Quote



“As a lotus flower is born in water, grows in water and rises out of water to stand above it unsoiled, so I, born in the world, raised in the world having overcome the world, live unsoiled by the world
To keep the body in good health is a duty, for otherwise we shall not be able to trim the lamp of wisdom, and keep our mind strong and clear. Water surrounds the lotus flower, but does not wet its petals.”
The Buddha -- Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C


Monday, January 27, 2014

Unintended favorites

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

After a trip i always came home with a few thousands pictures ( can't help clicking :-) ) and going thru them takes a lot time but looking at the pics i felt like i was doing the trip all over again and i realized that many of my favorite photos have nothing to do with the sight that i set out to see

 I saw this lady walking a pig on the road next to the school that we visited in Otavalo - Ecuador

 

 This sand 'painting' was on the beach where i went to watch the sunset

 

 Went to Yosemite to see the snow and on the way to the bus leaving the park i suddenly
 looked up

 

 This pattern was on the sand at sunset

 

 Saw this cutie on the hike to Mt Rainier, finnally caught him/her taking a breath after a good chase :-)

 

 An overnight stop in a sleepy but lovely lakeside town in Norway turned out to be one of my favorite places to stay. I can still hear the sound of the little waves hitting the shore



Wandering the area around Geirangerfjord in Norway


 

 From the bus in Norway

 


 This beautiful lady was one of the vendors in Peru

 

 Looking down from the restaurant in Peru where i went for lunch

 

 Zion national park

 

 At Havasu Falls in Havasupai Indian reservation

 

 I came to Verona to see Juliet's balcony (as in Romeo & Juliet) but i fell for these windows

 

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Pondering the creative process


'Waiting is certainly an unsung part of the creative process.  Perhaps it is a part of life itself' - Brother Thomas Bezanson


Some of my favorite photos were created from 'non-qualified' ones or by accidents and that inspired me to adopt the non-plan mentality which means not having a concrete result in mind when i start working on a 'creative' project.  I found out that by having this non-controlling mentality i can set myself free and this in turn opens many exciting possibilities.  Then i realize that the creative process is only possible if i approach it with an open mind and heart,  not trying to control what the outcome should or shouldn't be.  The journey then becomes a wonderful experience,  full of unexpected discoveries,  and sometimes mistakes could be blessings in disguise so i embrace them too.   Treasure could really come from trash so i let the work unfold itself and come to its own existence.

This picture



came from this one 


This picture 


came from this one (the flame-like background was accidentally created when i tried to cleanup the shadow)




May you find treasure in trash :-)




Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Out of the comfort zone


Do you venture out to places alone? I am not talking about shopping :-) but to activities and events like dining, attending concert, gathering for certain causes, going to exhibition at museums/galleries, attending workshop/retreat  ...

I have and i've had wonderful experiences and chances to meet and befriend with great people :-)

Not that i don't enjoy company, nothing could compare to having good companions, but sometimes when this is not possible then i don't mind venturing out on my own at all.

I have to admit that this takes some mental prepareness :-)

I remember the first time i went to a classical concert alone (most of my friends are not into this kind of music) i felt a little strange but when the beautiful sound of music started i felt like i was one of the luckiest persons in the world. One thing i notice is there are a lot of solo concert goers out there. If you attend a concert alone without buying ticket in advance you might even get free ticket at the box office :-)

Dining alone could be an intimidating experience so make sure that you pick the restaurant that you absolutely love because when the delicious food takes center stage you won't have time for anything else :-).  Many times in the past i had to travel for business and when i had a chance to go to a new city i always look to see if there is any restaurant that i like to try and i always had a great time. Also you could get VIP treatment eating alone in gourmet restaurant :-)

I even went hiking alone but i stopped because i don't want unexpected thing to happen while i am alone in the wilderness.

Being among others with the same interest without having the obligation to interact, having the freedom to be an observer and only chat with whomever you feel like can be a fun experience, imho.

Give it a try, you might like it :-)