2014, Day 365 - A new leaf

As I reflect on the year it has been one filled with friends, food, and lots of work.  It's been a great  year, I've had a lot of fun and keep up this blog has been very rewarding.  That said, I think I am going to change the format.  I've been posting daily for a little over five years and it has kept me from becoming complacent; I've learned a lot and feeling obligated to keep this up has has been very rewarding.  Unfortunately in the past year I've found that I am not pushing myself to go out as often as I once was.  I've been happy to work from a bank of images taken in the past like the one I'm sharing today.  Instead I think I need to be more selective about the images I share and feeling obligated to share something new on a daily basis means that I am not always happy with the final product because of time constraints or simply because I picked out an image I wasn't happy with in the first place.  So I am going to take that pressure off myself and work towards sharing only things photographs that I am really proud of.

After five years and over 1,860 posts I am thinking that change is a good thing :)  Happy New Year!

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 35/f1.4R
35mm, f1.4, 1/125 sec @ 800 ISO

2014, Day 364 - Pull

This young man is working with molten sugar.  Soon he will be pulling and folding the sugar until it become a fine silky texture.  When that it done it will be bagged and sold with roti as a sweet treat.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 35/f1.4R
35mm, f1.4, 1/125 sec @ 800 ISO

2014, Day 357 - Fish monger

I met this charming fellow at the market in Kandy.  He is a purveyor of all things dried but mostly salty pungent fish.  I liked the quality of light the bare bulbs cast, some shadows deeper than others and the texture of his wares.  Sometimes it is best that you can't smell a photograph.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 56/f1.2R
56mm, f2, 1/125 sec @ 1000 ISO

2014, Day 347 - Thunk

I think we went to the market every day we were in Chiang Mai and every day I found someone or something that fascinated me.  As you walk through you head the thud of cleavers biting deep into massive cutting boards, the crackle of hot oil, the back and forth as friend catch up, and always laughter.  There is so much life in the markets, it is so authentic, and I can never get enough.

Fuji X-T1, Funinon 56/f1.2R
56mm, f1.8, 1/125 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 333 - Wielding

I am endlessly impressed with the women who work in the markets.  They're working before the sun comes up hauling heavy loads, arranging their wares, wielding massive knives, and all the while chatting and laughing with the people around them.  I've never seen a hint of fatigue or a falter in their smile and when they notice you taking their picture their smiles grow and it warms my heart.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 56/f1.2R
56mm, f1.8, 1/125 sec @ 320 ISO

2014, Day 332 - Serene

It seems odd that I should be comforted by the presence of Buddhist monks and nuns but find most members of the clergy from western religions unsettling.  I wonder why that is...

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
24mm, f5.6, 1/60 sec @ 3200 ISO

2014, Day 331 - Artisan

I lament the lack of craftsmanship today.  Artistry in everyday objects is hard to find or astronomically expensive.  This beautiful woman has been making attractive functional umbrellas for decades and is a master of her craft.  Hopefully she has and will train others to follow in her vocation so that the art won't be lost to future generations.  We focus so much of efficiency and modernity that the things in our lives lack soul.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 35/f1.4R
35mm, f1.4, 1/125 sec @ 640 ISO

2014, Day 324 - Sugar pusher

We got up before dawn to get ourselves together before heading out to Ayutthaya.  I visited the area four years ago when I was last in Bangkok but Francene had never been so we planned on making a day of it.  Our guide Nut was waiting for us in the lobby of our hotel well before the appointed time.  After quick introductions we were speeding through the city and onto the highway.

Our first stop was for breakfast as it was still early and we didn't have time to eat.  I love that you can get a decent breakfast in Thailand for a dollar or less.  Once our plates were clean we visited Wat Phra Chedi Chaimongkol which is dominated by a giant stupa.  Built in 1357 this temple was the home of monks who had recently returned from Ceylon after completing their studies under Phra Vanarat Maha Thera.  Adjacent to the temple is the Wihan Phraphutthasaiyat,  a statue of the reclining Buddha where is it said that if you can get a coin to stick to the bottom of his feet you will have good luck.  Guess who managed the task?

Next we stopped off at Wat Panan Choeng which was built in 1324 and houses an enormous statue of the Buddha that stand nineteen meters high.  Also within the temple complex are two large statues of the Buddha made from solid gold.  To keep from being stolen during the war with Burma they were taken into the jungle and coated with plaster to make them appear a less tempting target.  What's interesting is the number of Chinese figures in murals and sculptures of the Buddha in the Chinese style.  Apparently the immediate area had an ancient tie to China that has not totally been explained.

Before making our next stop Nut decided we needed an energy boost so we stopped for roti sai mai.  This is essentially Thai cotton candy eaten in a piece of flat bread.  The sugar is first melted and then placed in a bowl floating in cool water where natural flavoring is added.  When the flavor is mixed in and the sugar becomes cool enough to handle it is transferred to a heated plate with melted palm sugar to act as grease.  Initially the sugar is held in the hands, pulled, and folded back on itself, then it is put on the hot plate and pulled using wooden pins and folded back on itself until the sugar had the consistency of hair.  It is then bagged and sold with flat bread which is rolled around it prior to consumption.

Next we went to Wat Mahathat.  This is the temple where you can see the iconic carved head of the Buddha peering out from between the roots of a strangler fig.  Built in 1374 it is an important site in Ayutthaya because it housed relics of the Buddha and was close to the grand palace.  The central prang was partially destroyed be a lightning strike and subsequently lightning rods have been placed at the top of other culturally significant places to prevent another such disaster.

Just north of Wat Mahathat is Wat Rajaburana.  Built in 1424 the central prang, tower, dominates the landscape and is partially encircled with scaffolding as restoration work in currently underway.  The monarch who built this temple dedicated it to his two brothers who died fighting each other for the throne he later came to occupy.  The prang was looted in 1957 and even though the culprits were apprehended only ten percent of the stolen contents have thus far been recovered.

We then decided to have a little lunch in a quaint restaurant that overlooks the river.  As we ate we watched barge after barge pass by with massive loads of sand.  It made me glad to have a little shade to cut the sweltering heat of the midday sun.

Once our energy had been restored, at least in part, we went to Wat Na Phramane which was built in 1503.  This temple was spared destruction as the Burmese use it at a barracks during the war.  It is said that the statue of the Buddha is weeping due to the set of his eyes but I can't really say that I see it.  This was the temple where we received a blessing from a kindly monk who wanted to know where we were from and if our hometowns were one of those affected by the winter stormed he had heard about.  Apparently he was quite up on the news of the world but it was nice to have him take an interest.

At this point we had been out for seven hours and the heat was wearing us out so we decided to head back to Bangkok.  Fortunately we managed to get back right before rush hour so we had time to rest at our hotel before going out to dinner which was at a place only a few blocks away that Nut recommended.  The food was good and cheap and with our hunger sated we decided to spend the rest of the evening relaxing.

Tomorrow we're wading in to Chatuchak Market with is comprised of over eight thousand vendors and covers more than thirty-five acres.  I expect it is going to be another exhausting day!

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 35/f1.4R
35mm, f2, 1/170 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 314 - First impressions

Despite the late arrival this morning we were still up pretty early so after killing some time on the internet we had breakfast provided by the hotel.  It was plain European type breakfast fare but it did the trick.  We decided to head out to one of the markets after getting cleaned up.

A short time later we were leaving the hotel and found a trishaw driver (a trishaw is the local version of a tuk-tuk).  Because there are four of us he had to call a friend and soon we were headed off to the market.  We waded in to the produce section and it wasn't until after we left that Melissa confessed that she was the object of cat-calls and a few pinches.  I guess a nearly six foot tall red-headed woman is hard to miss but I hadn't expected that she would have garnered such unwelcome attention.  Which made us reflect that the markets here have a lot more men working at them than in much of Asia and resolve to look out for each other a little more closely in the future.

Lest you get the wrong idea, the young man pictured was friendly and a perfect gentleman.

Once we left the market our drivers took us to the old town hall so we would have a look around.  It is not really a museum but the doors were open so we had a look around and signed the guest register at the instance of one of the gentlemen inside.

Then Saman and Yoga, the drivers we had hired, took us to a Hindu temple.  There was a lot of elaborate statuary some of which they tried to explain to us but the language barrier coupled with brain-frying heat meant a lot got lost in translation.

When we left it was to head over to a restaurant to meet some of Francene's friends for lunch.  As luck would have it we arrived within minutes of each other and were treated to a nice meal.  I had my first sampling of Sri Lankan food and I think we're going to do just fine here.

Once we had our fill it was off to do a little shopping before heading back to the hotel to rest.  The long day prior was taking its toll and all we wanted to do was get out of the heat and relax which is exactly what we did until dinner time which took us away from the hotel for a little while to enjoy a meal where the ambiance was probably better than the food.  Oh well, you can't win them all.

Now I think it is time to consider an early night...

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 56/f1.2R
56mm, f2.8, 1/125 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 313 - Attitude

I am keeping this post short and sweet because it is late and I am tired.

This morning we went through the Chiang Mai Gate Market before getting breakfast after which we picked up our laundry and went back to the hotel to pack.  We finished a little early and decided to grab lunch before heading to the airport.  Our cab driver took us to a great local place where we had good cheap food.  The service was fast and the atmosphere lacking so we still ended up at the airport super early.

Caught our flight to Bangkok, went through insane immigration lines, and bing-bang-boom we're in Sri Lanka!

There, our day in a nutshell...

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 56/f1.2R
56mm, f1.8, 1/240 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 311 - Sassy

This morning I woke up early wide away well before the sun was up.  That time, waiting for everyone else to return to consciousness, was used to catch up on a bit of work.  It's hard to believe we're already a week in to our trip.

Once everyone was up and about we went out to pick up pastries for a light breakfast.  Today we were headed off to cooking classes so we figured something light as we would be eating what we cooked.  Our quick snack out of the way we were picked up by the cooking school where we met up with the other students in our group and headed out to the Mae Jo Market.

That's not really the name of the market but it is what everyone calls it because Mae Jo is the name of the neighborhood where it is located.  Mae Jo's university also happens to be the site of the mass lantern release as it is far enough away from the city so as not to negatively impact all the people that live in the area.

Personally, I like the market near our hotel better, it is much bigger although a bit more dingy and I like that kind of grittiness.  The vendors at this market were nice and one lady offered me a sample of the fruit she was selling.  It was small, about the size of a grape, bright green with flesh a bit like an apple.  The flavor was quite sour and the juices a bit astringent but it leaves a sweet aftertaste.  I think we had something similar in Cambodia served with salt and chillies.  Anyway, she got a chuckle although I don't think my reaction was severe as she had expected.

Once we had finished our market tour we headed out to the farm.  Here we had a tour of their facilities and then selected the food we were going to make.  The dish I was most excited about was khao soi which is a northern Thai curry served with noodles.  I've actually had it at home but I think they try too hard to make it fashionable as I like it better the way it is prepared here which is a lot more simple.  Otherwise a lot of what we made is similar to the Thai food that I've learned to cook before except maybe for larb which is typically a minced meat salad but I've had it before with tofu and mushrooms although this time it was just tofu.

Our class covered seven dishes and ended up taking longer than expected and advertised.  By the time we got back to our hotel the sun was beginning to set.  Tonight is the Saturday Walking Street on Wua Lai Road which is pretty close to our hotel.  Unfortunately I have some incredible congestion so my plan for the evening is to relax with a hot compress although I'm happy to say that my travel companions are taking advantage of the opportunity even though I didn't feel like going.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Chiang Mai but fortunately we will have much of Monday as well in case there is anything we don't get to before we set off for the next leg of our adventure.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 56/f1.2R
56mm, f2, 1/125 sec @ 320 ISO

2014, Day 310 - Crafts and consumers

We helped stimulate Thailand's economy today.  This morning we work up early, as per usual, and headed out for breakfast but not before making a stop for coffee.  There was a restaurant we scoped out yesterday but, unfortunately, it wasn't opened early enough to accommodate our plans for the rest of the morning.  Slightly disappointed we headed back to the local vegetarian place and has another great meal for less than a dollar per person.

Bellies full, we returned briefly to our hotel to finish getting ready in preparation for a day out with our driver.  Josh, the name he gave us, was the taxi driver who took us from the airport to our hotel when we arrive.  One the ride he seemed like a nice guy, he spoke English well, and had a sense of humor.  So we had arranged for him to drive us around to explore and do a little shopping.

He started off on the right foot by showing up early and when we showed him the list of places we wanted to visit he nodded at each and off we went.  First we went to Khamtieng Market, the city's plant market.  It was amazing, lots of little shops with all manner of beautiful tropical plants, water lilies, and gardening supplies.  The sheer variety and the riot of color was almost overwhelming.  It made me wish I had a tropical garden to plant but we contented ourselves with admiring all the plants.  Especially impressive were the orchids that came in all manner of shapes, sizes, and colors with prices as low as a dollar per plant.

Next we headed in search of a teak spirit house for Francene so Josh took us to a sprawling teak furniture place.  I will admit that their offerings were impressive, especially some of the furniture, but they didn't have any large spirit houses and while their prices were fair for teak they were still extremely expensive.

Coming up short we decided to go to Francene's tried and true celadon place.  They make all of their pottery on site and have an extensive variety of traditional and contemporary celadon available for purchase.  What's more, they also ship, so that took a huge obstacle from our path.  In the end we all made a purchase or two and we should be seeing them again in two to three months; given the exorbitant cost for air shipping we all felt that we could be patient.

At this point we had been such good consumers that we were getting hungry so Josh took us to his second choice place; the first was closed.  We had a nice lunch and were soon off to see how they make umbrellas from bamboo and paper.  The women working on cutting and shaping the bamboo were rather spectacular; they made it look so easy but it was clear that long experience with those razor sharp blades that our initial impression was completely erroneous.

Next we went to a shop that sold locally produced home decor.  The majority of their large showroom was devoted to rugs.  Originally the owner and his family came from Kashmir almost two decades ago to expand their business and found that they could make better rugs at a lower cost because of the availability of high quality and, relatively, inexpensive Thai silk.  There is something extremely impressive about the was the light shimmers off of a silk rug and the temptation was too much for Melissa who had them unrolling rug upon rug.  I will freely admit I looked at a few myself in the process.

By now it was getting rather late in the afternoon so we stopped to snack on fried pumpkin and decided to make one last stop of a shop renown for their silk.  It was in an really pretty old teak house and while their offering were attractive there was none of the Thai style that you would expect.

At this point Josh had proved himself invaluable and extremely competent.  He had drive us all over the city, found everything without difficulty, and told us silly jokes that made him laugh more than we did.  But it good-natured demeanor won us over and we had a great time.  So, before dropping us back at our hotel, we made plans to have him drive us around again on Sunday and paid him a very reasonable amount for all his time today.

Once we got ourselves refreshed we headed out to dinner.  I suggested a restaurant I had eaten at the last time we were in Chiang Mai.  It was on the other side of town so we caught a ride and ended up having a very nice meal.  In fact we ate so much that none of us was all that thrilled to go out this evening so we headed back to the hotel to rest and relax.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 35/f1.4R
35mm, f1.4, 1/125 sec @ 1000 ISO

2014, Day 308 - Barter

Today, our first full day in Thailand, was not especially exciting.  When we got in to Chiang Mai last night we got settled into our rooms, went out to get dinner, came back, got cleaned up, and went to bed.  It was early but we were exhausted.  Consequently we got up similarly early; we gave up trying to sleep at about four o'clock in the morning but, in fairness, that was after getting eight hours of sleep.

So we spent the early morning doing a little research and planning out the rest of our time in Thailand.  When our plans had more-or-less taken shape we decided to go out in search of food and caffeine.  There was a place close by that came highly recommended but they didn't open for a while but a nice gentleman pointed up to another establishment and suggested we go to the market afterwards.

The food at the little cafe was excellent and we did indeed head to the market.  I love markets, they are the bustling hub of local life and I really like the idea of eating only fresh foods, produce that is immediately ripe and recently harvested, and animals that have been locally raise, treated well, and honored in the lack of waste.  We didn't buy anything which I rather regret because it would be nice to have a bunch of bananas back in our room.

Our market exploration completed, we decided to head back to our hotel to actually put our plans into action and make what arrangements we could.  On the way I pointed out the street famous for all their silver smiths and it was instantly decided that we should take a look.  What followed was a couple hours of popping in and out of various places looking for the pieces that were just right.  Our strategy was to find what we liked going one way and make our purchases on the return.

As it turned out we switched back the way we came after visiting Wat Srisuphan, the famous Silver Temple.  Originally constructed in the 16th century the Silver Temple is not actually silver but aluminum with silver panels.  Unfortunately women are not allowed to enter the temple so I had to go in alone and take pictures to share.  The silver panels are impressively detailed while the interior is not significantly different from most other temples.  In addition to the temple the grounds also house a silver smithing school and meditation classes.

When we finished at the temple we made our way back down the road stopping every block to buy a piece of jewelry here and another there.  In the end a number of bargains were struck and I think everyone felt as though they came out on top.

By this time we had been wandering for a while and the light breakfast we had at the cafe was a distant memory so we thought to find food on the way back to the hotel.  Eventually we settled on and Indian/Thai place and had a reasonable lunch albeit with somewhat slow service.

When we finally made it back to the hotel we stopped off at the front desk to make reservations for the next few days.  Full of pride in our own productivity it was decided that we should at least treat ourselves to a foot massage.  How can you not for less than seven dollars for an hour?  I struggled to stay away throughout.

Feeling refreshed we decided to take an hour break at the hotel and then we would head out in search of dinner and the Loi Krathong festivities.  It was suggested that the best place to see the celebrations would be by the river so we opted to take a cab to the Night Market knowing that we would be able to find food in that area.  As it turned out we had an excellent eight course Thai dinner in the Night Market.

When we finished eating it had started to rain in earnest.  It was coming down so hard that it wasn't a patter on the corrugated steel roof but a constant droning.  Although we expected it would dampen the celebrations we still slowly made our way to the river.  As suspected there were plenty of vendors and few other people.  The rain hard washed out the festivities.  So we made our offerings and decided to come back for an early-ish night.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 56/f1.2R
56mm, f2, 1/340 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 225 - Queen

It's Miss Rodeo Oregon!  This evening I went with my buddy Chris to the Canby Rodeo at the Clackamas County Fair.  It was an overcast evening and the lighting there is poor at best but we still did our best.  I took this as she waited for the next rider to try to rope the calf and with the lights and trees in the background it was perfect.

Canon 1D X, Canon 70-200/f2.8L IS Mark II with EF Extender 1.4x Mark III
280mm, f4, 1/640 sec @ 5000 ISO

2014, Day 199 - Bits and pieces

I love markets, they are my favorite places to visit when I travel.  There is so much happening and so much to see.  Plus, food tells you a lot about people and there is no place better to see how and what people eat.

Canon 1D X, Canon 24-70/f2.8L Mark II
53mm, f3.5, 1/125 sec @ 8000 ISO

2014, Day 150 - Planning

As I contemplate my next trip and enter the early stages of planning I think back on my last trip.  This photograph was taken at the fish market on the pier in La Libertad, El Salvador.  There were so many people proudly hawking their wares and when they saw our cameras they kept bringing out more and more impressive specimens.  It was like a competition for our attention, the people were so friendly and they all knew we weren't in a position to buy a twenty pound fish but they were excited to show it to us all the same.

That's what I love about travel, meeting people, even if only briefly, who are as proud of themselves and their cultures as I am interested.  It make travel exciting and very fulfilling.  The year has been a busy one and I can say, without a doubt, that I'm earning my vacation this year!

Canon 1D X, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f2.8, 1/160 sec @ 1250 ISO

2014, Day 135 - Swing

This is a concept shot for my gym, a series of eight shots of kettlebell swing with my trainer working as my model between sets.  Being my guinea pig is his punishment for the abuse I suffer at his hands.  There are a few ideas for permutations of this concept bouncing around in my head that I would like to play with as I consider how to make a series of gym photos interesting, exciting, and dynamic to match the updated website that's using the images from their old site.  There is nothing wrong with the photographs they have other than they've already been seen so it makes the new site look a little familiar.  Anyway, the brainstorming continues.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
24mm, f4, 1/500 sec @ 2500 ISO

2014, Day 116 - Day dreaming

I stopped by my friends' house this evening to chat and talk over a project.  While we worked and talked I noticed Shelby sitting on the ottoman and gazing out the window.  I couldn't pass up the moment so grabbed a couple quick photos.  Maybe she is thinking about going racing tomorrow, I haven't told Frankie yet because he won't be able to sleep.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 56/f1.2R
56mm, f1.2, 1/150 sec @ 800 ISO

2014, Day 111 - Bastard

This tall glass of son-of-a-bitch is my trainer.  For the past year and a half be has been thinking up inventive ways to abuse me into gaining strength and I've certainly felt the benefits.  Yes, I am still built like a teapot, short and stout but that is a battle against my natural predisposition.  So for eighteen months he has been miscounting my reps to punish me and torturing me with "one more set."  The gym just redid their website and I didn't care for his picture so I took my camera and, arms straining to lift my camera after a tough workout, I made him pose for a few pictures.  There is a skylight in the warehouse-like space so I made him stand under it for this shot.

Canon 1D X, Canon 50/f1.2L
50mm, f2, 1/500 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 24 - Innocence

It's hard to believe that Frankie is just a month shy of this third birthday which means I've had the pleasure of his company for two years.  He is a silly boy who loves a good cuddly and can't help himself from showing off.  Frankie doesn't need me to be proud of him, he's proud of himself.  When we go racing he bounces all over the place because he's so excited but it slows him down and he almost always comes in last.  Who cares when you look this good?

Canon 1D X, Canon 24-70/f2.8L Mark II
61mm, f11, 1/200 sec @ 100 ISO