Golden Gate Bridge

Found this photo I took while in the States a few summers ago...the famous

Golden Gate Bridge in SanFrancisco...

Still Frustrated

Well, still no internet at home. I was cut off 24 times in one hour last night trying to make a post. In the end, it was never done. I have been on the phone and writing emails (from work) trying to fix whatever is wrong with my connection. All I get is blank stares, and no-one seems to be able to help me. In the meantime, I am being charged expensive rates to use this service. ARRRRGH!!

So, I will just have to work on my photos at night, and use my computer at work during the day to update my blog...

This week, I will post a photo a day...no theme...just some random photos I have taken in the recent past...starting with this one of this lotus flower...

Internet Problems

Hey guys....sorry I have not had a post in a couple of days. I am having major problems with my ISP (internet service provider), and we are also moving house...I will be back soon, though, as soon as I get these problems sorted out...

Skywatch Friday - Annapurna Base Camp

I know it is a bit early to be posting for Friday, but I am going to be very busy tomorrow (It is Thursday night as I write this) so won't have the time to make a blog entry...and I didn't want to miss Skywatch Friday.

Thanks Tom, for hosting once again...

A Hard Working Girl in Nepal

YOU try carrying a load like this on your head walking up and down the trails of the Himalayas. I had enough trouble just carrying my camera...

Cambodia Girls

This photo was taken in the floating refugee camp...

This little girl was playing with the tourists at Angkor Wat...

A Photo With a Story

A photo is always better when you know the story behind it. Most of the photos I take of people while traveling, I can only guess their story. The photo below, however, I know the story so it is more meaningful.

These kids all lost their family during the tsunami that hit Aceh in 2004. The little girl on the right ran up a tree to hide from what she called "the terrible black monster". When sitting in the tree, she watched her mother, father and brother get swept away in the waves. Her village was four miles from the ocean....that is how big that tsunami was. She told me she sat in the tree for three days in fear that the terrible black monster would return. Despite all she went through, she told me her story without crying. I asked her how she could do this...she said, "life goes on, mister...I will see my family in heaven"... this from a 10-year old girl. Amazing people, amazing kids...

More Sapa Kids

I have always liked this shot even though the kids don't look very happy...I just think it tells a story. The story is up to your imagination, but the eyes tell all...I took this photo in North Vietnam in Sapa. I was with a group of students, and we were all handing out coloring books, crayons, and other school supplies to these school kids...

Waiting on the Bus

I am going to continue this week with my "kids portraits" since I have so many to share.

This one below was taken in Nepal. I was walking down the street and saw this little girl staring out of the window of a bus. I had only 5 seconds to take the shot, and then the girl ducked her head inside and the bus took off....lucky shot.

I updated this entry as originally I thought this was a little boy...but never noticed the ear ring...so, perhaps it is a little girl?? Thanks, Catherine...

Skywatch Friday - Papua

I have posted this photo before on this blog, but I think it is worth posting again for Skywatch Friday...have a great day!!

Sapa Girl - North Vietnam

I love the eyes of this little girl. This photo was taken in the mountains of North Vietnam very near the border of China...

Grunge Kids in India

Don't you wonder what they are thinking...

They are probably thinking,
"Why is this tourist guy with that big expensive camera pointing it at me for??"

Bored Boys

While down at the docks taking photos of the tall sailing ships of the bugis sailors, we took a little side trip through the ghettos of Northern Jakarta. These two kids were sitting on a broken lounge chair watching the small row boats float by in the polluted water way.

I like the expressions on their faces. Such contrast with the totally bored kid on top, and the smiling kid peering through the fence at me...

Flower Girl

This week I want to feature some of my favorite portraits of kids...

As I was walking down the streets of Kathmandu, the flowers surrounding this girl is what first caught my attention...and then the red brick wall in the background is what sealed it for me...I had to get a nice shot of this little girl...

Kayla Poses At The House

Kayla was in a good mood today while visiting the house. She walked around with a little wood bench, and said several times,
"Hey Daddy, I have a good idea...how 'bout a photo over here?"

How could a photographer Daddy resist?

These photos were post-processed using some textures that I got a while ago from Trey Ratcliff from Stuck in Customs...they are really fun to play around with...

April House Update

We had a long meeting with both our architect and builder to try and work out our final budget to finish the house. The project is way over what we originally intended to spend, but it is a gorgeous house, and will be worth it in the end. We will be totally broke, but living large. Our vacations will just have to be at the house for some time.

We are thinking that once the house is finished, we will move in for 6 months, and then rent it out to some rich person who can afford to live in it, and then pocket the rent money to fill our bank accounts again before moving back in...that might be the best thing to do considering we are now broke...of course, we will wait until after family visits before renting it out...so don't worry, Mom and Dad, you will still be able to stay in the castle when you come to visit...

It has been almost two weeks since I last visited the house...the floors were being stained, glass was being put into the windows and doors, the sliding doors in the main living area were being installed, and more finishing work was being done on the pool...looking good, and getting closer and closer to the day when we can finally move in...

IASAS Blues

It was bad news for the softball team today. We had to beat ISKL to have any chance of getting into the finals, and we lost 8-7. Our best hitters just couldn't hit, so the other team took charge.

Then, later in the day, we were in the consolation game to fight for third place. We played Singapore who got into the consolation game through a round robin play-off. We beat Singapore on Friday 10-0, but they beat us 12-8 when, again, our best hitters could not perform.

So, our dream team ended up in fourth place...very frustrating.

The good news is that now that softball season is over, I now have my life back. I am going to get back to the gym and get back into shape after a few months of doing nothing and eating like a pig.

I will also be able to spend more time visiting blogs and working on my photography. We are headed out to the house tomorow, so will give you an update on the progress...

Skywatch Friday - Nepal

This is a sunrise near the Anapurna Base Camp in Nepal...

Jakarta Portraits

To continue "Jakarta Week", here are a couple of portraits...

IASAS Softball Tournament Update

We had a great opening game against TAS (Taipei American School).
We easily won the game 21-4.

At around 4:00, the skies in Jakarta got almost black. We knew there would be a big rain, but the storm that hit today was probably the most severe I have ever seen in the last 10 years!! It was unreal. The wind was blowing at hurricane strength and blew the large tents that we had set up around the fields all over the place. We were lucky no-one was hurt. Then the rain came down like I have never seen rain come down. It was like God had a huge bucket and just dumped it all at once...wow...

So, our second game against ISB (International School of Bangkok) was delayed about 3 hours. The fields finally dried to the point where they were usable. We lost the game 12-8, but played very well. Bangkok just played better, but it was a great game.

The "Kaki Lima" and "Toko"

The "Kaki Lima" (five feet/legs) can be found throughout Asia, but they are particularly famous in Indonesia. Everywhere on the streets are Kaki Lima's serving the best spicy indonesian food available. They are pretty darn clean, and believe it or not, serve very tasty food...

The "toko" is a small store. Check out the toko at the bottom selling chains...

Need a chain, anyone??

Bugis Schooners at Sunda Kelapa

This is a pretty cool place located in the old harbor of Sunda Kelapa. This harbor was built in the early 17th century and then re-built and expanded in 1817. Dutch domination of Jakarta and the rest of Indonesia began from here, and remnants of Batavia, the old fort and trading post of the Dutch East Indies Company, still exists near this port.

The tall masted Bugis schooners from south Sulawesi belong to one of the last fleets of sailboats in the world and still ply the seas between the islands of Indonesia as they did centuries before. It is a cool place to visit if you come to Jakarta...

Jakarta Week

Since Jakarta is hosting the IASAS softball tournament this week, I thought I would feature photos I have taken of Jakarta in the blog...

Below is the famous statue and fountain in front of the Grand Hyatt downtown...

Jakarta is famous for it's Bajaj...a one cylinder pollution machine that carts people all over the city...they are cute, but annoying...BUT, Jakarta would not be the same without them...

In Other News

The IASAS Softball Tournament is quickly approaching. Other schools from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Taipei and Manila all arrive on Wednesday, and the tournament begins on Thursday. We have a pretty darn good team this year, and are hoping for some good wins this year in front of our home crowd...

Last Day of Underwater Week

I am kind of bummed I need to stop posting underwater shots...I have had a blast going through my old underwater shots, and sharing them on the blog this week...

Like I said last week, I have hundreds of underwater shots, and could keep posting every day for months, but time to move with some other stuff...

Here are three of my favorites that I have posted before. All three have been published. All three photos were taken in the Raja Ampat Islands near Sorong in Papua, Indonesia. The top one was taken at a dive site called, "The Passage". It is a really unique dive. As you can see in the photo, you can see trees through the surface. This dive is in the ocean, but it passes through limestone formations, so it feels like you are diving in a river...
very cool, and no place like it on Earth...

I like this shot because it just looks so Surreal...
Tough to see here on the web, but the print looks like a painting...

Finally, I like this shot because it took me so many years to finally find and actually photograph a Mandarin Fish. These little guys are tough to find, and are very shy. They only come out at dusk (to mate), and are very skittish. Since they come out at dusk, it is dark, and tough to get these little guys in the frame, in focus with no coral in the way, and correctly lit. They are very frustrating fish models...they just don't listen or cooperate with the photographer.

So, finally, I got this shot...I actually got a couple of keepers on the same dive...
I gotta say it is my favorite fish...just look at those colors...amazing.

Underwater Week Continued

Underwater week continues...after a break for "Sky Watch Friday"...

Here are a couple more shots that I have never posted before, but I like...

I will have a couple more tomorrow, and then that will end underwater week...

Sky Watch Friday - Santorini

This is the town of Oia in Santorini, Greece.

I had to make two exposures to get this shot. One for the sky, and one for the town...

This is my second Sky Watch entry....it is sponsored by Tom Wigley. If you click on his link (in my "friends links" section to the right), you can see others that have entered into this fun event...

Patterns

The colors and patterns one can see underwater, if looking closely, are just amazing... some of these things, such as the nudibranches you see below, can be smaller than your fingernail...

Some very colorful Tunicates...

crinoid...

... a couple of Nudibranches...

a clam...

The Coral Reef

I think these photos will speak for themsleves...

The coral reefs of Indonesia are just...
AWESOME

I am sure that most people in the world have no idea of the beauty and colors that lie just beneath the surface of the ocean...

The coral reef truly is another world within our world...