To Be or Not To Be?

early morning, rome, originally uploaded by - di.

Looking up flights to Rome in March, Istanbul in April and Naples before mid-year too.

Hmmmm, is the puppy plan on hold while I go off gallivanting because the Middle East work will most likely fit in amongst it all somewhere too?

The Istanbul gig came up yesterday - photographer required for a rather special guidebook of that city I love so very much.

Then tonight came news of Rome, with an invitation to Naples ... an invitation that promised Pompeii, Hercleum, Vesuvius and pizza, as if I need tempted to return to Italy :)

I can't help wondering if Gert called in some favours or offered some people some very big money to distract me from the dog plot.

Buying dinner tonight and we were talking with the daughter of the owner at our favourite Turkish takeaway restaurant. She and I exchanged phone numbers, planning an English for Turkish conversation exchange. Could be fun, and useful as it will be two weeks working hard in Istanbul.

Flight prices are good just now. 1euro each way to Rome, with 77euro for taxes and another 10euro to book it online. Istanbul is looking like 489euro for two, return. So much cheaper than flying from New Zealand.
Seems do-able.

A bottle of Australian red wine has been opened to celebrate this very excellent moment.

Happy Saturday night to you too! (Sunday morning for the kiwis and Aussies.

I think I'm finally getting that Belgian Labrador puppy

I explained, very ernestly and matter-of-factly, that Gert had 3 choices ...

We could build me a beach with associated water, waves and sand because I miss having beaches in my world.

We could build me a lake because I had become used to spending long hours at lakes and rivers with my dogs through the years.

Or we could simply find me a labrador ... I've always had a dog, since I was 9 years old.

He was wearing that stubborn expression he does so well and said nothing but I think it will be okay.

I might have pushed things a little further and pointed out the obvious annoyance of waves on the balcony, then there's the nuisance-factor of a lake that drains into the lounge every time we walk out onto the balcony and compared them to the simple pleasures of a devoted canine companion.

I'm hoping it won't descend into a simple 'You're not the boss of me!'situation ...

Note: When I read this to him, fact-checking, he pretended to throw his newspaper at me ... but he was smiling. I'm pretty sure it's going to be okay.

Indolence is a virtue. It comes from two Latin words, which mean freedom from anxiety or grief. And that is a wholesome state of mind. There are times and seasons when it is even a pious and blessed state of mind. Not to be in a hurry; not to be ambitious or jealous or resentful; not to feel envious of anybody; not to fret about to-day nor worry about to-morrow,--that is the way we ought all to feel at some time in our lives; and that is the kind of indolence in which our brook faithfully encouraged us.
Exract from Fisherman's Luck by Henry Van Dyke, 1912.

I found this quote and a beautiful post over on Ornamental, the lovely blog belonging to Nina.

Ms Deadly Jelly writes about the New Zealand Male ...

I smiled over Ms DJ's latest post:

An extract: There are certain things you do not do with a Kiwi man, never never, no seriously not even ever. These include describing rugby as ‘only a game’; coming between him and a lamb chop; mispronouncing Kiwi place names; or slapping your elbows whilst licking your chin, and calling it a Haka.

Or calling bacon and egg pie ‘quiche’.

Published ... in Du Magazine!!

Delighted I was, to receive a 1.98kg parcel in the post today.

Inside I discovered two copies of Du Magazine, February 2009 - a Swiss cultural magazine.

Two of my photographs appear on pages 48 and 49 of this beautiful publication ... the article is written in German and titled Die Wiederkehr des Ornaments.

Samsung NC10

The teensy weensy Samsung NC10 arrived today. It's more gear for the Berlin/Middle East gig and I'm writing this on its almost normal keyboard ... fascinated by the compact yumminess of the small machine with its 10.2inch screen.

As my camera gear becomes heavier and I travel to places where I need both the camera equipment and some kind of laptop, this was the best Gert could find for the money I had available to me ... and we're both liking it.

First night with it tonight, more news to follow after it's been put through its paces.

My Home Town

I was bemused to find my home town featured in the local newspaper back home in New Zealand.

I was there until the age of 20 and my early wandering was only limited by the hills that surrounded the plains I grew up on.

I thought the title, Mosgiel's many charms was pushing it a little but that could be from growing up as a native there. One often doesn't know to appreciate what they have until it's gone ...

The air was so very very clean there and as with all childhood memories, the sun almost always shone, we played outside all day except Sundays, when it was often-times grey and overcast.

So welcome to a small snapshot view of Mosgiel ... ;)

Wikipedia has more to say, should curiosity overwhelm you. I was quite surprised to discover that Mosgiel takes its name from Mossgiel in Ayrshire, the farm of poet Robert Burns, the uncle of the co-founder (1848) of the Otago settlement, the Reverend Thomas Burns.

Winter fevers ...

There's flu here in Belgium, and talking with Lisen earlier, I hear it's over in Istanbul too.

Our apartment is full of people, mostly sick people.
Gert slept 17 hours from lunchtime yesterday. Jessie fought a fever over the same time-frame and now has a headache and nausea thing happening. I'm just back from a night search for the right kind of juice-only iceblock in minus 2 celsius degree weather. Our local night shop was closed though ...

And little Miss Four is taking an antibiotic for bronchitis, a powerful antibiotic that makes her feel terrible which results in 'interesting' behaviour. The upside being, I've been telling myself, is that she's on the mend.

I've been working on photographs all day but I've only managed to check through 70, in-between everything else. The apartment is clean, almost everyone is in bed, including Gert's two children, the washing is almost up-to-date and here I am, at my mess of a desk, wondering how tomorrow will be.

I hope things are good in your world.

A little bit of Bob.

When not completely infuriated by the games governments play, I listen to music ...
I do.

I was listening to my mp3 player while working through some photo sessions just completed and came to Bob Seger's Roll Me Away and remembered travelling all over the South Island of New Zealand with this man. He won't recall, possibily because it was more about him playing loud on my car stereo as I drove the 600kms between Dunedin and Blenheim ... or where ever I was going back in those days of driving and immense personal freedom.

I went searching for a youtube of Roll Me Away but only came up with somebody's elses road trip ... Bob's excellent company.

I liked this song of Bob's too, so we'll make-do with the youtube.

Canon EOS 5D MarkII - Second Outing

Contemplative, originally uploaded by - di.

I was working in 'interesting' light conditions, with a flash, using the telephoto lens so people had no idea I was photographing them.

I was delighted with this photograph. I had spent a few hours chatting to and sharing an office space with this guy on Monday. Tuesday and I was the photographer.

Yesterday in Brussels

an old friend, originally uploaded by - di.

I taught some incredible young minds while I was teaching English in Istanbul and some of them have kept up with me since leaving. For the first time an ex-student of mine flew into Brussels and we lunched together in a frozen city centre - minus 2 yesterday.

I had the new Canon EOS and couldn't resist asking permission to photograph him before the cafe filled up with the lunch crowd. He's a lovely guy - fluent in Turkish, French and English, savvy in politics and working towards a career as a musician.

It was good to catch up on him and his world.

Out and About ...

Get to our front door. Open the door. Up the stairs. On no! We forgot to shut the door. Back downstairs. Shut the door. Back upstairs. Into the bedroom. Into bed. Under the covers. We're not going on a bear hunt again.
Extract from, We're Going on a Bear Hunt.

And that kind of sums up the last couple of days ...
I wandered into work in Brussels yesterday, worked on the database, talked to a fireman from England, caught the trams out to Paola and Simon's, had a delicious pasta meal with wine and Italian ice cream and just really enjoyed catching up on their news - talking far too much about me.

I slept at the top of the stairs in their bedroom for guests, woke this morning, a little nervous about all the trams and places I needed to find ... knowing that without geographical landmarks I am constantly lost therefore it follows that the Brussels underground metro completely destroys me however I am proud to write that I found my way back to the city via two trams, met up with one of my ex-Istanbul English students, wandered with him - a cafe for a coffee, a cafe for lunch (it was minus one celsius today).

A goodbye to Ege and back on the metro to Madou to take photographs of a Jewish/Muslim dialogue workshop the NGO was running.

I love photographing the workshops and using the new Canon EOS was purely delicious. It was its first time out with my flash and all went well.
I love it!

Back through the underground, onto the Antwerpen train, reading John Simpson's excellent book A Mad World, My Masters, and emerging, quite surprised, back in the city.

Reading Mr Simpson, there has been the depressing realisation that all wars are the same and often an invented political event. As I read through his tales of attending various wars, I see that the same template has been laid down again and again and again. Same reasons, same excuses, same dead civilians ... to read it on the heels of the Israeli offensive into Gaza makes me see how much we let our leaders get away with. Have a look at his book if you doubt me.

Home via the apotheek for medicine for everyone here at the apartment. Gert's been in bed sick since lunchtime, Jessie has struggled on with the same coughing feverish misery because little Miss Four has developed bronchitis so ... it was pizzas for dinner, checking in with everyone on who needed food, drink and painkillers, downloading today's work and voila, here I am, updating the blog some.

A busy couple of days.

EOS Canon 5D series II - Day One

this photographer's model, originally uploaded by - di.

How he suffers me but I loved this shot.

EOS Canon 5D series II - Day One

Flamingo, Antwerpen Zoo, originally uploaded by - di.

This was probably my favourite shot of the day. Completely outdoors with natural light. I've down-sized the file hugely to load it here.

EOS Canon 5D series II - Day One

Sea Otter with Takeout, Antwerpen Zoo, originally uploaded by - di.

This little guy was being fed by his keeper. Again, it was taken from behind some kind of glass but we were outdoors. I'd like to go back with more time and less wind chill factor ...

EOS Canon 5D series II - Day One

Tiger, Antwerpen Zoo, originally uploaded by - di.

I have to get used to the lens being its actual length - so this was taken with the Canon EF 70-200mm 1:4L. I missed the extra length but have a 75-300mm that I will start using again when visiting the zoo.

EOS Canon 5D series II - Day One

the morning after, Antwerpen Zoo, originally uploaded by - di.

I took this photograph inside, without a flash, through glass then cropped the file to half its size and it's not bad, or so it seems to me.

Cairo ...

Backstreet wall, Cairo, originally uploaded by - di.

I have loaded Cairo onto my new website, the blog posts, a photo gallery and am just waiting for the last of the work to be completed on it.

Tara was curious about my Cairo photography ... here is one taken from the balcony of the most remarkable art gallery.

The Elders.

This gave me a little bit of hope, meet The Elders.

The Global Elders or The Elders is a group of public figures noted as elder statesmen, peace activists, and human rights advocates. The goal of the group is to solve global problems, using "almost 1,000 years of collective experience" to work on solutions for seemingly insurmountable problems like climate change, HIV/AIDS, and poverty, and "use their political independence to help resolve some of the world's most intractable conflicts."

You can read more about them over here.

Serious travelling is never comfortable or safe, and is very rarely accompanied by champagne; unless, that is, you have brought your own. Serious travelling is difficult, and the enjoyment is in direct proportion to the degree of difficulty. By which I mean, it only starts to be really enjoyable once it's over.
John Simpson, extract from A Mad World, My Masters.