Got myself up early and went over to the Civic Center to share this momentous day with thousands of others. Click here to see my photos on Flickr.
Congratulations President Barack Obama! We are all proud!
Halloween was fun! November 1, 2008
…and I am not really a big fan of this day. But my job has sort of “forced me” to get into it (for the sake of the students)…well, and so the “fake enthusiasm” is beginning to turn. LOTS and lots of girls in sexy short costumes. What’s up with that? What about creativity and a bit of uniqueness? I can’t deny that many of them do look good and I guess (I guess, but really don’t think) that if I had this tiny little sexy body I’d also wear a tiny, skimpy nurse/devil/angel/etc/etc outfit? hmm…nahhh…I wouldn’t!
This morning when I was standing in line at my favorite cafe I suddenly see a girl walking, no, stumbling down the hill in one of these skimpy, tiny nurse’s costumes…ok. It was about 10am and she was drunk? Everyone in the cafe stared at her and the bets started rolling. I thought to myself: well, on the day after it is a phenomenon indeed! one guy said out loud to his buddies (these are middle-aged men): I give you $20 to go out and ask her what the story is. We were all a bit confused. Did I feel sorry for her? Not really. She was laughing and just looked as though she had had just too good of a time all night.
So is Halloween sort of an excuse to dress up like a hooker? I dare not ask them.
On that note…one of my very creative students:
and yours truly (recognized by none of her students):
go to my flickr page to see a few more…
Images of Asia… October 19, 2008
I have finally managed to sort through all my pictures and upload all the ones I wanted to share. I know I probably should have still deleted many but I just couldn’t. In reading my last post, I decided to add the photos to the few descriptions I listed. Here they are (click on the photos to see a larger version):
- The traffic guard on the busy Seoul street who wears a microphone so that everyone hears him as he controls the pedestrian and vehicular crowd.
- The tiny Vietnamese old woman with her cigarette hanging from the corner of her mouth. I would not want to run into her in a dark alley!
- The adorable high school children in their uniforms in Vietnam who answer questions in unison and give me peace signs as I walk past their classrooms and snap at them trying to avoid the wrath of their teacher.
- The other little elementary schoolchildren who sit down to watch the impressive changing of the guards ceremony at the entrance of a palace park in Seoul. There are groups wearing yellow t-shirts, blue t-shirts with “happy smiles” written on them, red t-shirts…and they clap and roar and show me the same innocence and purity that I see in every child of the world.
- The remnants of British rule in Hong Kong. Street names such as Lockhart, Hennessey, Fenwick… double decker buses and streetcars passing right by the open food market with fish. beef, duck…
- The homeless people who sleep in cardboard boxes at the underground station in Seoul. A part of this society that my Korean friend tells me is very sad. I agree. He explains to me that many of these men have lost their jobs and that shame prevents them from returning home to their families. I see an old man who looks like an ordinary grandfather. I take a photo of him hoping he doesn’t wake up. I do not want to add to his shame, but I want to document the intense sadness I feel when hear this story.
- The orderliness all over Seoul. The excellent customer service. The wealth. The addiction to brand names. The tradition. The fashion conscious youth. The generally bland look on people’s faces. No, Koreans in general would not rank at the top of my list of warm-hearted people. I have met very warm individuals, but as a whole, when you walk down the streets I find them to be a bit robotic.
- The beautiful face of the young and strong Indonesia man I meet at Kaliandra. The pleasurable feeling of looking at a warm and kind smile.
- The amazing ability to pretty much transport anything on motorscooters in Indonesia and Vietnam.
It was all so amazing that, one week later and looking at thousands of photos over and over again, I am still trying to make sense of it all; trying to understand what travel means and how important it is; taking my notes and, as Daniel comments in my last post, hoping I will one day put it all together and share it the best way I can. Just the way I love to share everything else I observe. I will find the words one day. The right words. For now, enjoy my photos:
Collecting Stories: Jonathan Harris on TED.com July 25, 2008
Recently I subscribed to TED.com and have been watching the talks as they come in. There are some really amazing ones…this one that I watched just a few minutes ago made me feel like there are ways I can still incorporate all the things I watch, listen to and think about into something creative. This is Jonathan Harris’ way of gathering stories, photographs, feelings and creating really interesting projects…
Also to access the site he mentions called “We feel fine”, go here
Sunday at the Renegade Fair ~ Part 2 July 17, 2008
Sunday at the Renegade Fair Part 1 can be found here.
Mucca Pazza at the Renegade Fair ~ Part 3
Here are a few more of the booths that I particularly liked as I wandered the aisles of amazing creativity:
This young woman, Jenifer from Sprout Studio, was thrilled to have her picture taken. I walked into her booth because I saw this skateboard with umbrellas painted on it hanging on a black wall. It was simple yet popped out like a red butterfly on a pile of ash. I also liked the way she displayed all of her other pieces…
http://www.sproutstudio.net/
http://www.sproutstudio.net/
http://www.sproutstudio.net/
Ach Ach Liebling (means: “Oh Oh Darling” in German) is the brainchild of Joanne Petrone, a local San Franciscan artist. I am a sucker for anything organic and just the fact that she had her necklaces displayed on a big ‘ol piece of driftwood did it for me. Then I actually found her pieces to be really interesting and varied:
http://www.achachliebling.com
www.achachliebling.com
And then there was the name: 11:11 Enterprises…well, not really. I was first attracted to the amount of color splashed out on this table. At closer look I saw that it was all very well organized…oh, they are wallets, and card holders, and passport/check covers…whoa! that’s a lot of stuff. So I took a photo…and then I saw the name of her business. I am born on 11.11 so I asked her why she calls her business 11:11 and she told me that she loves the time. I wish I had asked her a bit more because I am sure she had more to say. Check out her website here (and she has a few interesting blogs):
www.eleveneleven.net
www.eleveneleven.net
I bought a little orange vinyl purse/pouch from Miss Alison just because I really needed one. Her handmade pouches of all sizes and shapes are really colorful and playful:
www.missalison.com
www.missalison.com
I didn’t spend too much time at this booth, but I again loved the colors and the amazing amount of products on display with a common theme: sketches of a cute little girl. Jen Lukas has got them painted on little wooden squares, on canvas bags (the bags were REALLY cute!), even mouse pads. That’s what you call a niche:
www.jenlukas.com
Amy McClure from Olaria Studios (Olaria means pottery in Portuguese) makes jewelry out of clay. Her colors and designs are what pulled me to her booth:
http://www.olariastudio.com
These next photos are from booths that I didn’t spend too much time at but did find interesting:
Sara Paloma Pottery: www.sarapaloma.com
www.sarapaloma.com
Hilary Williams Fine Art: www.hilaryatthecircus.com
www.hilaryatthecircus.com
www.hilaryatthecircus.com
Mediums To Masses: www.mediumstomasses.com
www.mediumstomasses.com
And last but not least, the ETSY booth. If you are interested in handcrafted art (to make yourself or purchase) go to this amazing site called etsy: www.etsy.com
You can easily create your own page and display/sell/share what you make with millions of other creatives. I myself have dabbled in jewelry, but I have not touched any of my tools in over a year. I am what Barbara Sher would call a “scanner”…I am into so many things, they come and go into my life…and then they come again! So when I do touch my tools again I will share that with my readers.
www.etsy.com
thinking about creativity April 11, 2008
(first of all, I know I have written about this topic before…and I am being way too lazy to research…so I am probably repeating myself here. But if I can’t quite remember it and am too lazy to look back, I am sure you, the reader, will do the same…so, sorry for the possible repetition)
In the last few days I have been thinking a lot about creativity / art. What is creativity? I guess the simple/short answer is: whatever you do is creativity. Creativity is found everywhere. Art, business, life…The more creative = the more unique. The more unique…brings up more questions. What is “unique”? How does one reach “uniqueness”?
I think I am creative, but sometimes I also think I am lazy. After observing myself for all these years, I find that my creativity is very spontaneous and comes and goes. For instance, right now I am again more into photography. At other times I get back into creative writing mode. And then I might get a burst of energy and make jewelry, or cards, or something brand new. This process (and cycle) has been going on for years now. I never stick to ONE THING and usually my cycles last anywhere from 3 days to 6 months. I find that taking photos is probably my favorite creative outlet because I always have my camera with me.
And then I think about talent / skill. This morning I emailed a fellow flickr photographer Thomas Hawk and asked him how he got to where he is. I LOVE his photography! Not only because of his style, but because he likes to document. And taking photos for me is mostly about documenting. I didn’t read his profile in details but I guess he has been doing this for many years and is probably trained as a designer / photographer / whatever else. It makes me want to strive to be a better photographer. But somewhere in my psyche, I still don’t take myself seriously as an “artist”. I have a mental block about getting a proper education in any of these fields. Why? I guess I am afraid. Afraid that I will not like the class(es) and will drop it just like I dropped others in the past. Then I wonder why I drop classes. Expectations are too high? Disappointed? Impatient? Lazy to do the hard work? Afraid that I will miss out on other “passions” I have?
Like I wrote before, I am spontaneous. My creativity and passion comes and goes. When it comes I am completely dedicated and committed. Once it goes, that’s it. Coldness sweeps in and I drop it without a second thought. I guess I hate that about myself, but then I think I shouldn’t because perhaps that is also my strength. Like right now, I don’t think I can write one really creative sentence…and yet when I am in my creative writing mode I can come out with some pretty good stuff (at least to myself).
And so I struggle. Again. Always. It is a constant battle in my heart and mind. I think I don’t need classes. I am self taught. I know more than many people because I took the time to read books and learn on the net and learn by just doing it. Will I always be a Jill of all trades, master of none? Or do I need to bite the bullet and take those damn classes! Aren’t there TONS of artists out there who are completely self taught?
The other day I watched the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy for the first time (yeah, I know…I just didn’t get into it when they came out…sorry!) and I love the character of Gollum / Smeagol…the conversations between his “good” and “bad” sides reminds me so much of my constant back and forth between my “strong” and “weak” personalities. I myself have written down these conversations. I always tell myself that I have got to allow my stronger side to be right more often. But it is a struggle and requires a lot more therapy sessions! (hahaha)
I guess the bottom line is that I am insecure. I certainly don’t come across as insecure, but the reason I say this is because I seem to be too afraid to cross the line. I stay where it is safe. I don’t try to challenge myself and put myself out there. I don’t take risks. I don’t accept that I am “only” self-taught but that I have just as much a right to own my creativity. The other day a friend of mine told me I should sell some of my stuff. If what was going on inside of me could have been shown on screen, you would have seen me running a million miles a minute to a dark corner, covering my face yelling ” no! no! I am not deserving!!” So perhaps what I really need to work on is to own up to the fact that being self taught doesn’t mean you are any worse or less than all these educated people out there.
So pathetic!!!
and there you go…that’s what I have been thinking about in the last days. Don’t worry, I may be insecure and think I am not deserving…but one thing I am is very stubborn…and somewhere deep inside there is a loud voice screaming quietly: don’t give up!!!!!
San Francisco Olympic Torch Relay ~ April 09, 2008 April 10, 2008
I was there a little after 9am equipped with my camera and camcorder. I spent the entire day there (till about 4:30pm)…watched, listened, took over 300 pictures. At one point I just said to someone standing next to me: wasn’t there something about a torch? I had almost forgotten why people had come to the Embarcadero.
It was the perfect stage for the Tibet protesters. Even though they were protesting the Olympics being held in China, this was THE opportunity for them to be heard. And they were heard. It was amazing how organized they were, how many there were and how peaceful (relatively, at least where I was) the entire event went. Yes, there was a lot of yelling, some poking and shoving (but that happens every day when you get on the MUNI during rush hour)…and LOTS of people with cameras running around trying to get the best shot.
And then we waited. And waited. I had a great little spot, front row, right in front of police officers trying to keep things in control. And we waited and waited. Nothing happened. Rumors ran fast that the torch had been rerouted. Rumors turned to reality. Yes, everybody had been fooled and it was spotted on Van Ness Avenue. When no one was yet 100% sure, I placed myself right next to a cop and a journalist from the SF Chronicle who was on his cell phone trying to find out what was going on. Even he couldn’t get an answer. The cops of course were polite and kept saying: we have no idea where the torch is. It was actually pretty funny watching one person after another walk up to the police asking “where’s the torch?”.
I get a call from my husband who happened to be close to Van Ness Avenue (he was working, trying to cross Van Ness with his truck) JUST WHEN THE TORCH passed by. He got to see it! I thought that was the funniest moment of my day. So good for all those people who happened to be on Van Ness, at the Marina, at Crissy Field…they got to see it. Oh well. I won’t lose sleep over it. I still got lots of good pictures and a better understanding of yet another complicated world conflict. Tibet / China
I also learned once again that I am not a protester. I am a documenter. I will listen. I will observe. I will learn what I can. But the human condition to me is an ongoing mystery and when I am at an event like yesterday, I leave with more questions in my mind. What I always find fascinating is how hard it is for people to put themselves in other people’s shoes. I think if people could do THAT, there would not be as many problems in the world as there are today and always were. When will we ever learn!?
To see the pictures I took, go to my flickr page here: Olympic Torch Relay / Protests ~ April 09, 2008
Road Trip…Sonoma Valley April 8, 2008
Recently I went on several local road trips and took my new camera with me. Yes, after about a year of searching and thinking about it, I finally bought myself a Canon EOS Rebel xti…good deal on ebay with lots of extras (lenses, batteries, warranty, etc…). So far I am very happy with it. Of course, since I never really took a proper photography class (everything I know is pretty much self-taught…which is good AND bad at the same time), I am working right now at understanding the world of manual settings. I think I have a mental block when it comes to “aperture” “f-stop” “shutter speed”…but hopefully with the help of websites, books and my friend Natasha (a photographer), I can eventually get it.
Enough about that.
So I recently went on a few road trips and took so many pictures that I need to release myself of that abundance SOMEWHERE! I was going to start a brand new blog called SF Strolls (actually, I started it, but I think I will delete it) where I planned to document all the walks I take in San Francisco with photos and descriptions. But why a separate blog? My interests are all over the place, so why not allow my blog to reflect that? With the help of categorizing things, I think I can keep everything right here.
Again. Enough of that! (man, I can go on and on and on sometimes!)
So last week my husband and I took a drive up to Sonoma Valley. Not to taste wine. We like wine, but not big fans of the wine tasting “world”. It’s nice to drive by these wineries…but I prefer other things. On the way to nowhere in particular, we came across a few “sites” I felt were worth stopping for.
First, an old rusty pickup truck. I LOVE LOVE LOVE old rusty things. This was off of highway 37 going East
I love taking pictures of my own shadow. I particularly like this one because it doesn’t look like me. It looks like a cartoon character.
The rust, the copper, the cobwebs…signs of time passing and abandoned objects…
We drove on…
Came across very very large chairs (I think that was on highway 12, right after the Sonoma Valley Airport):
Finally (well, not really, more in another post), we came across this small airport. Sonoma Valley Airport. There were lots of small old planes. We were enthralled and happy that we were allowed to just walk around and take all sorts of pictures…
There are just a few of the pictures I took. If you want to see more, go to this link:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=51l273m.7479vwjm&x=0&y=rxn0a0&localeid=en_US
coming up soon:
Jack London Park in Glen Ellen (museum, grave and ruins of the house he and his wife built but that unfortunately burned down 6 months before they were supposed to move in)
A day in Sacramento (the Capitol and Old Sacramento)
