into the real work that gets them where they are. They are super. Super fit, Super strong, mentally and physically. I am so inspired by them and I can only hope that I can translate that into photos and inspire others as well through their moments. There's so much love to spread!!!! so happy. I know that later on, as I set out to do more, this is gonna look like it was no big deal and it would prolly look really amature.. that's the fun part about diaries.. hopefully I can grow on and learn on and move on. WOOT!

Text block - the writing bit... this is not going to be a habit. Shooting's more fun. But you gotta do what you gotta do. Thank you Eds.

Young finalists compete to win ballet gold medal

By MAYE-E WONG, Associated Press Writer Maye-e Wong, Associated Press Writer – Thu Sep 17, 6:20 am ET

SINGAPORE – Dance for your life.

That's what finalists in the Genee International Ballet Competition had to do to win the gold.

At the Genee, kids between the ages of 15-19 are given a taste of what life would be like as a professional dancer, going through eight-hour long coaching sessions and learning new steps for the competition's Commissioned Piece — a work most dancers found to be the toughest routine physically.

Regarded as the Olympic Games of the ballet world, the flagship event of Britain's Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) attracts talent scouts, artistic directors and choreographers from all over the world.

This year's recent competition was the first time in its 78-year history that the Genee was held in Southeast Asia. The competition is open to those who have passed the RAD Advance 2 examination in classical ballet, or those who have been awarded the Solo Seal award, the final and top examination in the academy.

On-stage, fear and anxiety are masked by the deep smile and confident postures of the young performers who began dancing when they learned how to walk. Only 12 of the 53 semifinalists are chosen to move on to the finals and compete for a medal. Three dancers had to drop out after being injured.

For the finals, the dancers are judged on their footwork, musicality and ability to engage the audience. There have been years when no gold medals were given out because the judges felt the dancers were not up to scratch. So on the final night, the 12 finalists had to "dance to save their lives," hoping to make an impression deep enough so they could indeed start a professional life in dance.

___

Taken from Yahoo News

Women winners: Claudia Dean, 16, Australia (Gold); Nicola Wills-Jones, 18, Australia (Silver); and Daniella Oddi, 15, Australia (Bronze). Men: Paul Russell, 17, Australia (Gold); Daniel Roberge, 18, Australia (Silver); and Takeaki Miura, 18, Japan (Bronze).

Related Searches:

• artistic directors
• britain's royal academy of dance
• gold medals

I want one of these at home!!!!

Caption: A chinese Security guard looks at a remote controlled flying dolphin at the newly open China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Hello (:

If you have been reading this blog or just dropping by, do leave me a note to say Hi!... Jean, it was nice to see you the other night. (:

Yes, you can hug in a tutu

backstage, semi-finalists stretch before performing

Finalists have been chosen.

Tomorrow is a much deserved day of rest for me though i seem to be coming down with something _ must be from Nate.

Open Curtain...

calling home after her performance, having a quiet moment

It was a 11hr shooting day for me but it is all worth while. Pictures are coming together and I feel encouraged and settled. I take this as a good sign. I won't be putting up all the pictures as this is still a work in progress. I'm doing a photo essay on the Genee International Ballet Competition at the moment. It ends it's run on Saturday. Will give out more details when everything is finalised. In the mean time, here's a sneak preview of what's happening and there are heaps more to come in the next couple of days. I'm worn out and drained but totally satisfied. Things are still missing and there is much more to be done. I'm just enjoying shooting all over again, in a way that I love, where I don't have to worry about being "newsy". Feels like the good old school days again, except that i'm older and not as "photo fit mentally" as before. In photo essays, the journey is worth much more than the end product itself.

Tired

A ballerina naps during her lunch break

That's all for today folks. Time to go to bed and start over tomorrow.

It's slowly coming together..

Here's my shot of the day, well, actually from yesterday.. It's been quite a while since i've done a photo essay - it's a lot easier to teach than do. The mind has to be tuned to a certain channel, and i've got to remember to be detached from my photos when it comes down to the editing process. Step away, and look again. Think about what someone from the outside needs to know, would like to see having no clue what's going on. The tough part is marrying this with my own style and preference. It's so hard to find that balance sometimes. It's always good to have an outsider look at my work in progress. Will come to that soon. Time to re-group.

This is pretty good..

http://www.albello.com/Cockfighting/ It's a multimedia slideshow. I'm inspired to do something, now.. if I can only get the right sound for this.

Skinning the issue and looking into it

Earlier this year, while waiting on an assignment, a friend of mine who happened to work for the PR firm hosting the event asked me how I took care of my skin. I mumbled the words "nothing at all" under my breath, hoping she didn't hear me. All of a sudden all of them (we were in a group) turned around and gave me a "someone just died" look and said "WHAT?!" "Oh My Gosh!" "How can you live with yourself" and a "You are going to regret for the rest of your life"... Suddenly I felt a sense of panic..Immediate outcast! haha

me, bare, now.

Truth is, I'm too lazy. I never bothered and am still very lazy about this whole skin regime. I think i'm blessed with some good genes. Must be from my grandmother who had silky white skin for her whole life. I'm not being arrogant about it by taking it for granted but somehow I always had excuses. For one, I don't use make-up - I'm simple. Therefore the convenience to just wash my face with water as i shower and then dry it with a towel (the rougher the better - that's my rational.. haha gets more dirt off mah!) Secondly, I'm very active hence it would be very inconvenient to put on any moisturizer. Thirdly, I've always thought that it looked really off if someone like me, who dresses up in cargo pants and dry fit hiking shirts for work starts to put anything on the face. Then came the whole "I'm too tired" excuse as well. And in fact, the more I started to to use these facial washes, the more pimples i'd get. Maybe i've never really sat down and thought about it. So I did. I sat down and decided one day to figure out what all that fuss is about. Technically, if my face were to give up on me anytime now, it would be disastrous. I've spent almost all of my childhood with extended exposure to the sun from all that sailing training and competition. That's 20 years of direct sun exposure, sunburn skin (i've exfoliated so many times i think i have enough for wall paper). I'm suprised I haven't turned into a rasin. Plus, now i'm into the whole swim bike run thing, doesn't help me much. So factor in all these things, plus the fact that I hit the big 3o next year. You can safely say i'm in big trouble. My face will start sagging, soon you wouldn't be able to tell where my chin ends and my feet begins. Maybe it's time to start with the basics. I don't even know what they are. Wash? Scrub? Soap? Moisurise?! Pore what and what? I think my pores are big enough (in the beauty world) I can stuff spare change in them. Aiya. Thought I could escape this whole part of growing up. Time to do something about it. Maybe Maye-E.

I like very much