Marinera

I’d recently attended a charity event held in a church in Knightsbridge to aid the poor children in Peru. There were Peruvian food and drinks served, little stalls selling gifts and crafts but the top draw was Peruvian dancing. Several dancers performed different styles including the marinera, also known as the national dance of Peru. I’d met several of Z’s friends at this function most of whom are avid travellers like myself. They were dispensing travel tips gained from their experiences in Cuba which is on my list for next year. Later, I was introduced to Columbian cuisine in South London in an area where during my time away in Amsterdam, became populated with an influx of Latinos. Without a doubt, London is the most cosmopolitan city in the world.

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India Trip

Delhi – Friday 16th November 2007

My first proper venture into Delhi was almost scuppered by communication problems with the locals in Gurgaon. The majority of them don’t speak English and the high level of difficulty in getting a taxi was immense. Figuring it would be easier to catch a cab at a mall, I was transported all over the place in a rickshaw with the additional risk of being mauled by on-coming vehicles on both directions of the roads. Upon reaching the mall, I’d discovered there was no taxi stand. I’d decided to have lunch at the VLCC Alive restaurant and one staff member ordered a cab for me. After waiting 40 minutes due to the taxi being stuck in traffic, I was informed that it had arrived. I was duly given the licence plate number so I could locate the vehicle. Except there was no sign of it anywhere.

Just as my exasperation intensified, a taxi pulled up to drop off passengers. I’d immediately dived straight in and asked to be taken to Humayun’s Tomb, a popular attraction in Delhi. Instead of attempting to haggle a high fare out of me, the driver surprisingly switched on his meter which, come the journey’s end was notably cheaper.

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The Accident

A woman and a man are involved in a car accident. Both of their cars are totally demolished, but amazingly neither of them is hurt. After they crawl out of the wreckage, the woman says, “Wow, look at our cars – there’s nothing left! Thank God we are all right. This must be a sign from Him that we should be friends and not try to pin the blame on each other.”

The man replies, “Oh yes, I agree with you completely.”

The woman points to a bottle on the ground and says, “And here’s another miracle. Somehow this bottle of scotch from my back seat didn’t break. Surely God wants us to drink this scotch and celebrate our good fortune.”

Then she hands the bottle to the man. The man nods his head in agreement, opens it, and chugs about a third of the bottle to calm his nerves. He then hands it back to the woman. The woman takes the bottle, immediately puts the cap back on, and hands it back to the man.

The man asks, “Aren’t you having any?”

The woman replies, “No. I think I’ll just wait for the police…”

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India Trip

Gurgaon – Wednesday 14th November 2007

One of the surprises that greeted me upon my arrival at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport was the antiquated and degraded condition of the building. Granted, the airport is under renovation to bring it into the 21st Century but it resembled a construction site. As predicted, I was approached by several touts upon reaching the arrivals area despite the fact that there was a prepaid taxi stand outside.

It turned out that my old friend Graham, whom I was visiting, did not actually live in Delhi but in a town called Gurgaon 35 km (around 22 miles) outside the capital. He was on secondment to fulfil his brief to locate and open an office to act as the Indian branch of his company, and to recruit the staff to run it. A few of the multinationals have opened offices in Gurgaon rather than in Delhi, Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) or Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore). The car journey itself exposed the traffic regulations in India: there are none. Or rather no-one adheres to the rules of the road. Vehicles cut in and out with reckless abandon, honking furiously. At least it is in common practice with Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines.  

 

Pic taken with camera phone

As sleep escaped me during the flight, Graham took me for lunch at the VLCC Alive restaurant at one of the malls before heading to his apartment so I could rest. It was there that my palate sampled the best tomato soup to pass through my mouth: plum tomato soup with basil.  

Pic taken with camera phone

The restaurant even bolted screens of the kitchen so the clientele can view how their food is prepared and cooked.

Agra – Thursday 15th November 2007

One of the aims of the trip was to visit the Golden Triangle of India:  Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. So the following day, I’d boarded the express train departing New Delhi at 6.15 in the morning. The train station itself is a dishevelled eye-opener, closely resembling a chaotic and frantic marketplace. Cars entering the station are mobbed by locals offering to carry luggage for a tip, foreign tourists are pestered incessantly. Only when you strode through a guarded passage on to the platform are you finally in a safe haven.  

The train journey was a little over two hours in duration. Travelling in air-conditioned first class revealed how Indians like to have warm milk with their cereal for breakfast and with their tea. Outside Agra train station are two prepaid booths for taxis and autorickshaws respectively but it doesn’t prevent touts from offering their services at a lower rate. I’d opted for a prepaid taxi to transport me to the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, but in hindsight an autorickshaw would have been better as I’d got lumped with an unwanted guide with an annoying penchant for diversions to souvenir shops.  

In India there is one price for the locals to visit the attractions and a hefty inflated one for the foreigners. In the eyes of the majority of Indians, all foreigners are rich. Even the backpackers. Admission to the Taj Mahal cost around 30 rupees for the locals and 750 rupees for the foreigner. My camera bag was required to be checked in so I’d was only able to use the one lens that was attached to my camera. 

  

Main entrance into the Taj Mahal 

Once through…

Admiration from the locals

The majestic and beatific Taj Mahal

Covers for footwear had to be worn to walk on the marble grounds

The view from the side of the Taj Mahal

This was as far back as I could go to take this shot without falling off.

Entrance into the tomb

A local

A group of Japanese tourists

A local

An armed guard

More locals

Poor camel

Monkeys also roam freely…along with cows, goats, ponies and dogs.

Entrance to the red Agra Fort

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Three Daughters

There were three daughters and they all wanted to get married but they couldn’t afford it and neither could their parents. So the parents said, “We will give you all a joint wedding and then you will all be able to get married.”

So they got married and all three daughters then said, “I want a honeymoon but we cant afford it.”

The parents couldn’t afford it either so they decided they would have the honeymoon at their house.

So on their honeymoon night, the mother woke up and deiced to go downstairs and get a drink. On the way down she heard the first daughter screaming but she just ignored it. When she reached the second daughter’s bedroom she could hear laughing and she ignored that too. When she reached the third daughter’s room she could hear nothing and thought nothing of it.

The next morning at the breakfast table she said to the first daughter, “Why were you screaming?”

And the daughter replied, “Well Mother, you told me to scream when something hurt.”

Then the mother said to the second daughter, “Why were you laughing last night?”

And the daughter replied, “Mother, you told me to laugh when something tickled.”

Then the mother said to the last daughter, “Why didn’t I hear anything coming from your room last night?”

And the daughter replied, “Well Mother, you told me never to talk with my mouth full.” 
 

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I’m Back

My lungs require cleansing after my trip to India due to the dense pollution prevalent in the country. It is so dusty and dirty everywhere. Without a doubt, India is the dirtiest country I have ever visited comfortably surpassing the Philippines. But unlike the latter, India ranks as one of the most interesting places I have travelled to, rich in culture and historical architecture. Here are a few pictures I’d managed to transfer over for your viewing as I settle back into the routine.

The Gate of India, New Delhi

The majestic Taj Mahal in Agra

The Pink City of Jaipur

Sunset on Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai

No promises on when I can post the rest of the photos considering I’d shot around 450 in the Raw format which require processing. Anyway, I have alot to catch up on including reading those posts I’d subscribe to and writing comments. In addition, my body is recovering from the abundance of vitamin D processed from being baked out in the sun.

How is everyone?

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Punishments in Hell

A gentleman died and arrived in hell. He was met by the Devil and was told that in the new kinder gentler hell, each person is offered Three choices of torture. The Devil explained that these tortures run in 1000 year cycles and you could pick which cycle in which to begin.

So the Devil took the man to the first room where a man was hung up by his feet and was being whipped with chains. The man said he did not think that was where he wanted to start.

They proceeded to the next room where a man was hung up by his arms and was being whipped by a Cat-O-Nine Tails. The man also declined this form of torture.

The third room had a man strapped to the wall naked and a very beautiful young blonde woman was performing oral sex upon him. The man told the Devil this is more like it, and this was the one he wanted.

The Devil said, “Are you sure? It lasts for 1000 years!”

The man assured him that this was the punishment he wanted.

So the Devil walked over to the young woman and said, “You can go now, I have found your replacement.”

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Orange Suicide

 

 

I’m Off

To India, that is. A whole new world for me to explore. To be eaten alive by mosquitoes, to be hounded by touts, to be targeted by con-artists, and to suffer dysentery for two weeks. Hmm. Rather like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand then. Not such a new world after all.

See you all in two weeks time during my recovery!

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Another One Hitched

An old friend of mine invited me to her recent wedding and obviously I’d obliged. How could I not? To see her become officially chained to the kitchen evoked such pride. I’m kidding of course. She and I always joked about such male chauvisitic vernculars before my departure to the Dam.  

The wedding brought together a host of friends I haven’t see in ages, especially her cousins whom I have known since we were kids back in Liverpool. One of them I will be visiting in Delhi and another will be getting married in Italy next September. I’m already planning my itinerary for that trip.

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MTV EMA 2008

The MTV European Music Awards 2008 will be staged in my hometown of Liverpool next November! The venue will be the still-under construction Arena.    

The Arena is one of the many new architecural buildings under construction for Liverpool to be the European Capital City of Culture 2008. Next year would be the year to visit.

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Drunken Priest

A new priest at his first mass was so nervous he could hardly speak.

After mass he asked the monsignor how he had done.

The monsignor replied, “When I am worried about getting nervous on the pulpit, I put a glass of vodka next to the water glass. if I start to get nervous, I take a sip.”

So next Sunday he took the monsignor’s advice. At the beginning of the sermon, he got nervous and took a drink. He proceeded to talk up a storm.

Upon his return to his office after mass, he found the following note on the door:

1. Sip the Vodka, don’t gulp.
2. There are 10 commandments, not 12.
3. There are 12 disciples, not 10.
4. Jesus was consecrated, not constipated.
5. Jacob wagered his donkey, he did not bet his ass.
6. We do not refer to Jesus Christ as the late J. C.
7. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not referred to as Daddy, Junior and the Spook.
8. David slew Goliath, he did not kick the shit out of him.
9. When David was hit by a rock and was knocked off his donkey,don’t say he was stoned off his ass.
10. We do not refer to the cross as the “Big T.”
11. When Jesus broke the bread at the Last Supper he said, “Take this and eat it for it is my body.” He did not say “Eat me”
12. The Virgin Mary is not called “Mary with the Cherry,”
13. The recommended grace before a meal is not: Rub-A-Dub-Dub thanks for the grub, yeah God.
14. Next Sunday there will be a taffy pulling contest at St. Peter’s, not a Peter pulling contest at St. Taffy’s!

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What A Jam

Visa Nightmare

Would you believe it took nine hours to obtain a visa for my forthcoming trip to India? When I’d applied for a visa for my visit to China back in March, the process was simple: queued for an hour and upon reaching the counter at the Chinese Consulate, handed over my visa application form, passport and cash. I was then informed to return to collect the passport with the visa in two days time. It was even better during my trip to Cambodia – the visa was issued on arrival.

My arrival at the India High Commission at 8am was greeted with a sight of a queue stretching back two blocks. You have to queue to collect a queue number with a stamped date and time for you to return to hand in your visa application. After queuing for over an hour, my return time was stamped for 2pm on the same day. I was lucky. Some people have to return a day or more later. As I’d expected, the hall was heavily crowded at 2pm. I’d observed that one has to move like Speedy Gonzalez because once your number appears on the board and you’re not at the counter within a second, the next number immediately appears.

Two hours later, my number came up and I’d raced to the counter like a raging sprinter on steriods. Apparently, due to my occupation working in the media my application was referred to a shifty looking Indian in a dark suit. As I’d fretfully waited, questions flowed through my mind in the event of my application being rejected: will the air miles I’d used for this flight be recredited? Will I have time to make alternative travel plans? Will I ever get the chance to taste whether the curry in India is as good as in the UK? And that bloke does look extremely shifty with that dodgy bushy moustache. After five minutes, shifty bloke returned with approval for my application and telling me to return to the same counter. The assistant at the counter then politely informed me that my visa will only be valid for three months instead of the usual six due to my job in the media. What kind of discrimation is this?!

That was followed by more waiting around for one guy to dispense passports finalised with visas. Then he’d disappearred never to return. After another thirty minutes when the assistants had finished processing all the waiting applicants’ forms, two of them then progressed to dispense the passports with visas. A scrum had formed around those two particular counters. Your numbers would be called out very quickly and if you don’t hand in your receipt in that millisecond, tough luck.

By the time I’d left having collected my passport containing the precious visa it was already 5pm. During the frustrating wait, I had chatted with two applicants of Asian descent. I was informed that India itself is just as disorganised as the flawed and stupid system employed by the India High Commission. “Welcome to India,” they’d joked.

It was rather disconcerting. I hope that my previous travel experiences in Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines will have prepared me for a deluge of the unexpected. Bring it on, India.

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USA Trip

Las Vegas – 20th-25th September 2007 Continued

Did I mention that Vegas is also a phalanx of gorgeous women? I have never seen so many stunning beauties in one place although I suspect most of them migrated to Sin City for the weekend, with a large percentage originating from Los Angeles. The Planet Hollywood Hotel Casino has the most attractive dancers on display.  

The MGM Grand at night

The lobby of the MGM Grand

The Red Bar at the MGM Grand…it was quiet because the photo was taken during the day

The Excalibur

New York New York  

Casino floor at New York New York 

The Bellagio with the fountain show

It was unbelieveable how many cameras were pointed at the fountains that I’d wondered if these people got to watch the actual show, and appreciate it.

The lobby of the Bellagio

One of the wings at the Bellagio

Jean-Philippe Maury Chocolate Factory at the Bellagio

Chocolate Fountain

Some info

Funny looking tree at the Bellagio

Still at the Bellagio

Designer shops at the Bellagio

The Fremont Street Experience – visual light show every hour

An acrobat show. By the time my zoom lens was fitted it was over.  

Another music show

As seen in the movies and TV shows whenever the setting of Vegas is depicted

A small fee is charged for posing with them for photographs

A taste of the old style Vegas

The Pirates Show at the Treasure Island Hotel – extremely congested with onlookers as expected

Ship with cannons!

Pyrotechnics!

And scantily clad female dancers! Unfortunately, this was as far as my zoom lens could reach as we stood away from the sardine can crowd.

When I last saw the show back in 1996, it was much different to now. The songs and costumes were more flamboyant reminiscent of the Golden Age of movies (think MGM musicals and Errol Flynn period films). Now the show is all sexed up and infused with a more techno beat for music to accompany it.  

Cool looking motorcycle on display inside Treasure Island

Waterfall at the Mirage

Pic taken with camera phone

It was all too much for this guy

View of the Luxor from Las Vegas Airport – looks really tacky with the advertising.

San Francisco International Airport for my flight back to London.

The three of us thoroughly enjoyed our trip and would have no hesitation in returning to Vegas to do what we’d missed out on due to time constraints. I never got all the shots I wanted to take, and my mood in addition to the crowds prevented me from using a tripod at night. I did notice after 11pm when the streets became more devoid of tourists, solo photographers emerged gleefully planting their tripods. Still, even though none of my photos in Vegas were shot using a tripod I’m pleased with some of them.

Shooting in India should prove a more fastidious challenge as I will be travelling solo.

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Starting Salary

Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Person asked the young MBA fresh out of MIT, “And what starting salary were you looking for?”

The candidate said, “In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package.”

The HR Person said, “Well, what would you say to a package of 5-weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every 2 years – say, a red Corvette?”

The Engineer sat up straight and said, “Wow!!! Are you kidding?”

And the HR Person said, “Certainly, but you started it.” 
 

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Little Boys Love Her

(I wonder why…)

 

 

New Gadget For Xmas/New Year

The 12 month contract with my current mobile phone network provider expired last month, and for the past six months I’d been eagerly waiting for the release of the Sony Ericsson K850 to replace my K800. The K850′s camera boasts a healthy 5 mega pixels in comparison to the K800′s 3.2 mega pixels. Coupled with a solid mp3 player, who needs the iPhone?
   

 
Volunteering

I was reading about a professional photographer by name of Ian Phillips-McLaren
who likes to shoot using only natural light which is something I prefer
to do. He’d shot the picture below of Orlando Bloom without any
artificial lighting or the employment of reflectors. 

Upon
browsing Mr. Phillips-McLaren’s site I’d stumbled across his request
for volunteers to be his assistant on a London based personal project.
No qualified assistants need apply as he is only looking for volunteers
striving to be assistants or those wanting to improve their knowledge
of photography. I fall into the latter. So I’d applied. And he replied
adding me to the list of enthusiastic applicants and enquiring about my
availability. Now the question is how can I fit this into my already busy schedule?

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USA Trip

Las Vegas – Wednesday 19th September 2007

The flight
duration from San Francisco to Las Vegas is only one and a half hours.
By the time we’d arrived, tired and weary, it was already rush hour.
The odd thing about collecting a rental car at McCarran Airport in
Vegas is that none of the car rental companies are actually located at
the airport.

One
has to board a freezing air conditioned shuttle bus which ferry
customers to a central complex that houses all the car rental
companies. A luxury car had been booked but we were subjected to an
unexpected choice of two Chrysler 300s, a SUV and a Dodge Charger.
After much deliberation we’d settled on the 300 with GPS navigation.
Which is just as well considering the drive from Vegas to the village
of Tusayan took about five hours.

Grand Canyon Thursday 20th September 2007

Tusayan is
located five minutes drive to the South Rim side of the Grand Canyon
National Park. A fee of $25 per private vehicle is payable for
admission into the Park.

View from Mather Point

View from a walking trail

Des admiring the majestic view

Attempting to capture the sky and the Canyon on the reflection

“You look familiar”

Four Amish visitors to the Canyon

By the early afternoon we drove east to Desert View to gaze at another section of the Canyon.

The Watchtower at Desert View, opened in 1933.

Inside the Watchtower

Inside the Watchtower

Inside the Watchtower

A fawn straying onto the road forced numerous cars to halt prompting people to hop out  taking pictures.

Watching the sun set from Hopi Point along with lots of other visitors – it was an anticlimax.

Hoover Dam Friday 21st September 2007

Hoover Dam is situated 25 miles from Vegas and the drive should take around one hour depending on traffic and speed limit.

“You keep me hanging on…”

We decided to take a tour of the Dam which lasted an hour and $12.

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Guess My Age

A man decides to have a face-lift for his birthday. He spends $5,000
and feels really good about the results. On his way home, he stops at a
newsstand and buys a paper.

Before leaving, he says to the sales clerk, “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how old do you think I am?”

“About 35,” was the reply.

“I’m actually 47,” the man says, feeling really happy.

After that, he goes into McDonalds for lunch and asks the clerk the same question.

The reply is, “Oh, you look about 29″.

“I am actually 47.”

Later, while standing at a bus stop, he asks an old woman the same question.

She replies, “I am 85 years old, and my eyesight is going. But when
I was young, there was a sure way of telling a man’s age. If I put my
hand down your pants and play with your balls for 10 minutes, I will be
able to tell you your exact age.”

As there was no one around, the man thinks, What the hell and lets her slip her hand down his pants.

Ten minutes later, the old lady says, “Okay, it’s done. You are 47.”

Stunned, the man says, “That was brilliant. How did you do that?”

The old lady replies, “I was behind you at McDonalds.”

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Hey There Fongster

Scrolling through my footprints, I’d noticed a xangan visitor(s) alluding to be the Plain White Ts’. I’d first heard them on the radio whilst driving in California and Nevada last month singing their hit Hey There Deliah. I think it is more likely the work of an employee setting up pages on various blogs and MySpace.

Eye See

Many thanks to those who expressed their concerns about my red eye. It is beginning to slowly clear up although a patch of blood is clearly visible around the cornea. Hopefully, it will have fully dissipated by the end of the month when I have a wedding to attend. Speaking of which, another one of my old friends announced her engagement last night. The list of those unattached in my social circle of longtime friends, myself included, has dwindled down to three.

Jokers

A few of my colleagues indulge in playing practical jokes, namely changing the wallpaper on people’s computer desktops with material some people might consider offensive. Here is one that was used but I dedicate it to my former flatmate. There was another one I wanted to use but it is just too rude! 

 

Wanderlusting

As mentioned in my previous post, my next trip is in progress. I’m going to India next month. Opportunites presenting themselves in terms of travel have to be seized and taken advantage of. India was on my to-visit list for next year but coincidentially, a close friend got posted to Delhi on secondment from Hong Kong for three months. Another friend suggested we go visit him and then he backs out. There was still a huge amount of annual leave left for me to take, and I am of the mindset that taking leave to stay at home is a complete waste of time. Going abroad somewhere is a no-brainer for me even if it means maxing out the credit card. Luckily, I was able to use my air miles to gain a flight to Delhi and expenditure costs in India should be minimal.

As mentioned above, my friend who’d just got engaged revealed the wedding will take place in Naples, Italy late next year. Italy is also on my to-visit list and you can be sure I will take full advantage of the wedding by travelling to other parts of the country such as Rome and Venice. Another friend is hoping to take a sabbatical next year to go backpacking with Australia, South and/or Central America among the destinations. And I will be joining my friend during part of the tour.

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USA Trip

Alcatraz – Sunday 17th September 2007

Alcatraz was intended to be visited on Saturday but tickets for the ferry were sold out. We had to contend with going on Sunday instead.

Long before Alcatraz became a prison, it was used as a fort against the invading Spanish and then the British.

A chamber to hide from bombardment from ships. We were lucky enough to enter this as it will now be closed to the public and used to store emergency supplies in case of earthquakes.

View of the Bay from Alcatraz.
 

Lake Tahoe – Monday 18th September 2007

After a four hour drive from SF we’d arrived at the Marriot Grand in South Lake Tahoe.

For Ngy and Des, it was the best hotel they’d ever stayed in. I’d found this hotel as we wanted three separate beds and I’d booked this suite with two bedrooms, kitchen, lounge and three bathrooms. It was a good price too: $259 between the three of us.

I’d won the coin-toss to spend the night in the single master bedroom complete with terrace and bathroom with jacuzzi. The jacuzzi wasn’t that great though.

View of the Marriot Grand from the balcony in my room. The swimming pool housed a better jacuzzi.

At least Des wasn’t doing the stupid V-sign common among Asians.

South Lake Tahoe in the California side

North Lake Tahoe in the Nevada side via a detour to Carson City

View of Lake Tahoe in Tahoe City 

Ngy and Des staring at water

Dusk beginning to set in  – no idea whether this was in California or Nevade state

Sun setting over Lake Tahoe as the realisation kicked in that we were on the wrong side of the lake to witness it.

Tuesday 19th September 2007

Gondolas situated at our hotel – not in service

View of San Francisco from the balcony in our hotel room on our last night in California 

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A Girl’s First Time

As you lie back your muscles tighten. You put him off for a while searching for an excuse, but he refuses to be swayed as he approaches you.

He asks if you’re afraid and you shake your head bravely. He has had more experience, but it’s the first time his finger has found the right place.

He probes deeply and you shiver; your body tenses; but he’s gentle like he promised he’d be.

He looks deeply within your eyes and tells you to trust him-he’s done this many times before.

His cool smile relaxes you and you open wider to give him more room for an easy entrance. You begin to plead and beg him to hurry, but he slowly takes his time, wanting to cause you as little pain as possible. As he presses closer, going deeper, you feel the tissue give way; pain surges throughout your body and you feel the slight trickle of blood as he continues. He looks at you concerned and asks you if it’s too painful. Your eyes are filled with tears but you shake your head and nod for him to go on. He begins going in and out with skill but you are now too numb to feel him within you.

After a few moments, you feel something bursting within you and he pulls it out of you, you lay panting, glad to have it over. He looks at you and smiling warmly, tells you, with a chuckle; that you have been his most stubborn yet most rewarding experience.

You smile and thank your dentist. After all, it was your first time to have a tooth pulled. 

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Will Cuddle For Food

I Spy With My Red Eye

Last week I’d suffered a punctured blood vessel in my right eye. I didn’t know until one morning I was brushing my teeth and caught my reflection in the mirror. Needless to say, I’d almost crapped myself there and then in a delirious fit wondering what the hell happened to my eye.

There was no pain, my vision wasn’t affected although there was a slight discomfort. Both a pharmacist where I’d purchased some eye drops, and an optician maintained the redness should have cleared up “in a couple of days”. Three days later I was advised by another optician to go to an eye hospital. This I did after work last Friday, where the entire process took two hours: being assessed by a nurse, adminstration, examined by a nurse, blood and eye pressure measured, and finally examined by an eye doctor. It is good to know that once in a while, I get to use one of the free national services that is paid for by my tax money.     

I was informed that the fragile blood vessels in the eyes are susceptible to bursting by too much caffeine, swimming, diving, sneezing, blowing your nose, exercising, and generally being whacked in the eye. The good doctor also explained that there is a likelihood the redness will expand and then change to a orange/brown colour before fully dissipating in 2-3 weeks. Oh wonderful. Now I can see stupid people…oh wait, I can see them anyway before this incident.  

Sorting out the rest of the photographs taken on holiday is a work in progress. Although I’d enjoyed the trip, I was disappointed with a lot of the pictures taken. Travelling with friends really restricts one’s ability to engage in what is termed street photography. Unless one is travelling with a companion who is also a photographic enthusiast. So for my next trip I will travel solo. Have you ever noticed photographers tend to be on their own unless it is a professional shoot complete with crew? My destination has already been chosen and I’m currently conducting research to compose an itinerary.  

I’d also been busy researching a home studio lighting kit to add to my photographic gear. The Interfit EXD200 is an entry level kit and has garnered strong reviews and the best part is that it is portable, complete with a carry case. This is going to be a Christmas present to myself.

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Sadness Of Sex

Kissing’s a pleasure

Fucking’s a game

Guys get all the pleasure

Girls get all the pain

He says he loves you, and you believe it’s true

Until your belly starts to swell and he says hell with you. 

Ten minutes of pleasure, nine months of pain 

Three days in hospital, a child without a name

The baby’s a bastard

The mother’s a whore

This never would have happened if the rubber hadn’t tore

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Studious Cat

 
Gothic Chic

When I’d popped out on a late lunch last Friday, I’d stumbled upon these four Gothic ladies in moody pose.

Pic taken with camera phone

It transpired that they were promoting a show as two or three so-called looking ”professional” photographers were busy snapping them.  

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Portraiture 

Yesterday (Sunday) provided me with an opportunity to shoot some portraiture, an area I desperately want to delve further into in order to cultivate my photography skills. Z’s brother, Dave, kindly volunteered to offer himself as my guinea pig. Like myself, Z is a regular traveller and likes to explore off the beaten track. And like myself, she is also interested in photography and will soon purchase a Nikon D80 after some persuasion from yours truly. I had wanted to accompany Z to Vietnam next month but the airline imposed stringent restrictions on using my air miles.

My main interest in portraiture lies in using shadows to create mood and effect. None of that conventional studio shots with the pastel backdrop for me. I was ably assisted by Z using one reflector and I’d shot Dave ultilising natural light and whatever shadow that could be employed. A portable softbox light kit is on my shopping list for Christmas.  

Normally, sorting out my pics would consume an enormous amount of time but a bout of insomnia last night/this morning enabled me to process a few.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

The portrait competition deadline was extended to today so I’d entered this shot.

Then Z had a go at shooting me.

I’ve taken CareyGLY’s suggestion and made this one sepia in tone

As for my photographic skills, I’m still learning as I go along… 

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US Trip: San Francisco

14th-19th September 2007

After my perfect plan of embarking on a trip to California last year to follow in my previous visits to the Sunshine State in 1986 and 1996 fell through, this year was to be the year. Except that it almost didn’t happen. And Los Angeles was omitted from the itinerary thanks to one of the crew, which is just as well. The holiday to SF presented a great opportunity to catch up with four friends, and their introduction to some amazing gastronomic delights. I’d tasted some wonderful Vietnamese cuisine (thanks Daisy & Vinh) and sampled fantastically tender and moist roast chicken (thanks Doris).

Pic taken with camera phone

Sumptuous combination rolls consisting of a variety of raw fish and other goodies are not available in the UK. This was my first meal in SF.

Due to hanging out with friends and with those I’d travelled with, there weren’t much time to shoot other non-tourist stuff.

Sun rising at Union Square

Hobart Building

Anyone know what this building is?

No photography was permitted inside the SF Museum of Modern Art but I’d tried to use my camera phone.

Lombard Street

Fisherman’s Wharf

Westfield Shopping Mall

Japantown

Japantown – rather disappointing

Saint Mary’s Cathedral

Interior of Saint Mary’s Cathedral

Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge from the other side

Obligatory shot of the trolley 

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Dusty Underwear

One evening a husband, thinking it would be being funny, said to his wife, “Perhaps we should start washing your clothes in Slim Fast. Maybe it would take a few inches off of your butt!” His wife was not amused, and decided that she simply couldn’t let such a comment go unrewarded.

The next morning the husband took a pair of underwear out of his drawer. “What the Hell is this?” he said to himself as a small dust cloud appeared when he shook them out. ‘April,’ he hollered into the bathroom, “Why did you put talcum powder in my underwear?”

She replied with a snicker, “It’s not talcum powder honey… it’s Miracle Grow!”

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Kitty’s Drug Addiction