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My favorite hangout rises again... I'm hoping they've kept Jim's perogies and salads on the menu.
This is one of the first shots from the X100s, overexposed by over two stops. The JPG was a complete loss, but the RAW file had amazing latitude with nothing blown out.
Learning my new tools--Fujifilm X100S and LightRoom 5.
[綾瀬. 東京. Ayase, Tokyo. 2010 / Nikkor 50mm. f/1.4. iso1000. 1/100]
Recalling a conversation with a girl (pretending) studying french (dadou~ knows who i'm talking about) last week. As she was boasting around how she was deep into muay thai and how great it was, i shared my experience with finding a good martial art place in Singapore, even if obviously she did not have enough time to listen at what anyone else but her could say, engrossed as she was in showing off.
I told her how i had these preconceived ideas that, Singapore being in Asia, i would easily find some dojo or boxing clubs with great spirit. And how i had been often disappointed, in most of the several trial courses i attended, to find a recurrent state of mind far from my expectations. A state of mind made of shallowness, arrogance, disrespect for other martial arts or experiences.
Shallowness, with this constant obsession of fitness, of looking good, complacency and impatience.
Arrogance, with the delusion of thinking you're the best, even after just a few years, and with this obsession of being efficient.
Disrespect, by constantly comparing with the other ways of martial arts, roughly simplifying them in order to demean them, without trying to know more about them.
I felt this attitude in the western parts of this world as well, but never so blatantly. Actually, in Europe or Northern America, i felt sometimes rather a sort of sect-like attitude, triggering that arrogance in relation with other schools or ways (a chapel-like aspect i always hated in martial arts), while, in Singapore, it rather sounded like a consumerist attitude, as if martial arts and clubs were brands, like "ok, i found the best item, best value for money, and every other brand is not worth it"...
In other words, it seemed as if the local kiasuism ("fear to lose"), added with impatience, ignorance of the rest of the world (one of the most astonishing contradiction of Singapore, being on one hand the epitome of a cosmopolitan hub open to the rest of the world, and, on the other hand, sometimes unable to understand the way the rest of the world is working and thinking), a consumerist state of mind, would somehow rub off (and possibly taint) on the spirit of martial arts, or at least the way they are taught and comprehended. Wanting to grab all, immediately and any old how - at the conjunction of kiasuism (=fear of losing), impatience and bochap (=carelessness) attitude.
Too busy bragging around for paying attention to the metaphorical aspects of my remarks, the girl seemed to give more substance to my point, which didn't need that honour. Here's what she said :
"- Yeah, yeah, but my club is deep in spirit, you know..."
"- Ah. Great you found a club not obsessed by fitness and appearance. What's its name?" i asked.
"-Fitness First"
"-Ah. But... er... I guess you're learning also the cultural aspects and the spirit behind thai boxing, like the rituals and the way to control strength and breath, right?"
"-Yeah, of course. But not this bullshit with the dancing and so on. We kick bags and we have thai r'n'b..."
"-Ah."
Then she got carried away : "-But it's so much better than all those shits you're talking about... Muay thai is the best, you know. Boxing? Bullshit! It's just 6 different movements. So poor, and inefficient. Kung fu? It's just for movies, it's not efficient, actually. And the thing you talk about, whats its name again lah? Ah yes, aikido. Just bullshit..."
"- You've tried these martial arts before, then?" i asked.
"- Huh? What for? Cannot lose my time lah. No, muay thai is the best, and my club is really the best. I'm training 5 times a week now, and i'm in super shape. You should try it... Er... but you have to be in good shape..." she said. The other girl who was patiently listening at her boasting rolled her eyes, had a bemused look at the flabby tummy and arms of the muay thai queen wannabe...
I kept a frozen smile, listening patiently at this half-my-age girl, stuck in her aggressive certitudes. In a blink of an eye (or two, maybe), i felt that stupid thought creeping into my brain, wondering how many seconds it will take to knock her out with one of the not-so-inefficient tricks all her aerobic-like-muay thai classes won't teach - probably a simple headbutt would be enough. Then i felt ashamed to get contaminated (even for just a short moment) by her aggressive certitudes.
"- Perhaps i'm too old to rely only on my strength, stamina and aggressivity, i guess...", i said.
"- Yeah... That's why fitness gyms are good for teaching muay thai, you see...", she philosophically observed
Then i asked her : "- Thank you for the information. For how long have you been doing muay thai, again?"
"- Almost one year, and my teacher says i'll be an expert soon."
"- So, you don't need to get any exam then, i guess, like french, since you did not feel the need to pass the exam for going to the next level..." i said bitterly, this girl's level and attention in french class being pathetic.
"- Yeah... Er... No, it's not the same... i mean er... ", she muttered.
"- If you say so. Have a good day..."
[version française]
Il revient à ma mémoire une conversation avec une fille étudiant le français (ou du moins prétendant le faire, dadou~ sait de qui je veux parler), la semaine dernière. Comme elle n'arrêtait pas de se vanter et de dire comme elle était à fond dans la boxe thai et ô combien c'était génial, j'ai partagé un peu de mon expérience à propos de trouver un bon lieu pour pratiquer les arts martiaux à Singapour, même si manifestement elle n'avait pas le temps d'écouter ce que quiconque d'autre qu'elle pouvait avoir à dire, absorbée qu'elle était à se la pêter.
Je lui ai dit que j'avais toutes ces idées préconçues selon lesquelles, Singapour étant en Asie, j'y trouverais facilement des dôjo ou des clubs de boxe avec un bel esprit. Et combien j'avais été souvent déçu, dans la plupart des essais que j'avais pu faire, de n'y trouver qu'un état d'esprit récurrent, bien loin de mes attentes. Un état d'esprit fait de superficialité, d'arrogance et de manque de respect vis-à-vis des autres arts martiaux et des expériences différentes.
Superficialité, avec cette obsession constante du fitness, d'avoir l'air beau, complaisance et impatience.
Arrogance, avec cette illusion de croire qu'on est le meilleur, même après à peine quelques années, et cette obsession de l'efficacité.
Manque de respect, en se comparant constamment avec les autres arts martiaux, en les schématisant grossièrement pour mieux les rabaisser, sans chercher à en savoir plus sur eux.
J'avais également ressenti parfois cette attitude dans les parties occidentales de ce monde, mais jamais de façon aussi flagrante. En fait, en Europe et en Amérique du Nord, je sentais plutôt parfois une sorte d'attitude sectaire, déclenchant cette arrogance vis-à-vis des autres écoles ou voies (un esprit de clocher que j'ai toujours détesté dans les arts martiaux), alors qu'à Singapour, ça s'apparente plus à une attitude consumériste, comme si les arts martiaux et clubs étaient des marques, du genre "bon, j'ai trouvé le meilleur article, le meilleur rapport qualité-prix et aucune autre marque n'est à la hauteur"...
En d'autres termes, tout se passe comme si le kiasuism ("peur de perdre"), ajouté à l'impatience, l'ignorance du reste du monde (un des paradoxes les plus étonnants de Singapour, à la fois symbole d'un port cosmopolite ouvert sur le reste du monde, tout en étant parfois incapable de comprendre la façon dont fonctionne et pense le reste du monde), allié à un état d'esprit consumériste, venait d'une certaine façon déteindre sur l'esprit des arts martiaux (et peut-être même le souiller), ou du moins sur la manière dont ils sont enseignés et appréhendés. Tout, tout de suite et n'importe comment - à la jonction entre kiasuism (=peur de perdre), impatience et attitude bochap (=je m'enfoutisme, manque de soin).
Trop occupée à se vanter pour prêter attention aux aspects métaphoriques de ma remarque, la fille a donné sans s'en rendre compte plus de substance à mon argument, qui n'en demandait pas tant. Voici ce qu'elle a dit :
"- Ouais, ouais, mais mon club il est à fond dans l'esprit, tu vois..."
"- Ah. C'est super que tu aies trouvé un club pas obsédé par le fitness et l'apparence. Il s'appelle comment?", je lui ai demandé.
"-Fitness First"
"-Ah. Mais... Euh... Je suppose que tu y apprends aussi des aspects culturels et l'esprit derrière la boxe thai, comme les rituels et la manière de contrôler sa force et sa respiration, non?"
"- Ben ouais, bien sûr. Mais pas ces conneries avec la danse à la con et tout. On tape dans des sacs et y'a du r'n'b thailandais..."
"-Ah."
Et puis elle s'est emballée : "- Mais c'est tellement mieux que toutes ces merdes dont tu parles... La boxe thai, c'est c'qui a de mieux, tu vois. La boxe? C'est de la merde! Y'a juste 6 mouvements différents. Tellement limité, et inefficace. Kung fu? C'est juste pour les films, c'est pas efficace, en fait, tu vois. Et le truc que tu m'as dit, comment qu'ça s'appelle déjà, là? Ah ouais, aïkido. C'est juste de la merde..."
"- Alors tu as essayé ces arts martiaux avant?", je lui ai demandé.
"- Hein? Pour quoi faire? J'ai pas d'temps à perdre, là. Non, la boxe thai c'est c'qui a d'mieux, et mon club c'est l'meilleur. J'm'entraîne 5 fois par semaine maintenant, et j'suis en super forme. Tu d'vrais essayer... Euh... Mais bon 'faut être en forme quoi...", qu'elle m'a dit. L'autre fille qui l'écoutait patiemment se vanter a levé les yeux au ciel et a jeté un regard désabusé sur le ventre et les bras flasques de celle qui se voyait reine de la boxe thai...
Un sourire figé sur mes lèvres, j'ai écouté patiemment cette fille deux fois plus jeune que moi, engluée dans ses certitudes agressives.
L'espace d'un battement de cils (ou deux), je me suis surpris à sentir cette pensée stupide s'insinuer en moi, du genre combien de secondes me faudrait-il pour la mettre hors combat en utilisant un de ces trucs pas-si-inefficaces-que ça qu'elle n'apprendrait jamais dans un de ses cours de boxe thai à la sauce aérobic - probablement qu'un simple coup de boule suffirait. Puis, immédiatement, je me suis senti honteux de me faire contaminer pour un instant par ses certitudes agressives.
"- Je suis peut-être trop vieux pour croire uniquement en ma force, ma résistance et mon agressivité.", lui ai-je fait remarquer.
"- Ben ouais, c'est pour ça que les clubs de fitness c'est bien pour faire d'la boxe thai...", a-t-elle philosophiquement observé.
Je lui ai demandé : "- Merci pour ces informations. Tu fais de la boxe thai depuis combien de temps, déjà?"
"- ça va faire bientôt un an, et mon prof dit que je serai une pro bientôt."
"- Alors, t'as pas besoin de passer d'examen, je suppose, comme pour le français, puisque tu n'as pas senti le besoin de passer l'exam' pour t'inscrire d'office au niveau suivant...", j'ai dit amèrement, le niveau d'attention et le niveau tout court de cette fille en cours de français étant affligeant.
"- Ouais... Euh... Non, c'est pas pareil...j'veux dire euh... ", elle a marmonné.
"- Si tu le dis... Bonne journée..."
"Their new car turned out to be a lemon. It never ran right."
Taken for Macro Mondays.
2/14/2011: Theme: Metaphor
Playful metaphor for European MOOCs participants. For more info, check out openeducationeuropa.eu/en/blogs/open-your-professional-de...
Our professor Juliet was teaching us about Gustav Freytags' dramatic structure and forgot how the story of "Snow White" went. So I look it up on Wikipedia and BAM we know the story of "Snow White", also Germans write some crazy children's stories.
Jim owned the Metaphor Cafe for a few memorable years and immediately distinguished himself as the city's premier purveyor of pierogies. His salad dressing, which he claimed had some ungodly number of spices, was legend, as were his enchanting waitstaff of young women, all with far more charm and attitude than restaurant experience.
What I loved most about the Metaphor in those days were Jim's paintings. The cafe was his canvas, from entrance to restrooms, everywhere one looked--walls, ceilings, floors, counters, tables, even the plumbing.
This painting is one of very few left at the Metaphor, on the entry door to the space Jim kept next to the cafe. This little room was fully fitted out as a hair styling salon, where Jim would treat his preferred customers to styling sessions while their dinner was (ever so slowly) prepared. PJay loved the attention, and she'd always return to the table coiffed in some radically altered state. Meanwhile, I'd smoke a cigar and flirt with Jim's waitress du jour.
It's only been a few years since Jim sold the Metaphor, but it seems an eternity to me.
Invisibility by environment
An object may be classified as "invisible" if it cannot be noticed by use of sight due to environmental factors other than the fact that it doesn't reflect light. An object that might normally be seeable may be classified as invisible if it is:
* Behind an object.
* The same colour or pattern as the background. (Camouflage)
* Patterned so that its outline is hard to determine.
* In an environment which is too dark or too bright.
* In a particular observer's Blind spot (outside that observer's line-of-sight).
I captured this from Bowness looking towards the North-west. This is a standard 20 second long exposure. The clouds are blurred due to the extended shutter interval.
In front of the Ratzeburg Cathedral stands a large wooden cruzifix with the inscription: "Vergesst den deutschen Osten nicht" (Don't forget the German East"). I assume this to be a rather puzzling incitement to most (non German) visitors but to me it excites all the memories of a youth spent during the cold war era. Ratzeburg was then a border town in the middle of Germany delimiting what some called the "free" and others the "imperialistic" world. The Bild-Zeitung, which the woman is reading, was the acute voice of anti-communism while the recent fascist past of the country had tidily been disposed of in the waste bin of collective concealment. It was hard to breath then...
In the picture a friend of mine from those days and an unknown lady.
J. Spencer Smith Elementary School - Tenafly, NJ
This is my first attempt at a triptych!!! Not Bad!!!
Camera: Cosina Voigtlander Bessa R3M
Lens: KMZ Jupiter 3 50mm f1.5
Film: Ultrafine 400
Developer: Xtol
Scanner: Epson V600
Photoshop: Curves, Healing Brush (spotting)
Cropping: None
FRPS Panel
My portfolio focuses on the complex dynamics and non-verbal communication found in personal relationships.
The new growth slowly re-engulfs the recently revealed monument in the cemetery at Arnos Vale reclaiming it as it's own again. The metaphor of the broken column here with added poignancy through the actions of nature and the light glimpsed through the forest beyond. .
This watch is a simple, inexpensively-made pocket watch that was given to me as a best man gift.
The second hand fell off right around the time when said friend was already having marital troubles of a severe nature that eventually resulted in an expedient divorce. The face (dial) of the watch went crooked and rotated around the time that my relationship was slowly falling apart and in both cases, there was pretty much nothing I could do about it.
The watch is now fixed. Life eventually fixes itself, but on its own timetable and the impatient must work very hard to distract themselves while it does so.
To understand the process behind this image follow this link to the photoset.
It's worth reading, to give some context.
[This photo was actually taken during the day.]
i came across this in London as i was walking around in the back streets (as i often do) to find some Banksy work...
I couldn't believe it when i found it, this is NOT altered in anyway, i found these beautiful flowers thrown like this into a trash can...not only was i amazed at seeing them, but also, how many people would ever see something like this, wandering around you see these small things that can mean so much, you would never see this stuff as a tourist in London...
anyway, the more i think about it, i wonder how, when we go through difficult circumstances this is what we see as life