Something has been brought to my attention recently. It is in a friend of mines blog within MySpace. He normally writes fairly amusing blogs which i have advertised in this here space. Though recently he has written one regarding a 'storybook' which his young cousin was given colour in at school. He brought to light the idea that the illustrations given were boderline/sublinal/suggestive to pregnancy. Please decide for yourself:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=69016944
A few points/questions:
- At first i thought it was straight subliminal messages. I used to illustrate and you do nothing by accident. If it was inncocent, why is their ONE petal that is upright where it is?
- Regarding the story despite the bad grammer, princess's do meet their princes's (maybe better looking ones) and have families. Although the cut to the chase is quick in this one story.
- As adults yes we can see iconography children will miss.
I spoke to my sister and brother in law as they have 7yr old Chloe. They agreed they would not have read and still don't intot he images. They are more concerned about the actual grammer, not the story.
I am undecided about the whole thing and have forwarded this link to many people asking opinions.
I know i said i wouldn't mention someone again but i will. A person who i am very close to is leaving in a few days and i saw her for the last time (till i don't know when) a few days ago. Many questions left unanswered. Sometime we come to a point where we realize that the answer may be as futile and unimportant as the questions we want to ask. Sometimes we want the answer so much we never ask ourselves why we ask in the first instance. Never knowing something may keep you on your toes a little longer. Leaving it up to 'fait' may also be an option. Conclusions and closures can- not be up to us to make at times. Let it be.
My point is, sometimes our lives live on this line about one thing, wrong or right, Each of us are about something that has a stream of thoughts, whether that be something good or bad for us or others. Some don't really know or understand their own streams. And don't get me wrong, streams are often pretty messy, especially in this modern discourse. We see what we want to see sometimes. Sometimes we don't like what we see. But it's healthy to question why we don't like what we see and moreover, why we see it that way and whether or not our perspectives aren't quite aligned.
ion: An ion is an atom or group of atoms that normally are electrically neutral and achieve their status as an ion by loss or addition of one or more electrons.
quest: A quest is a journey towards a goal used in mythology and literature as a plot
question: question may be either a linguistic expression used to make a request for information
courtesy of wikipedia.
my 2007 is beginning with a great start (for the most part...) and am looking forward to it. I couldn't expect or imagine that this last half of 2006 to be as amazing as it was. I have no idea what's ahead, but whatever comes, i believe a good perspective is what it takes to transcend it (bar world famine, people you know dying and your own mental health doing a U-turn).
sally forth to a brand new year. good luck, my love and hope...
- J
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Monday, December 25, 2006
see saw
The turkey came out the oven perfect. The potatoes I burnt a little and the sprouts were undercooked and then only after the meal realized I left the stuffing in the oven.
I take a walk on Christmas day. I'm not sure why. Maybe because it's the only day of the year that it is dead quiet in my neighborhood, a neighborhood you couldn't pay me enough to walk for lesiure. Or maybe I just don't like most of my relatives who can all of a sudden without invitation, pop by.
I decided to go visit a school friend who I hadn't seen for about 8 years. I did this 8 years ago on Christmas day. I went to school with him and we were best friends since the age of about 5- 15. I rang the bell and some guy opened the door. Just before I asked for my friend, I realized it was him I was talking to. He had filled out in the past 8 years. He said he wouldn't have recognized me and I'm not sure why because I don't look all that different. In fact, someone recently said I haven't physically changed one bit. He invited me in and we had a nice chat. Despite having different worlds, we both seem to retain the ability to communicate as if we know each other and he is still warm and kind. We were both quiet, sensitive and softly spoken as children and those sensibilities have remained a rooted part of us. It was very good to see him.
I came back and played Mar Jong with my parents which I have never done. We were missing a player but that didn't matter. It was a strange yet enjoyable evening. I had been drinking red wine since noon and fell asleep about 9pm in the living room. I got up and my Dad said I used to do that while waiting for him to finish work.
I can't recall what I was really like when I was a child. I know I was afraid of a lot of things. Ironically, I have become pretty fearless as an adult. Youth work which taught me how to be an adult. Travelling which taught me about freedom and life. Falling in love taught me about pain and myself. Cinematography taught me that we can achieve things we believe in. Knowing people who have known you at certain stages in your life can give you a context to your own history. I for one am deeply grateful there are a few people I still can see from time to time who have known me before my twenties. Fundamentally, it can inform you that you have made it this far through life and it can make you feel alive.
There is an old saying that, 'if we don't know where we came from, how do we know where we are going?'. More often than not, I find that we tend to concentrate on either the past, the present or the future though rarely considering the sum of the whole. This can be percieved as an imbalance of sorts. Not unlike, the Christmas lunch I made.
- J
I take a walk on Christmas day. I'm not sure why. Maybe because it's the only day of the year that it is dead quiet in my neighborhood, a neighborhood you couldn't pay me enough to walk for lesiure. Or maybe I just don't like most of my relatives who can all of a sudden without invitation, pop by.
I decided to go visit a school friend who I hadn't seen for about 8 years. I did this 8 years ago on Christmas day. I went to school with him and we were best friends since the age of about 5- 15. I rang the bell and some guy opened the door. Just before I asked for my friend, I realized it was him I was talking to. He had filled out in the past 8 years. He said he wouldn't have recognized me and I'm not sure why because I don't look all that different. In fact, someone recently said I haven't physically changed one bit. He invited me in and we had a nice chat. Despite having different worlds, we both seem to retain the ability to communicate as if we know each other and he is still warm and kind. We were both quiet, sensitive and softly spoken as children and those sensibilities have remained a rooted part of us. It was very good to see him.
I came back and played Mar Jong with my parents which I have never done. We were missing a player but that didn't matter. It was a strange yet enjoyable evening. I had been drinking red wine since noon and fell asleep about 9pm in the living room. I got up and my Dad said I used to do that while waiting for him to finish work.
I can't recall what I was really like when I was a child. I know I was afraid of a lot of things. Ironically, I have become pretty fearless as an adult. Youth work which taught me how to be an adult. Travelling which taught me about freedom and life. Falling in love taught me about pain and myself. Cinematography taught me that we can achieve things we believe in. Knowing people who have known you at certain stages in your life can give you a context to your own history. I for one am deeply grateful there are a few people I still can see from time to time who have known me before my twenties. Fundamentally, it can inform you that you have made it this far through life and it can make you feel alive.
There is an old saying that, 'if we don't know where we came from, how do we know where we are going?'. More often than not, I find that we tend to concentrate on either the past, the present or the future though rarely considering the sum of the whole. This can be percieved as an imbalance of sorts. Not unlike, the Christmas lunch I made.
- J
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
confessions of a profession
A few months ago I went to an event at The Photographers Gallery regarding medium format digital backs. One of the people giving the talk ask how many of us were photographers. Half the audience put their hands up. He then asked, ‘put it another way, how many people make money doing it?, and subsequently a few people put their hands down.
I started shooting stills in my early teens and have never really stopped. I started making some money out of it while still at college. I started shooting films in my teens and only started making money from it 2 years ago. I shot everything anybody allowed me to shoot, paid or unpaid. One day I was doing it for free and the next I was doing it for money. But it’s when I started being paid to light properly that I felt that I was what I aimed to be, a professional Cinematographer or ‘Director Of Photography’. And I take none of it for granted. I have found myself on shoots, such as the 35mm music video I shot in the summer. We had a jib (a small crane) with operator and a Steadicam Operator. I had 2 professional assistants. All I did was direct photography and take light readings to tell the focus puller. I didn’t even touch the camera. 3 years ago I was taking orders as a waiter and now I was managing a shoot that cost around £5000. All the many small and no paid jobs and the experience that I had aquire throught the years had paid off. And I am still learning so much on each shoot about lighting and camera equipment. Because the bigger the shoots, the more access you have to equipment you’ve never used and it’s great to try these things that you could never hire before. In the position of management, I still find it interesting that directors listen intently about what you have to say about the photography. Getting paid for knowledge and the ability to manage is still something new to me. The intent to produce something good is always there but there is something that comes with it when you are getting paid for it. I’m not exactly sure what that ‘thing’ is but it’s certainly present.
I used to kill to do a 35mm,16mm or HD piece or work and now I get asked to shoot them. It’s all a bit strange. I have to admit it’s really nice to get asked and then on top get paid to do it after the years of doing it for free, you feel, have paid off. Granted I’m not a ‘successful’ cinematographer but I make enough for now. I would feel it wrong if I ever took it for granted that I can do this job professionally and well. I have done some pretty low paid work in my time so I know what it’s like to work for minimum wage when you feel you can do so much better not just in terms of job/wage value but in ability and what you can to do. I swear though that being a waiter was far harder in terms of time management and stress than this. Time management is in seconds for waiters and mostly in minutes as a DOP.
We all have to make a living, no matter what we do for a living. And I used to worry about getting older and not making any money doing what I concentrated on for years. Now I am more relaxed about it and still have the rest of my life to grow in this profession. Perhaps it is the illusion or reality that when someone is going to put their money where their mouth is based on what you have done before, then it seems worth something and of quality. Value is in the eye of the beholder. My peers who I have worked with before becoming ‘professional’ know that I was professional in attitude prior to the formal title. And I believe if we are in attitude and thought, we eventually make that formal transition far more easily. I regard professionalism in any line of work to be foremost to doing your job well and to the progression of that job.
On a last note yet important. I sought to become ‘professional’ partly to prove to my parents, especially my dad who didn’t see the future as I saw hoped it would be, that I would eventually get paid to make the transition from ‘hobby’ to ‘profession’. That I made the first grade calmed his frustrations and mine.
It doesn’t matter if you put your hand up or not, as long as you are reaching out in your mind.
- J
I started shooting stills in my early teens and have never really stopped. I started making some money out of it while still at college. I started shooting films in my teens and only started making money from it 2 years ago. I shot everything anybody allowed me to shoot, paid or unpaid. One day I was doing it for free and the next I was doing it for money. But it’s when I started being paid to light properly that I felt that I was what I aimed to be, a professional Cinematographer or ‘Director Of Photography’. And I take none of it for granted. I have found myself on shoots, such as the 35mm music video I shot in the summer. We had a jib (a small crane) with operator and a Steadicam Operator. I had 2 professional assistants. All I did was direct photography and take light readings to tell the focus puller. I didn’t even touch the camera. 3 years ago I was taking orders as a waiter and now I was managing a shoot that cost around £5000. All the many small and no paid jobs and the experience that I had aquire throught the years had paid off. And I am still learning so much on each shoot about lighting and camera equipment. Because the bigger the shoots, the more access you have to equipment you’ve never used and it’s great to try these things that you could never hire before. In the position of management, I still find it interesting that directors listen intently about what you have to say about the photography. Getting paid for knowledge and the ability to manage is still something new to me. The intent to produce something good is always there but there is something that comes with it when you are getting paid for it. I’m not exactly sure what that ‘thing’ is but it’s certainly present.
I used to kill to do a 35mm,16mm or HD piece or work and now I get asked to shoot them. It’s all a bit strange. I have to admit it’s really nice to get asked and then on top get paid to do it after the years of doing it for free, you feel, have paid off. Granted I’m not a ‘successful’ cinematographer but I make enough for now. I would feel it wrong if I ever took it for granted that I can do this job professionally and well. I have done some pretty low paid work in my time so I know what it’s like to work for minimum wage when you feel you can do so much better not just in terms of job/wage value but in ability and what you can to do. I swear though that being a waiter was far harder in terms of time management and stress than this. Time management is in seconds for waiters and mostly in minutes as a DOP.
We all have to make a living, no matter what we do for a living. And I used to worry about getting older and not making any money doing what I concentrated on for years. Now I am more relaxed about it and still have the rest of my life to grow in this profession. Perhaps it is the illusion or reality that when someone is going to put their money where their mouth is based on what you have done before, then it seems worth something and of quality. Value is in the eye of the beholder. My peers who I have worked with before becoming ‘professional’ know that I was professional in attitude prior to the formal title. And I believe if we are in attitude and thought, we eventually make that formal transition far more easily. I regard professionalism in any line of work to be foremost to doing your job well and to the progression of that job.
On a last note yet important. I sought to become ‘professional’ partly to prove to my parents, especially my dad who didn’t see the future as I saw hoped it would be, that I would eventually get paid to make the transition from ‘hobby’ to ‘profession’. That I made the first grade calmed his frustrations and mine.
It doesn’t matter if you put your hand up or not, as long as you are reaching out in your mind.
- J
Sunday, December 10, 2006
evolving from a dark recess
i have been under depression for the past week. But now i am coming over the hill. it's a strange one. I can't recall the last time i was under such a dark cloud. After my travels i came back with a kind of attitude and will that i haven't had for years. The kind of vision that may come every few years if one is open to them. You can call them an epiphany if you like. Whatever it was, it was a gift. And then i nose dived sharply.
We can live under the strains of survival whether it would be something that happens to us or something we have gotten into. If we can, we can transcend, we can live through them through our choices, through the decisions we make. In this modern age we are constantly asking what we want or ourselves, what we want for others, who we are and where our meaning lies. Questions beckon more but what we need to know is ourselves and the desire to do better. With the haemorronging information of media and modern society, it is difficult to find peace and our own voices in the spectrum of life.
What are you, about?
We are not our blogs or our MySpace. They are only a fraction of us, if that. The human brain is only 11% active. It is out of my conception what would we be as the other percentages make themselves available. Telekinesis may be 13%. But i wouldn't know. But when you think about it it's really not that difficult. Everything is made up of atoms, including our brains. If we can tell our hands to type, why cannot we move other things that are around us. We are only separated my more atoms after all. Telepathy is another 'mystery'. Higher brain functions lay dormant. Plastic surgery may be a medival practice once we can shape shift by thought alone. Though i have doubts if we will ever get there.
And no i haven't been sniffing glue. I am just having random thoughts on the evolution of man. Now i must quote someone who probably does have slightly higher brain fuctions than i do, or at least, has the ability to organize the information better...
Priorities and Prospects.
A few years ago, one of the greatest figures of contemporary biology, Ernst Mayr, published some reflections on the liklihood of success in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. He considered the prospects very low. His reasoning had to do with the adaptive value of what we call "higher intelligence", meaning the particular human form of intellectual organization. Mayr estimated the number of species since the origin of life at about fifty billion, only one of which "achieved the kind of intelligence needed to establish a civilization". It did so very recently, perhaps about 100,000 years ago. It is generally assumed that only one small breeding group survived, of which we are all ascendents.
Mayr speculated that the human form of intellectual organization may not be favoured by selection. The history of life on Earth, he wrote, refutes the claim that "it is better to be smart than to be stupid," at least judging by biological success: beetles and bacteria, for example, are vastly more successful than humans in terms of survival. He also made the rather sombre observation that "the average life expectantcy of a species is about 100,000 years".
We are entering a period of human history that may provide the answer to the question of whether it is better to be smart than stupid. The most hopeful prospect is that the question will not be answered: if it recieves a definate answer, that answer can only be that humans were a kind of "biological error," using their allotted time of 100,000 years to destroy themselves and. in the process, much else.
The species has surely developed the capacity to do just that, and a hypothetical extraterrestrial observer might well conclude that humans have demonstrated that the capacity throughout their history, dramatically in the past few hundred years, with an assault on the environment that sustains life, on the diversity of more complex organisms, and with cold and calculated savagery, on each other as well.
Hegemony or Survival.
Noam Chomsky, 2003.
Noam Chomsky also wrote that humans are not like other species on this planet. Humans are more like a virus. Every other species on the planet finds a way to co inhabit an environment. Humans throughout history have instead taken as mush space they can aquire, raped the resourses around them and colonized alien bodies.
I'm pretty sure Noam doesn't sniff glue either.
He is not talking about some species from another time or planet, he is talking about us. And i am sure we can do better.
- J
We can live under the strains of survival whether it would be something that happens to us or something we have gotten into. If we can, we can transcend, we can live through them through our choices, through the decisions we make. In this modern age we are constantly asking what we want or ourselves, what we want for others, who we are and where our meaning lies. Questions beckon more but what we need to know is ourselves and the desire to do better. With the haemorronging information of media and modern society, it is difficult to find peace and our own voices in the spectrum of life.
What are you, about?
We are not our blogs or our MySpace. They are only a fraction of us, if that. The human brain is only 11% active. It is out of my conception what would we be as the other percentages make themselves available. Telekinesis may be 13%. But i wouldn't know. But when you think about it it's really not that difficult. Everything is made up of atoms, including our brains. If we can tell our hands to type, why cannot we move other things that are around us. We are only separated my more atoms after all. Telepathy is another 'mystery'. Higher brain functions lay dormant. Plastic surgery may be a medival practice once we can shape shift by thought alone. Though i have doubts if we will ever get there.
And no i haven't been sniffing glue. I am just having random thoughts on the evolution of man. Now i must quote someone who probably does have slightly higher brain fuctions than i do, or at least, has the ability to organize the information better...
Priorities and Prospects.
A few years ago, one of the greatest figures of contemporary biology, Ernst Mayr, published some reflections on the liklihood of success in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. He considered the prospects very low. His reasoning had to do with the adaptive value of what we call "higher intelligence", meaning the particular human form of intellectual organization. Mayr estimated the number of species since the origin of life at about fifty billion, only one of which "achieved the kind of intelligence needed to establish a civilization". It did so very recently, perhaps about 100,000 years ago. It is generally assumed that only one small breeding group survived, of which we are all ascendents.
Mayr speculated that the human form of intellectual organization may not be favoured by selection. The history of life on Earth, he wrote, refutes the claim that "it is better to be smart than to be stupid," at least judging by biological success: beetles and bacteria, for example, are vastly more successful than humans in terms of survival. He also made the rather sombre observation that "the average life expectantcy of a species is about 100,000 years".
We are entering a period of human history that may provide the answer to the question of whether it is better to be smart than stupid. The most hopeful prospect is that the question will not be answered: if it recieves a definate answer, that answer can only be that humans were a kind of "biological error," using their allotted time of 100,000 years to destroy themselves and. in the process, much else.
The species has surely developed the capacity to do just that, and a hypothetical extraterrestrial observer might well conclude that humans have demonstrated that the capacity throughout their history, dramatically in the past few hundred years, with an assault on the environment that sustains life, on the diversity of more complex organisms, and with cold and calculated savagery, on each other as well.
Hegemony or Survival.
Noam Chomsky, 2003.
Noam Chomsky also wrote that humans are not like other species on this planet. Humans are more like a virus. Every other species on the planet finds a way to co inhabit an environment. Humans throughout history have instead taken as mush space they can aquire, raped the resourses around them and colonized alien bodies.
I'm pretty sure Noam doesn't sniff glue either.
He is not talking about some species from another time or planet, he is talking about us. And i am sure we can do better.
- J
Sunday, December 03, 2006
In the queue
I was against Blogs and MySpace for a while and now I have both. Anyway. I recently discovered my friend Craig's MySpace blog and it's worth a look. I consider him a good friend. If you're looking for something quirky, kooky, funny and light, please check it out.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=69016944
That is all.
-J
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=69016944
That is all.
-J
Saturday, December 02, 2006
In My Life
I am doing pretty okay at work these days. I have been offered many jobs. I have applied for few. And when I came back from travels, I didn't worry about it, and the jobs came. But I'm not doing so well in other terms. Someone who I have known for a while on and off and of whom I can say so much about and at the same time, little of, is leaving to go to San Fransisco indefinately. For those of you who know me know of her but not who she is. And I dare to say likewise. What I can say is that it is making me terribly sad that she is leaving. Partly because I have just got re aquainted with her again.
I have written many poems in my life. And they are mostly about and for her. Here is one I wrote a few months ago. This will be the only one i will be putting on, this will only be the only entry i will mention her.
Just a Girl
In the patchwork freckles on pale skin,
Tell a lot about where she’s been,
From Mount Fuji to San Fransisco,
There’s no telling where next she’ll go.
In the mirrorball twinkle of her eyes,
Speaks about a love that never dies,
Despite a time when everything mattered,
Had left the other, forever shattered.
In the lines ingrained into her hands,
Told of living in separate lands,
And time did stutter along, apart,
But still recalled a broken heart.
In the Earth and sky between,
Nothing is something quite what it seems,
In the story of a wave unfurled,
All she was, was just a girl.
- J
I have written many poems in my life. And they are mostly about and for her. Here is one I wrote a few months ago. This will be the only one i will be putting on, this will only be the only entry i will mention her.
Just a Girl
In the patchwork freckles on pale skin,
Tell a lot about where she’s been,
From Mount Fuji to San Fransisco,
There’s no telling where next she’ll go.
In the mirrorball twinkle of her eyes,
Speaks about a love that never dies,
Despite a time when everything mattered,
Had left the other, forever shattered.
In the lines ingrained into her hands,
Told of living in separate lands,
And time did stutter along, apart,
But still recalled a broken heart.
In the Earth and sky between,
Nothing is something quite what it seems,
In the story of a wave unfurled,
All she was, was just a girl.
- J
Sunday, November 26, 2006
visions of life
On and off, I have been at it for 2 weeks. And now it is, sorta done. I am talking about my website for my work in cinematography. Most of the pages were done in a day but the rest, mainly 'compressing' video fils, took a while. I leave them overnight and go to sleep. In the morning, I add one more quicktime clip/film. I am awaiting some films and music videos to get finished and to be sent a copy. Some projects going back a whole year.
When I started I had 4 student films on my reel, and 3 were on super8. I have a funny variety. Mostly low/no budget shorts and features and art films. I would say most DP's reels consisted of commercials. It's one washing powder ad after another. Get paid a lot for that crap. I have no commercials. I have shot quite a few in house commercials for BidUp TV but i don't have the footage. Good commercials are like really good shorts films. In fact, most shorts come nowhere near the narrative power of a commercial in 30 seconds. I have been asked for interviews or to shoot on the strength that my reel wasn't all slick and commercial. We get what we can do. Many commercial DP's have never shot a feature, budget or no budget (unless you are of course already shooting features you go back to shooting commercials). Shooting drama is a different aesthetic and really, what most DP's aspire to do (though big commercials pay an immense amount of money to DP's, about £1500 a day). When you're in an industry that pays people £1500 a day to light something for beauty, you can either forget why you got into it in the first place or feel lucky that you are where you aspired to reach. DP's come from all sorts of backgrounds and various experiences. I am still surprised when I occasionally read where some studied, trained, what jobs they has before and how they became successful. More often than not, it is both by good fortune and the willingness to shoot.
Despite the small struggles of constantly looking for the next job and the next paid job, i wouldn't take back one day of any shoot. It is mostly work but there can be a lot of fun to be had and it's always a learning experience. And if we can learn as we work, it's one of the best discourses one can have. Many people will watch 10 second clip from a film and won't think it took 4 hours in the freezing cold, being up 16 hours and under some pressure to finish before the sun comes up. But under budgets, equipment, manpower and time, you have to get it done and you have to do it well, under whatever circumstance you come across.
DP's are regarded as the calmer of the Director/DP relationship. DP's can be and normally are a combination of the following attributes: aesthetically guided, technically knowledgable, managerial, diplomatic, decisive, pragmatic, problem solvers, low temprements and it has been said, generally nice people.
I could go on about cinematographers and but there are already a few books on it. Needless to say, they tend to be the unsung major contributors in a film's making (except within the industry). Sometimes when I am asked what I do, I tend to have to explain the role as well because very few people know what a Director Of Photography (DP/DOP) or Cinematographer actually does. And then, I still find it difficult to explain the intricacies and the duties and responsibilities.
Anyway. I hope you find some time to watch some of my work from over the last 4-8 years (with a break in between).
www.busstrikeproductions.co.uk
- J
When I started I had 4 student films on my reel, and 3 were on super8. I have a funny variety. Mostly low/no budget shorts and features and art films. I would say most DP's reels consisted of commercials. It's one washing powder ad after another. Get paid a lot for that crap. I have no commercials. I have shot quite a few in house commercials for BidUp TV but i don't have the footage. Good commercials are like really good shorts films. In fact, most shorts come nowhere near the narrative power of a commercial in 30 seconds. I have been asked for interviews or to shoot on the strength that my reel wasn't all slick and commercial. We get what we can do. Many commercial DP's have never shot a feature, budget or no budget (unless you are of course already shooting features you go back to shooting commercials). Shooting drama is a different aesthetic and really, what most DP's aspire to do (though big commercials pay an immense amount of money to DP's, about £1500 a day). When you're in an industry that pays people £1500 a day to light something for beauty, you can either forget why you got into it in the first place or feel lucky that you are where you aspired to reach. DP's come from all sorts of backgrounds and various experiences. I am still surprised when I occasionally read where some studied, trained, what jobs they has before and how they became successful. More often than not, it is both by good fortune and the willingness to shoot.
Despite the small struggles of constantly looking for the next job and the next paid job, i wouldn't take back one day of any shoot. It is mostly work but there can be a lot of fun to be had and it's always a learning experience. And if we can learn as we work, it's one of the best discourses one can have. Many people will watch 10 second clip from a film and won't think it took 4 hours in the freezing cold, being up 16 hours and under some pressure to finish before the sun comes up. But under budgets, equipment, manpower and time, you have to get it done and you have to do it well, under whatever circumstance you come across.
DP's are regarded as the calmer of the Director/DP relationship. DP's can be and normally are a combination of the following attributes: aesthetically guided, technically knowledgable, managerial, diplomatic, decisive, pragmatic, problem solvers, low temprements and it has been said, generally nice people.
I could go on about cinematographers and but there are already a few books on it. Needless to say, they tend to be the unsung major contributors in a film's making (except within the industry). Sometimes when I am asked what I do, I tend to have to explain the role as well because very few people know what a Director Of Photography (DP/DOP) or Cinematographer actually does. And then, I still find it difficult to explain the intricacies and the duties and responsibilities.
Anyway. I hope you find some time to watch some of my work from over the last 4-8 years (with a break in between).
www.busstrikeproductions.co.uk
- J
Friday, November 24, 2006
far away so close
Some photos taken with my little sony digital compact i got 2nd hand from Hong Kong. It's so old no one sold the original Memory Sticks (it's all gone Pro and Micro). It's great as it has a turrent of head so can turn all the way 180 degrees. It's nice to just whip out and take snaps. I have to say I can't be asked to drag my monster SLR everywhere and the Leica will only hold in decent light. So without further ado- the first is the streets of Mong Kok, the most densely populated area in Hong Kong. Although it is 2am there and the markets are cleaning up. I had never seen this before that night. The second is from my flight back. I sat fairly near the head of the plane though i took this from even further towards the front. I was hard to get the angle and I was lucky my camera tucked all the way into the side of the window for the angle. The third is from behind Charing Cross Road. I was walking around and more often than not I will see something, a building, a sign that I have never seen before despite having walked down that street many many times. It was the combination of a neo 'retro' sign and the distictly 20th century, slightly neglected building that caught me. What is apparantly called 'retro fitting'- though i do not think they meant it this time. Taking something from a past design period and refurbing it and placing it in a future context. Production Design in films such as Bladerunner and Gattaca do this.
I don't have a lot to say today. Just wanted to put these photos ups. I guess they are all related by the fact that I have never seen those sights before despite having been there many times.
One more thing. Two quotes from Gattaca... unfortunately I have to quote from memory...
"The closer I was to my goal, I realized how far I was away from it"
"Now that I am finally leaving this planet that never made me feel I belonged, I find myself strangley missing it"
I don't have a lot to say today. Just wanted to put these photos ups. I guess they are all related by the fact that I have never seen those sights before despite having been there many times.
One more thing. Two quotes from Gattaca... unfortunately I have to quote from memory...
"The closer I was to my goal, I realized how far I was away from it"
"Now that I am finally leaving this planet that never made me feel I belonged, I find myself strangley missing it"
Taken with a Sony F- 77.
- J
Sunday, November 19, 2006
no one home
I was born in London and I grew up in Soho until I was 3 years old. I have lived in London most of my life. There is that sense of home that I have always had about London. And I do love it. But there are many things I do not like in this country.
I was on Lamma island (off Hong Kong) walking around with my friend Beatrice and we saw some English kids (10 years old) playing football. Apart from actually playing football, they were arguing amongst themselves. The general bad feelings amongst the children was not good. The contrast of just coming from Hong Kong was apparant.
I have been to India, Hong Kong and Palestine (amongst other places). I have never seen the kids fight. They play, they have manners and they beg for money- but they don't fight and they don't maliciously tease each other. In fact, there is mostly good vibes and laughter. I am not saying that they don't, it just doesn't seem the order of business in a day. I am pretty sure the correlation between adults who don't like children is directly related to how kids behave in that country. In those forementioned countries, I am fairly sure that not wanting to have children is heard of, but not liking children- is unheard of.
I find it amusing yet disturbing when kids fight or argue or harass each other and adults say, 'they are being kids'. Jeez, I don't want my kids fighting with other kids like that. 'Kids' are NOT like that- I- Shit- You- Not. Just because in the UK we are used to it, it doesn't make it right and you know, it's not right- it's dead wrong. There is little reason why children cannot be caring or loving (if not more) than adults can be. In many other countries, the big kids, they take care of the the little ones. It's ALL about care, not competition.
I have benefitted from growing up in the most culturally diverse environement and despite wanting the same for my children (if I have any), this country scares me. We can only do so much.
What am I getting at? I seem to have been rambling a little over the last few entires with no photographic evidence. I guess I am thinking of my future and where I think I would like to settle. I used it think it was in London. But now it's up in ther air. I don't know. I really don't. What I do know is that I am increasingly feeling like an alien in my own country. It's nice to discover something new in yourself, but it's a little unnerving and something to try to understand or accept.
- J
I was on Lamma island (off Hong Kong) walking around with my friend Beatrice and we saw some English kids (10 years old) playing football. Apart from actually playing football, they were arguing amongst themselves. The general bad feelings amongst the children was not good. The contrast of just coming from Hong Kong was apparant.
I have been to India, Hong Kong and Palestine (amongst other places). I have never seen the kids fight. They play, they have manners and they beg for money- but they don't fight and they don't maliciously tease each other. In fact, there is mostly good vibes and laughter. I am not saying that they don't, it just doesn't seem the order of business in a day. I am pretty sure the correlation between adults who don't like children is directly related to how kids behave in that country. In those forementioned countries, I am fairly sure that not wanting to have children is heard of, but not liking children- is unheard of.
I find it amusing yet disturbing when kids fight or argue or harass each other and adults say, 'they are being kids'. Jeez, I don't want my kids fighting with other kids like that. 'Kids' are NOT like that- I- Shit- You- Not. Just because in the UK we are used to it, it doesn't make it right and you know, it's not right- it's dead wrong. There is little reason why children cannot be caring or loving (if not more) than adults can be. In many other countries, the big kids, they take care of the the little ones. It's ALL about care, not competition.
I have benefitted from growing up in the most culturally diverse environement and despite wanting the same for my children (if I have any), this country scares me. We can only do so much.
What am I getting at? I seem to have been rambling a little over the last few entires with no photographic evidence. I guess I am thinking of my future and where I think I would like to settle. I used it think it was in London. But now it's up in ther air. I don't know. I really don't. What I do know is that I am increasingly feeling like an alien in my own country. It's nice to discover something new in yourself, but it's a little unnerving and something to try to understand or accept.
- J
Monday, November 06, 2006
Choose thyself
It was always there though not as present as it is now. After going to Beijing I felt and increasingly so, that I do not know my own language, that I cannot communicate in words with the people of my blood lines, of history and of the future. Mandarin though, is not my language, English, is. I have become increasingly aware that something is missing from my being, and that is to learn Mandarin. And to do this, and to do it well, I have decided to go to Beijing for 6 months. This is a departure for me as I have made my base in London and to concentrate on my career as a cinematographer and now, I will be taking a break to learn a language that has little to no relevance to the progression of my career, my work. But we should do things in our lives to enrich it and these things will probably have little to do with either work, friends or family. It just comes from a need to learn and understand. I am also taking another departure and this does have absolute relevance to work.
Going to Palestine had an effect on me I did not expect yet welcome. I have also done a project recently concerning asylum seekers in the UK. In months to come I will be trying to collate enough good photographs for a exhibition to raise awareness for the work PCRF are doing. In addition, I may be in discussion to do a documentary about Asylum seekers in the UK with Medway Racial Equality Council. In January I may go to visit Romania and see what the situation is where my friend Warren is doing some work there as a nurse in a small town. We have been talking of Participatory Video work with marginalized people in society. I have more of an interest in working with young people. This may also be a project in Palestine too. It is early days.
I have been shooting mostly fiction up till now. I have always felt the work to be of small consequence though ironically, I have carried out the discourse of the work with extreme importance and due diligence. Though fun and artistically enriching, for myself, there is something missing, something lacking in real meaning or truth. Of poetry and laughter and the ability to see life in a different way, these are the things that drew and continue to draw me, to shoot fiction.
In this current ongoing flow of decisions, I believe I will be concentrating on both fiction and if time and funds allow, devoting time to invest in projects that have meaning to people who are oppressed, marginalized and who live in poverty. This is the reality some people are forced to live in, I have the luxury to choose mine. Your freedom to choose may be the most endearing and empowering discourse one possesses as a human being.
- J
Going to Palestine had an effect on me I did not expect yet welcome. I have also done a project recently concerning asylum seekers in the UK. In months to come I will be trying to collate enough good photographs for a exhibition to raise awareness for the work PCRF are doing. In addition, I may be in discussion to do a documentary about Asylum seekers in the UK with Medway Racial Equality Council. In January I may go to visit Romania and see what the situation is where my friend Warren is doing some work there as a nurse in a small town. We have been talking of Participatory Video work with marginalized people in society. I have more of an interest in working with young people. This may also be a project in Palestine too. It is early days.
I have been shooting mostly fiction up till now. I have always felt the work to be of small consequence though ironically, I have carried out the discourse of the work with extreme importance and due diligence. Though fun and artistically enriching, for myself, there is something missing, something lacking in real meaning or truth. Of poetry and laughter and the ability to see life in a different way, these are the things that drew and continue to draw me, to shoot fiction.
In this current ongoing flow of decisions, I believe I will be concentrating on both fiction and if time and funds allow, devoting time to invest in projects that have meaning to people who are oppressed, marginalized and who live in poverty. This is the reality some people are forced to live in, I have the luxury to choose mine. Your freedom to choose may be the most endearing and empowering discourse one possesses as a human being.
- J
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Continue to be
Air travel has become for most of us, a nuisance of a journey to undergo in order to reach our destination. The technicalities of air travel (physics and engineering) and the discourse (the amount of hours sat in one chair inside an airborne restaurant with it’s own atmosphere) remains for me, a pretty f*cking amazing thing (despite long haul being exhausting). I am writing, from these conditions as described. I think we sometimes forget how high we actually are and how fast we are going. Now at 31,500 ft going 463 mph. It this respect, what is outside the window is also vast and far. Of clouds or mountains or rivers, it’s hard to really get a sense of scale without much to compare with. I once did see another 747 jetting through the stratosphere in a similar direction. It was tiny.
I’ve been flying since I was pretty young. For example, once custom checked my nappy to see if my mum had smuggled some drugs into London. In my teens and early twenties I flew a fair amount once taking about 10 planes in a 11 months. It used to be really fun and amazing. But somewhere within those 10 planes, I started checking to see if my life jacket was underneath my seat, I couldn’t sleep anymore, the food started to taste weird, I drank apple juice instead of alcohol and I worried during take off and landing. It’s all settled over the last few fights I have been on. Ergo, I don’t check under my seat anymore, it’s a bit pointless.
But flying, is a privilege, no matter how much one doesn’t like it. Yes the air is dry and the food is crap but then, England on the ground is like that and, there ain’t no view.
It is said the world has gotten smaller. But it’s the scales have always been the same. We are small and it is HUGE. Next time you’re on a plane and look down at houses and monuments and rivers and mountains, think about it, we are- really small. Our ideas and egos may be big but we, are not.
Cities throughout the world are becoming more similar, although they still have local customs which are alien to each other. Try not to upset the locals. Support the local economy. Remember, you are a visitor to somebody’s home.
After having spent the last 7 weeks in Holland, Jerusalem and The West Bank, Beijing and Hong Kong I am on my way back to London. I am neither in a hurry to want to get back to London (despite work) or eager to stay in any of aforementioned countries.
People are like places. They have a good side and a not so good side, some parts are trying to be better and some parts are neglected. It can suit the night more or the day more. Some places are more down to earth and some are too urban to make much real sense. Some are more simple and others more complicated. Some places you like to visit but you wouldn’t want to live there. And like places, we can make negative judgements too quickly upon them.
I guess what I am trying to say was best expressed by Jodie Foster as Ellie as her character in the film, Contact,
“A vision of the universe that made it overwhelmingly clear just how tiny and insignificant -- and at the same time how rare and precious we all are. A vision... that tells us we belong to something greater than ourselves... that we're not – that none of us -- is alone. I wish I could share it. I wish everyone, if only for a moment -- could feel that sense of awe, and humility... and hope. That continues to be my wish.”
- J
I’ve been flying since I was pretty young. For example, once custom checked my nappy to see if my mum had smuggled some drugs into London. In my teens and early twenties I flew a fair amount once taking about 10 planes in a 11 months. It used to be really fun and amazing. But somewhere within those 10 planes, I started checking to see if my life jacket was underneath my seat, I couldn’t sleep anymore, the food started to taste weird, I drank apple juice instead of alcohol and I worried during take off and landing. It’s all settled over the last few fights I have been on. Ergo, I don’t check under my seat anymore, it’s a bit pointless.
But flying, is a privilege, no matter how much one doesn’t like it. Yes the air is dry and the food is crap but then, England on the ground is like that and, there ain’t no view.
It is said the world has gotten smaller. But it’s the scales have always been the same. We are small and it is HUGE. Next time you’re on a plane and look down at houses and monuments and rivers and mountains, think about it, we are- really small. Our ideas and egos may be big but we, are not.
Cities throughout the world are becoming more similar, although they still have local customs which are alien to each other. Try not to upset the locals. Support the local economy. Remember, you are a visitor to somebody’s home.
After having spent the last 7 weeks in Holland, Jerusalem and The West Bank, Beijing and Hong Kong I am on my way back to London. I am neither in a hurry to want to get back to London (despite work) or eager to stay in any of aforementioned countries.
People are like places. They have a good side and a not so good side, some parts are trying to be better and some parts are neglected. It can suit the night more or the day more. Some places are more down to earth and some are too urban to make much real sense. Some are more simple and others more complicated. Some places you like to visit but you wouldn’t want to live there. And like places, we can make negative judgements too quickly upon them.
I guess what I am trying to say was best expressed by Jodie Foster as Ellie as her character in the film, Contact,
“A vision of the universe that made it overwhelmingly clear just how tiny and insignificant -- and at the same time how rare and precious we all are. A vision... that tells us we belong to something greater than ourselves... that we're not – that none of us -- is alone. I wish I could share it. I wish everyone, if only for a moment -- could feel that sense of awe, and humility... and hope. That continues to be my wish.”
- J
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
British Broadcasting Chinese
Today at 5pm, a bus drove onto the pavement in Mong Kok and subsequently killed one person and injuring many others. The woman who sustained fatal injuries was 28. As you will see from the photos taken off a TV, the whole roof was sliced off, rather reminscent of 7/7. Mong Kok is the most densely frequented area in Hong Kong and Nathan Road, where it crashed, is the main road. I had missed it by about half an hour, just about the same amount of time i missed the July 7th bombings between Kings Cross and Russell Square. Even more eerily, it was heading to Sheung Shui, which was where i went after (but by metro). I checked the BBC news URL and it wasn't there. I guess they haven't woken up yet...
- J
- JFriday, October 06, 2006
The fires inside
Nearly every year in London, I go into town to see some tourist Mid Autumn festivities in Chinatown. Which mostly consists of stalls selling either food or crap or crap food (stall food). You get the occasional calligraphy writing and what not. I go I guess because it’s nice o see a bit of Chinese culture in the mainstream environment, even if it is spruced up for the tourists. But as I just so happen to be in Hong Kong for the festival (for the first time). Today I went to my grandma’s village for a meal. Actually it was more than a meal. The villagers gathered for a little show with singers cum comedians who were quite funny and racy actually, even though the audience had small children and elderly who were over 80 years old. They sang and danced with the locals in and around the tables and greeting people by hand. It was really fun and lively and I have never seen the village so alive despite coming here for over 20 years. They set two handmade ‘air balloons’ in the air with a trail of fore crackers. It’s an old tradition that isn’t practiced as much as it used to be. I had heard my mum talk about it but never thought I would see one. It was pretty grand. The thing just shot off the ground with a ball of fire inside and a trail of firecrackers going off. The fire goes out within a few minutes and it comes down. A little later, my gran was praying the moon and asked me to light a small pack of fire crackers. If you’ve never seen or heard one, they are loud, fast and pretty dangerous to handle. But they are great. She told me to throw it over when it’s lit. So I went towards the candle and lit it. It went off right after and I jumped and let go as it exploded in consecutive splutters in my hand. It scared the daylights out of me for a split second and I had what looked like gunpowder stains on my elbow and shirt. The ash settled on my 1938 Leica III. Me and my gran just stood there laughing are asses off.
My gran was born in 1924 which makes her 82. She was 14 when my Leica came into existence. It makes me happy to see her still full of verve and laughing. But it makes me sad that she won’t be around much longer. She is after all, the oldest and last member of that generation of my family. I want to come here every year for Mid Autumn Festival. Even if I have to light up my hand again to see my gran laugh.
- J
My gran was born in 1924 which makes her 82. She was 14 when my Leica came into existence. It makes me happy to see her still full of verve and laughing. But it makes me sad that she won’t be around much longer. She is after all, the oldest and last member of that generation of my family. I want to come here every year for Mid Autumn Festival. Even if I have to light up my hand again to see my gran laugh.
- Jps. The Mid Autumn Festival is actually derived from a love story.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Sleeping Man, Flying Rodent
It’s early October and it’s 30c out everyday. I met a friend for coffee and ice cream yesterday and we sat for a few hours. The aircon was on full blast as usual and by the time I was signing for my card my hands were shaking so much I nearly couldn’t write my own name.
I am writing from a small park in Tsuen Wan just outside where I am staying. It’s nice and peaceful despite the traffic of motor close by. Elderly men sit and fall asleep for hours here. They also do their daily exercises, arm stretching and swinging. But mostly, they sleep in the afternoon shade as this whole park is covered with a canopy of trees. I have had a few liquid deliveries from the birds above onto my Mac but nothing serious so far. This is living dangerously.
Last night my cousin Sandy found a cockroach in the bathroom. She sprayed it with repellent and claimed it was dead. About fifteen minutes later I heard a rustle under my pillow. When I flipped it over, the flying rodent seem alive and kicking to me. Dead my ass. But we got it in the end. The disgusting scary thing was 3 inches in length.
Didn’t get much sleep again. But that’s not because of the flying shit infested scary motherf**ker, it may be because the couch is too short. I have the option of the floor which is hard linoleum. I used to be able to sleep on that but I haven’t been able to this time around. Maybe it’s just the heat.
There is a great upmarket supermarket called City Super. You can get Heinz Baked Beans, Illy coffee (but it’s $90- £7 for 250g) and EVEN Varlhrona chocolate (which as far as I know you can only get in Selfridges and Harrods). I even brought my Baletti Expresso maker from there. I normally do bring my maker but didn’t this time and it’s cheaper to drink in. But I have been buying coffee outside too because of my lack of sleep, which is a bit retarded. I’m pretty sure that 10 years ago, they didn’t even have supermarkets (just markets) apart from Welcome (which is like Wilkinson, and not just because they both begin with W). In recent years though there has come Park N Shop which in Cantonese sounds like ‘Bitch’ if you change the last word to ‘woman’. In fact there is a place called ‘Mei Foo’ which sounds like ‘No Trousers’, another called, ‘So Uk’ and a clothes retail outlet called, ‘Wanko’.
McDonald’s never really made it big over here despite being the cheapest McDonald’s you can get in the world. This was largely due to the fact that you could get a bowl of noodles for less than a £1 (US$1.75) and the diverse cheap restaurant outlets and fierce competition. Subsequently, a set meal at McDonald’s cost about HK$24- which is about £1.25. A bowl of noodles still doesn’t cost much more than £1. I ate a bowl of noodles, a plate of greens and drank an old school green bottle of coke with lemon for less than £2 today. In your face Ronald.
Anyway, my lack of sleep is making me ramble. No mind shifting images of yet. But heres some signs and retro portents...
Relaxation for brick for a mobile phone generation.
Discount for rich wankers, as per usual.
The pen is mightier...
Hip bar, 30 years ago.
I am writing from a small park in Tsuen Wan just outside where I am staying. It’s nice and peaceful despite the traffic of motor close by. Elderly men sit and fall asleep for hours here. They also do their daily exercises, arm stretching and swinging. But mostly, they sleep in the afternoon shade as this whole park is covered with a canopy of trees. I have had a few liquid deliveries from the birds above onto my Mac but nothing serious so far. This is living dangerously.
Last night my cousin Sandy found a cockroach in the bathroom. She sprayed it with repellent and claimed it was dead. About fifteen minutes later I heard a rustle under my pillow. When I flipped it over, the flying rodent seem alive and kicking to me. Dead my ass. But we got it in the end. The disgusting scary thing was 3 inches in length.
Didn’t get much sleep again. But that’s not because of the flying shit infested scary motherf**ker, it may be because the couch is too short. I have the option of the floor which is hard linoleum. I used to be able to sleep on that but I haven’t been able to this time around. Maybe it’s just the heat.
There is a great upmarket supermarket called City Super. You can get Heinz Baked Beans, Illy coffee (but it’s $90- £7 for 250g) and EVEN Varlhrona chocolate (which as far as I know you can only get in Selfridges and Harrods). I even brought my Baletti Expresso maker from there. I normally do bring my maker but didn’t this time and it’s cheaper to drink in. But I have been buying coffee outside too because of my lack of sleep, which is a bit retarded. I’m pretty sure that 10 years ago, they didn’t even have supermarkets (just markets) apart from Welcome (which is like Wilkinson, and not just because they both begin with W). In recent years though there has come Park N Shop which in Cantonese sounds like ‘Bitch’ if you change the last word to ‘woman’. In fact there is a place called ‘Mei Foo’ which sounds like ‘No Trousers’, another called, ‘So Uk’ and a clothes retail outlet called, ‘Wanko’.
McDonald’s never really made it big over here despite being the cheapest McDonald’s you can get in the world. This was largely due to the fact that you could get a bowl of noodles for less than a £1 (US$1.75) and the diverse cheap restaurant outlets and fierce competition. Subsequently, a set meal at McDonald’s cost about HK$24- which is about £1.25. A bowl of noodles still doesn’t cost much more than £1. I ate a bowl of noodles, a plate of greens and drank an old school green bottle of coke with lemon for less than £2 today. In your face Ronald.
Anyway, my lack of sleep is making me ramble. No mind shifting images of yet. But heres some signs and retro portents...
Relaxation for brick for a mobile phone generation.
Discount for rich wankers, as per usual.
The pen is mightier...
Hip bar, 30 years ago.- J
Monday, October 02, 2006
New Territories, Old Territories
I love Hong Kong. It’s like home. And here at my cousin’s, Sandy, it’s my home in Hong Kong, has been for the best part of 10 years. I have come to HK about every 2 years for the last 10. It just worked out that way, not because I have a 2 year deadline. I used to stay at my grans village until it got crowded. Have stayed with my sister when she lived here but at most, I have stayed here. It’s like a studio council flat, a bit run down but I like it. They have been cleaning it up and it is under renovation (despite having been under for 2 years). Me and cousin sit a talk and drink beer and smoke. We used to go down and get more supplies from the Seven Eleven at midnight in shorts and slippers. We still do this to a degree but we are a tad more sedate and sensible these days. Sandy has switched from eating fast food crap or nothing at all to actually eating a meal for dinner. Typhoon Sandy has slowly turned into a light breeze. Afterall, she is mid thirties.
I get asked whether HK has changed much after the handover. I’m not here that much but it hasn’t changed that much. I know the media is a little more ‘controlled’ but that is about it. HK used to seem to me a fairly rude and hostile environment but now it’s quite comfortable. People seem to be more polite. More people speak English and a lot speak Mandarin (Potunghua). I still can’t read a menu but at least I can speak the language (more or less).
When I learn Mandarin, I will go back to Beijing, soon. It’s somewhere I have grown to like quite a lot despite the horrendous traffic and vastness of the city with vessels of highway like roads. The roads and the city at large is centred around The Forbidden City which is bang centre of Beijing. People still pick their nose in public (even old ladies) and spit everywhere but then you can have a bowl of handmade noodles or dinner for 70 pence and a cup of good coffee for £2. The 2008 Olympics are changing the city both in infrastructure and architecture on a rapid and vast scale. It’s Beijing’s coming out party and I think it will be grand.
My cousin Sandy isn’t actually a blood cousin. We aren’t even related. Her mother snuck over when she was young and my gran took care of her for a few months. That’s how we know each other. I saw her when I was 3 and then not again until I was 21 and we have been friends ever since. The friends I have here and the new friends I made in Beijing are like not friends, they are more family. Culture, blood lines and tradition runs deep despite how ‘western’ I am.
From left to right, Qiu Yue, me and Dong Hong in Beijing.
I get asked whether HK has changed much after the handover. I’m not here that much but it hasn’t changed that much. I know the media is a little more ‘controlled’ but that is about it. HK used to seem to me a fairly rude and hostile environment but now it’s quite comfortable. People seem to be more polite. More people speak English and a lot speak Mandarin (Potunghua). I still can’t read a menu but at least I can speak the language (more or less).
When I learn Mandarin, I will go back to Beijing, soon. It’s somewhere I have grown to like quite a lot despite the horrendous traffic and vastness of the city with vessels of highway like roads. The roads and the city at large is centred around The Forbidden City which is bang centre of Beijing. People still pick their nose in public (even old ladies) and spit everywhere but then you can have a bowl of handmade noodles or dinner for 70 pence and a cup of good coffee for £2. The 2008 Olympics are changing the city both in infrastructure and architecture on a rapid and vast scale. It’s Beijing’s coming out party and I think it will be grand.
My cousin Sandy isn’t actually a blood cousin. We aren’t even related. Her mother snuck over when she was young and my gran took care of her for a few months. That’s how we know each other. I saw her when I was 3 and then not again until I was 21 and we have been friends ever since. The friends I have here and the new friends I made in Beijing are like not friends, they are more family. Culture, blood lines and tradition runs deep despite how ‘western’ I am.
From left to right, Qiu Yue, me and Dong Hong in Beijing.
Clockwise from me, Sandy and Jovie in Hong Kong.
- J
中國人
Beijing street life was great to watch. Full of expression and life. Love it. Here is a small snippet of what's out there.
- J
ps. goes to show, we don't look all the same.
- Jps. goes to show, we don't look all the same.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
home is...
These past seven days have gone quick here in Beijing. I feel this primarily because of my new friends at the coffee shop I have met have made me feel so welcome I do not want to leave.
Dong Hong (manager of the store) studied in Environmental Sciences in Germany and came back here to open a coffee shop (as she learnt to roast beans there as well) as well as taking care of her parents. She is a kind, calm, thoughtful and friendly person who has made a world of difference to my time here. I do not know what I would have done here without her. Probably done more sight seeing which ultimately would have been added to just more places I have been to.
Qiu yue (new store assistant) is a sweet and adorable girl from the village Yang Lou. Her father died when she was 13 and she had to quit school in order to work and support her mother and her younger brother. She is sparky and speaks with verve at times but mostly softley. I showed her photos from around the world and a video of London (the sultans elephant) which she thought was unreal (literally). She had not seen much imagery from the west before and not in such vivid form. Despite self confessing naïvety, she’s interesting to talk to, via excellent translation from Dong Hong.
Although I could not live here in Beijing, they have made me feel like it was my home, the fact that I planned to go to The Forbidden City (home to may Emperors in the past) yesterday but ended up staying at the coffee shop the whole day instead is, what it is. A connection with people is as important to me (if not more) in a foreign country as architecture, historical sites or geographical areas of interest I will visit.
- J
Dong Hong (manager of the store) studied in Environmental Sciences in Germany and came back here to open a coffee shop (as she learnt to roast beans there as well) as well as taking care of her parents. She is a kind, calm, thoughtful and friendly person who has made a world of difference to my time here. I do not know what I would have done here without her. Probably done more sight seeing which ultimately would have been added to just more places I have been to.
Qiu yue (new store assistant) is a sweet and adorable girl from the village Yang Lou. Her father died when she was 13 and she had to quit school in order to work and support her mother and her younger brother. She is sparky and speaks with verve at times but mostly softley. I showed her photos from around the world and a video of London (the sultans elephant) which she thought was unreal (literally). She had not seen much imagery from the west before and not in such vivid form. Despite self confessing naïvety, she’s interesting to talk to, via excellent translation from Dong Hong.
Although I could not live here in Beijing, they have made me feel like it was my home, the fact that I planned to go to The Forbidden City (home to may Emperors in the past) yesterday but ended up staying at the coffee shop the whole day instead is, what it is. A connection with people is as important to me (if not more) in a foreign country as architecture, historical sites or geographical areas of interest I will visit.
- J
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Exploding your kidneys
A few quirky things I have seen here. Here including the funniest menu i have ever seen. Lovely old school restaurant that makes you feel like you're in a kung fu movie. From it's wooden crumbling decor to the waiting staff who don last century's threads it's food is great. Furnishings also include a TV with karoake playing love songs. Bizarre is enough that there is a TV playing karoake, that the images with the songs are from American films that don't match the song (Arnie kicking ass while Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now is belching out...). Enjoy.
Menu at Tian Hai. Double click to explode your kidneys.
Restrain from Louis Armstrong impressions while driving.
Why go to the Great Wall and then grafitti it with a political slogan. It isn't the Berlin wall, it isn't the Isreali wall. 
It is what it is.
Livestock. Well, sleeping stock.
Have a heart to heart with Arnie on the Karoake at Tian Hai Restaurant.- J
Monday, September 25, 2006
Craning Neck, Hidden Silence
Was invited to a Beijing 2006 Tourism show which comprised of a few countries representing themselves with a 'show' (i.e. Riverdancing for Ireland). It was a strange mix with working class people for it's audience. Pop singers from asia, a massive group of Australians whose every dance set was a patriotic chant (to Australia) and a strange set by 30 little girls dancing uncannily in sync to fast beating rythmic music which was actually very cute and funny. The Riverdancing by Irish and Chinese performers (respectively) were good though the stage and seating were so crap that we couldn't see their feet most of the time.
Shows apart, I have spent some of my time in quiet places as in The White Cloud Temple, The Great Wall of China and am heading off to The Summer Palace in a moment after i finish my coffee. I read that physical personal space doesn't exist for Chinese people, but exists in the mind. I think these places, while being there, are best experienced with the heart and mind.
- J
Shows apart, I have spent some of my time in quiet places as in The White Cloud Temple, The Great Wall of China and am heading off to The Summer Palace in a moment after i finish my coffee. I read that physical personal space doesn't exist for Chinese people, but exists in the mind. I think these places, while being there, are best experienced with the heart and mind.
- J
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Wo bu ting de dao
I wish I leant a lot more Mandarin before I came because it takes me 5 mins to order a cold beer. I am learning, slowly though. I felt unsafe when I arrived after hearing scare stories about China. But we shouldn't and I won't- generalize.
Met some prominent artists at galleries 798 (a district full of artists and studios and galleries) including the Gao Brothers amongst others. Not having enough room in the van (an RA and Red Mansion side project) I had the next 2 days off. Walking around my area in search of coffee I suddenly found a place called Contiga. They were playing The Beatles. Anyone who plays The Beatles is okay in my books. Made friends with the manager who's super nice (picture featured roasting beans). There are only one of 20 in Beijing who roast their own beans. She made me feel like home in the coffee shop and in Beijing on the whole. She spoke English which is a godsend to me right now and they have wireless connection. They also sell beer. It's heaven. It's my hang out ever since.
Walked a ways to Tiannemen Square today. The roads are 8 lanes ( and in some parts 12) and massive building loom all over. The vastness is astounding. There are cycle lanes the width of about 6 metres wide. The traffic is terrible come peak time but the general sprawl of motor vehicles and cycles seem to work together in a chaotic yet graceful manner ( guess all the motorist were cyclist once). On the way to Tiannamen, we saw lots of kite and one man who was flying one from the street. He let us have a go. It can be liberating to fly a kite but flying on on a street with 8 lanes is something else.
Far from being the dangerous and hostile environment i thought i may encounter, people have been kind and courteous despite my lack of knowledge about the place and the dialect. Despite a not so nice start to my trip (which i am on radio slient about) and now having been sorta left to my own devices, I am doing well thanks largely to my new friends at the coffee shop (it will be in the next edition of Lonely Planet I shit you not).
- J
Met some prominent artists at galleries 798 (a district full of artists and studios and galleries) including the Gao Brothers amongst others. Not having enough room in the van (an RA and Red Mansion side project) I had the next 2 days off. Walking around my area in search of coffee I suddenly found a place called Contiga. They were playing The Beatles. Anyone who plays The Beatles is okay in my books. Made friends with the manager who's super nice (picture featured roasting beans). There are only one of 20 in Beijing who roast their own beans. She made me feel like home in the coffee shop and in Beijing on the whole. She spoke English which is a godsend to me right now and they have wireless connection. They also sell beer. It's heaven. It's my hang out ever since.
Walked a ways to Tiannemen Square today. The roads are 8 lanes ( and in some parts 12) and massive building loom all over. The vastness is astounding. There are cycle lanes the width of about 6 metres wide. The traffic is terrible come peak time but the general sprawl of motor vehicles and cycles seem to work together in a chaotic yet graceful manner ( guess all the motorist were cyclist once). On the way to Tiannamen, we saw lots of kite and one man who was flying one from the street. He let us have a go. It can be liberating to fly a kite but flying on on a street with 8 lanes is something else.
Far from being the dangerous and hostile environment i thought i may encounter, people have been kind and courteous despite my lack of knowledge about the place and the dialect. Despite a not so nice start to my trip (which i am on radio slient about) and now having been sorta left to my own devices, I am doing well thanks largely to my new friends at the coffee shop (it will be in the next edition of Lonely Planet I shit you not).
- J
Dead small
I have 3 dead pixels in the middle of my MacBook Pro and although being mildly annoying, it still works. Jamal, the boy who we took from the West Bank to Jerusalem to have heart surgery had a defective heart. Basically, there was a gap and so clean blood was mixing with the ‘dirty’ blood and so he, wasn’t working properly. He nearly didn’t make it through the checkpoint. With Warren and Doctor Hassan, we did make a difference. Doctor Hassan, was someone we bumped into at the checkpoint. Because he helped us get through he subsequently had his magnetic pass confiscated. It got given back but he is scared of going through the checkpoints now. What the surgical and ICU team did, and continue to do, is saves lives. Ever seen a baby die right in front of you? Me neither, but it got pretty close at times. What PCRF (Palestine Children’s Relief Fund ) do is bring these people to the Middle East and help children who need it most. Most of the children I have met from Palestine are sweet, well behaved kids. They don’t scream, or shout or kick up unnecessary fuss but are warm and respectful towards others. Of course the street kids, the tough ones, throw stones at ‘the wall’ or Israeli soldiers is understandable. Of course, they tend to get shot at with a machine gun. Like the one I met at the hospital and the ones at Ramallah.
Those who know me know I am fairly grounded and fairly tough. And I have to say I haven’t had a lot of heart for many things over the last few years. But seeing ‘the wall’, the Israeli military at checkpoints, the Israeli illegal settlements on Palestinian land, hearing first hand about ‘sonic booms’ at night in Gaza, Jamal being turned away at the checkpoint, his family being reunited with him, the feelings of the nurses and doctors who live under occupation and the daily struggle of getting to work to Jerusalem, the family who were rocket fired on when they were on a beach (killing six, all but one, who PCRF are helping)… . On the day I came back from the West Bank and got to my hotel room, I cried. Since leaving Palestine I have had a residue of indignation in my heart and a fire in my stomach. The unsettling things I have heard, seen and experienced have not calmed through being away from there, but in fact grown stronger. It’s been a very long time since I felt a desire to help a cause for a people and individuals who I warmed to very quickly. So warm and friendly were the family and doctors that it felt like home. And like family, it pains me deeply to see them live under such conditions.
Please, take a serious moment; Imagine going on a day out to Brighton with your friends or family and then having a rocket fired upon you killing all of them but you. That’s not going to happen though, because we don’t live in the Gaza strip.
For now, I will be supplying them with photographs for their annual report. Later, I will be collating a series of photographs of my trip and seeking an exhibition to promote PCRF’s work. I hope to be working with PCRF in the future in their ongoing projects.
The documentary I shot will be made into a short promotional doc for PCRF and a longer version will be cut with intent to sell for distribution and/or screenings in festivals.
I was told, ‘but how many can you save? How much can you help? There isn’t much you can do’. My answer to that would be that if it wasn’t for us, those two children would still have a heart condition today that needed surgery and that saving ONE life, is worth your effort, the numbers are degrees... Watching the family reunited reminded me that one life is not just one life, it is an integral part of a whole. It also reminded me that dead pixels, should be the least of my concerns. Fight the good fights… the rest isn’t important.
http://www.pcrf.net/first.html
- J
Those who know me know I am fairly grounded and fairly tough. And I have to say I haven’t had a lot of heart for many things over the last few years. But seeing ‘the wall’, the Israeli military at checkpoints, the Israeli illegal settlements on Palestinian land, hearing first hand about ‘sonic booms’ at night in Gaza, Jamal being turned away at the checkpoint, his family being reunited with him, the feelings of the nurses and doctors who live under occupation and the daily struggle of getting to work to Jerusalem, the family who were rocket fired on when they were on a beach (killing six, all but one, who PCRF are helping)… . On the day I came back from the West Bank and got to my hotel room, I cried. Since leaving Palestine I have had a residue of indignation in my heart and a fire in my stomach. The unsettling things I have heard, seen and experienced have not calmed through being away from there, but in fact grown stronger. It’s been a very long time since I felt a desire to help a cause for a people and individuals who I warmed to very quickly. So warm and friendly were the family and doctors that it felt like home. And like family, it pains me deeply to see them live under such conditions.
Please, take a serious moment; Imagine going on a day out to Brighton with your friends or family and then having a rocket fired upon you killing all of them but you. That’s not going to happen though, because we don’t live in the Gaza strip.
For now, I will be supplying them with photographs for their annual report. Later, I will be collating a series of photographs of my trip and seeking an exhibition to promote PCRF’s work. I hope to be working with PCRF in the future in their ongoing projects.
The documentary I shot will be made into a short promotional doc for PCRF and a longer version will be cut with intent to sell for distribution and/or screenings in festivals.
I was told, ‘but how many can you save? How much can you help? There isn’t much you can do’. My answer to that would be that if it wasn’t for us, those two children would still have a heart condition today that needed surgery and that saving ONE life, is worth your effort, the numbers are degrees... Watching the family reunited reminded me that one life is not just one life, it is an integral part of a whole. It also reminded me that dead pixels, should be the least of my concerns. Fight the good fights… the rest isn’t important.
http://www.pcrf.net/first.html- J
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
I C U
The day before yesterday I shooting and running down the hall after the Surgeon and the nurse towards an emergency call. A baby who they had operated on earlier in the day had problems. When we got there, they were doing CPR as the heart rate had gone way down. The Surgeon had to operate right there and then. People were rushing about getting things trying to help save this baby’s life. The Surgeon had to drain the blood from around his heart to release the pressure. I shot nearly the entire operation for 35mins non stop.
The first time I watched open heart surgery a week ago it was an eye opener. Forget Red Bull or coffee to wake you up. When I watched, my eyes didn’t blink.
There is a lot of prepping involved. One main prep is done by the Paediatric Anaethetist (Alistar). Another is to use and manage the Profusion machine (Stan). This basically acts like a heart during the operation. The heart is drained of blood and you can see it go white as it does. During this prep you also have to add a dosage of Protamine Sulphate to the blood that is going through the body so it clots easier during surgery, then after surgery you add Heparin Sodium to bring it back to it’s normal state. The actual surgery isn’t very long at all, about half an hour depending.
Needless to say, watching the surgery is pretty amazing and I have no conception to base it on. I have never even seen a stitch done prior to this.
The 8 month old baby who we brought back from Nablus, Jamal, is a sweet child full of life and smiles. Me and him get on pretty well. We documented his surgery and now he is safely in recovery. It’s really good to see him smile again. I have become very fond of him.
In the pictures below there is one of a boy with the video camera we are shooting on. He is the one who was shot in Gaza while playing football with his friend. He is a wilful and happy boy who can handle a camera. We say he’s the future of Al Jazerra.
There are also pictures on actual surgery though not in detail. I do have very detailed pictures of surgery (heart pumping and all) but I realize most people can’t bare to see them. Other ones are of Alistair (with my Leica, he is also a very keen photographer and owns more cameras than myself), in the background Warren (Paediatric nurse). There is also a picture with residents Ahmed and Mohhamed who are class comedians and warm people who also are known to make us the dark Arabic coffee in the morning. In the end, 17 children were operated on within 7 days and 17 lives were saved. Some of these children are pictured here in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit).
The baby who was called for emergency in the morning did live. But it was said that it may have been due to the fact that the dosage of Protamine’was wrong. This was probably not due to anybody’s mistake, simply because they haven’t been trained properly to give the right dosage. This is why PCRF are here as well, to give training to the staff so they can carry out these procedures and monitor post surgery.
Some of the pictures may not be palatable for some so bear with it or don't look at all.
The two surgeries featured here is of Jamal, just before, during and after. The other is of the baby who nearly didn’t make it, once during surgery and twice in ICU.
The first time I watched open heart surgery a week ago it was an eye opener. Forget Red Bull or coffee to wake you up. When I watched, my eyes didn’t blink.
There is a lot of prepping involved. One main prep is done by the Paediatric Anaethetist (Alistar). Another is to use and manage the Profusion machine (Stan). This basically acts like a heart during the operation. The heart is drained of blood and you can see it go white as it does. During this prep you also have to add a dosage of Protamine Sulphate to the blood that is going through the body so it clots easier during surgery, then after surgery you add Heparin Sodium to bring it back to it’s normal state. The actual surgery isn’t very long at all, about half an hour depending.
Needless to say, watching the surgery is pretty amazing and I have no conception to base it on. I have never even seen a stitch done prior to this.
The 8 month old baby who we brought back from Nablus, Jamal, is a sweet child full of life and smiles. Me and him get on pretty well. We documented his surgery and now he is safely in recovery. It’s really good to see him smile again. I have become very fond of him.
In the pictures below there is one of a boy with the video camera we are shooting on. He is the one who was shot in Gaza while playing football with his friend. He is a wilful and happy boy who can handle a camera. We say he’s the future of Al Jazerra.
There are also pictures on actual surgery though not in detail. I do have very detailed pictures of surgery (heart pumping and all) but I realize most people can’t bare to see them. Other ones are of Alistair (with my Leica, he is also a very keen photographer and owns more cameras than myself), in the background Warren (Paediatric nurse). There is also a picture with residents Ahmed and Mohhamed who are class comedians and warm people who also are known to make us the dark Arabic coffee in the morning. In the end, 17 children were operated on within 7 days and 17 lives were saved. Some of these children are pictured here in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit).
The baby who was called for emergency in the morning did live. But it was said that it may have been due to the fact that the dosage of Protamine’was wrong. This was probably not due to anybody’s mistake, simply because they haven’t been trained properly to give the right dosage. This is why PCRF are here as well, to give training to the staff so they can carry out these procedures and monitor post surgery.
Some of the pictures may not be palatable for some so bear with it or don't look at all.
The two surgeries featured here is of Jamal, just before, during and after. The other is of the baby who nearly didn’t make it, once during surgery and twice in ICU.
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