May 25, 2012 - Vacation Trips Past...

... and how I found my love for travel photography.

Everyone goes through moments where they relive moments in their lives, for me this happens often. I relive moments through the photos I take, and not surprisingly, I take a lot of them. I'll admit, it's not as impressive as wedding photogs with over a thousand pictures in one evening, but then again I'm not being paid thousands of dollars to capture the moment. I can understand the pressure though. 

Ever since my first digital point-and-shoot, I've loved the way I felt when I got the perfect shot, whether that be of a person, or an object. So it only made sense when I made the switch to my first DSLR, and began the triple shots of the same subject with differing background compositions, and lighting. I never edited my images, and was strongly opposed to post-editing them, mostly because I didn't own programs to do it, so I learned to be good without it. I even ventured for several years operating without a flash mount, using only what the camera offered... the bare basics, and often preferred natural lighting, this, too, was because I didn't own a flash mount, so I got good at this, too. Indoor/ outdoor evening shots in dim lighting still prove difficult, but I've since invested in a flash.

So, what?!


Anyway, I've been looking at some of my albums and realized I really have an eye for detail. Given that I'm under no pressure to get any one picture, I must say, I did a pretty decent job. 

Here's a look:

May 22, 2012 - Island Withdrawal

If you asked me last Wednesday how I felt about Hawaii, I'd tell you without missing a beat that I disliked it. I spent 14 hours on Oahu on a layover from Japan several years ago, and hated it. So much so that when my boyfriend asked me last November/December to accompany him to a wedding on one of the Hawaiian islands this past weekend and potentially spend a week on vacation, I had no words. I had to explain to him how much I did not enjoy Hawaii, and it was absolutely absurd to ask that I take one week of my vacation time from work and spend it on an island I have already decided I did not like. I eventually had to use the excuse that I really did not see that it was financially responsible for me to spend the money on a "vacation" spot I did not even want to see... and he relented, and let it be.

Come Christmas though, he decided that it was something nice he could do/get for me - buy my flight/accommodations. He presumed it was more monetary than my actual dislike, so I had to clarify and eventually talk down the amount of vacation time I was willing to spend there. He really had no idea. I much preferred to spend it/save it for a future vacation to Europe (somewhere I had been dreaming of visiting since the last Olympics).

Well, now that the "vacation" has come and gone, I retract my initial reactions. I dislike Oahu, not all of the Hawaiian islands, and I've come to learn in my brief time there that this is a shared sentiment, even among the locals. If you visit the rights places, Hawaii is really how I always expected it to be, without all of the high rise buildings, and freeways everywhere you turn... instead, it is long stretches of two lane highways, lots of vegetation and delicious tropical fruits that make you drool at the thought of banana cream pies, and far north, it's mostly one lane, poorly maintained roads sitting cliff side that pass along and sometimes through old villages that are now mostly vacant. Life is slow paced, and really, no one is in a hurry.

The island life is not for me, but what I would give for another couple of days. Until next time for sure. 

May 16, 2012 - Inconsideration

inconsideration - n. rude behavior

Now, this probably won't read like you'd imagine... actually, I'm certain it won't. I'm talking about people, restrooms and work. I guess I just don't get it, I mean how difficult is it to flush the toilet again if you've taken a dump? I mean you wouldn't leave it floating around, if you did it at home... so why would you leave stains of it at work?

The funny thing is, this is women I'm talking about. You'd think they would be more considerate, considering communal use, but alas, time and again, I come across many a stalls where women have not adequately flushed their waste.

Speaking of women and restrooms, have you ever noticed how uncomfortable you feel whilest attempting to take a dump in a public restroom? Everyone does it, but somehow it seems inappropriate. I rarely, if ever, hear another person go... I use to think maybe people just didn't have to, but that's strange, since regular bowel movement is a sign of good, working health. Not to say that I would want to hear another person go, but if someone does, it's a natural process, so why the embarrassment? And in the rare occasions that I do overhear another person perusing the laboratories, I don't hear them GO, usually I just happen to hear a foot tap, or a creak, and realize that there is someone else in the bathroom, silent. I've even gone as far as to take my sweet time zipping up my dress pants, and washing my hands. Still not a peep from the stallmate, and it's not until I begin to make my exit from the restroom, do I hear another sound. If everyone goes, why feel so uncomfortable? It's one thing to make the *ploop ploop ploop* sound, and quite another to make such a stench that the bathroom needs to be evacuated, even before entrance... so unless your shit stank, then stop what you're not doing. It makes me uncomfortable just thinking about how everyone else feels uncomfortable...

It's the same with buying condoms, it seems. The idea of going to the store just to buy condoms is inappropriate. You just cannot do it. You have to pick up the non-essential box of Triscuits as you get into line at the store, so as you have something to hide the large variety pack of Trojan condoms underneath. All it implies is that you're getting some, what's the big deal?

Alas, I digress, people flush your shit, seriously. It's disgusting.

May 15, 2012 - My friend, Kris.

It's cliche to even write this, but the saying "many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart" is especially true with my friend, Kris. I met her summer of 2008, during a camping trip with my then boyfriend. We were friends, immediately, and are still friends even a year since I ended the relationship that made us friends.

Kris became one of my closest confidantes nearing the end of the relationship, helped talk me through all of the rough patches, and was really there with a shoulder to lean on. She gave me advice, and was there for me as my friend. She and I have taken more strides to strengthening our friendship since the break-up, we've taken a couple of trips together in and out of the country. I no longer refer to her as "the friend I met through my ex-boyfriend", but a mutual friend, my friend.

She's the friend I tell people, "I can usually say 'No' when people ask me to drink, but when Kris asks, I can never say 'no'." And she's one of the reasons, I truly believe that each and every person who walks into your life serve some important purpose, for my last boyfriend, he brought me some of the best friends I've ever known. For that, I am grateful.

May 4, 2012 - Bumping into My College RA

Not only was she my resident advisor, but she was my suitemate.

When my roommate and I finally decided we were going to be roommates, we had a serious decision to make. For the true college experience, living in the dorms, and sharing a bathroom with 20 others is the norm, but frankly, not appealing. We chose the suites, off-campus, but sharing with 5-7 others seemed less daunting than 20+, and showering with flip flops was not enticing, at all. 

We ended up rooming with the RA... and two other gals from our hometown, telling anyone where we're from usually garners a couple of surprised and shocked blank looks. We have a sneaking suspicion to this day that they centralized the "problem" children. Next door to us were a room of guys, ALSO from our hometown....

Anyway, freshman year is a blur to me. I remember boys, and lots of them, would frequent our suite, often looking for our RA/suitemate, many a times for nothing more than to say "hello". We got to know a lot of people on our floor because of her. Most of the girls didn't care for her, probably because the boys had their attention elsewhere. Or at least that's my assumption, jealous of what they didn't understand. If you could see her, you'd understand. She's gorgeous, without the extra effort. 

I've been working for the University system, from which I graduated, for over 2 years now. I rarely, if ever, bump into anyone I grew up with, or went to school with, so when my RA was seated in front of the floor length windows right outside of my cubicle, I did everything to avoid her. I had no idea who she was. It was an odd location to place someone, unless for reasons of monitoring hall movement, so I went by most of the morning going in the opposite direction to avoid walking by her. I finally recognized her when I was forced to cross her path, going into my neighbor's cube that faced her chosen seating area. 

The moment I actually looked at her, without realizing, I was excited, and called out to her. Just as immediately as I had recognized her, she jumped up, and hugged me. It's been about 10 years now, and seeing her made me nostalgic. It's almost like no time has passed since I had last seen her, I behave around her exactly as I had, and the conversation, except for the bits where she or I catch each other up on our lives and career, hasn't changed.

"I've bumped into people here and there over the years, but you are the best bump in I've had." - SK

I miss college, only for the moments that have changed my life. She was definitely one of those.