At Home with Strangers

Untitled

2011-10-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

Break Down

2011-10-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

Heading home our bus broke down. This is not so uncommon in Thailand, with steep hills, extreme heat, and possibly a mixed level of bus maintenance. Everyone automatically piles off, and making phone calls is their chief concern, until finally a fleet of smaller buses is called form farther away - an hour or more - to carry the group on further.

Teacher Allison

2011-09-23T07:24:00.000-07:00

The striking effects of Teacher Allison, a power outage, and a trash fire. Thanks landlady's husband.

The first 2 hours Back

2011-08-20T04:32:00.000-07:00

Birthday in Brooklyn

2011-08-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

January 12th, my birthday in Brooklyn. Delicious cake and good friends.

When we fall in love with the love we've got - III

2011-06-30T06:34:00.000-07:00

I think its fitting to at start with this link as I've always found personal work of photographers to be the most inspiring:

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/a-fathers-voice-through-kodachrome/

I've been lucky enough to be inspired by a mother and a grandfather who also took photos.

In December I returned home for the first time in over a year. It had been the longest yet that I hadn't seen my family. The most surprising element was how distinctly normal it felt to be back. And what also came back to me was everything I'd grow up with - the dynamic of MY family.

I've been 'working' on this small project on and off since 2008. About my family, and how we all influence each other. Originally it was specifically focused on my mother, her battle with ADHD and depression, and the distinct influence that has had on our lives. But really, as with family, it is never that cut and dry. And being back with them, and with a camera in my hand, I was reminded that this is more a look at us all.

This is just another part.

I was told Thanksgiveing was about giveing

2011-05-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

Birthday Party and Going Home

2011-04-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

Loi Krathong

2011-04-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Working Hard or Hardly Working

2011-04-12T02:47:00.000-07:00

And then there were 2

2011-04-12T02:22:00.000-07:00

Sharing your 2 cents

2011-04-12T02:19:00.000-07:00

The one day rise of Mon culture!

2011-03-04T01:56:00.000-08:00

For those still out to sea

2011-02-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Look out lookout point!

2011-02-26T04:34:00.000-08:00

Graduating Students!

Walking West

2011-01-14T00:43:00.000-08:00

Zombies in Monland II

2010-12-05T03:30:00.000-08:00

The costume contest:

Prizes:

Zombies in Monland I

2010-12-05T03:03:00.000-08:00

We hosted our 1st Halloween ever! Everyone pulled out all the stops! Highlights involved students in blowing everyone away with a fantastic costume contest show, spiked-punch (caught some of our Mon friends by surprise), candy, a charades like acting game, all with a back drop of horror classics.

The ever poplar 'charades' style game was played.Except it really should be called 'acting' game, since action is read out in advance; peopling out what the card says is entertainment enough. Here someone is 'driveing a motorbike'.

Epiphany and liveing in the dark

2010-10-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

Goodbye EW, I'm gonna miss you

2010-10-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

Top of my list

2010-10-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

Miss you buddy.

Revealed!

2010-10-12T05:39:00.000-07:00

Thong Pha Phum Days

2010-09-27T07:09:00.000-07:00

Unsunk. The rise of Three Pagoda Pass.

2010-09-11T04:39:00.000-07:00

For the 1st time since the flooding of the old town of Sangkhlaburi in 1984, the Three Pagodas have again become visible. Now reduced to brick piles, the pagodas none the less draw crowds who take advantage of this the brief surfacing to seek some merit. Young couples even come to write their names in the damp sand and bricks, or create small heart shaped stupas.

The rare availability of the Three Pagodas ruins are videotaped while the old forest that filled the valley is seen in the background.

The new pagoda of Sangkhlaburi is seen looming over the dense forest.

The Sangkhlaburi river has reemerged.

Yeh ti ya cheh deh

2010-09-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, we found a coffee roster in Rangoon.

Some "actors" I met. They really wanted to trade e-mails. But then some guy censored my photo with his walki-talki. His words, not mine.

Vernal Translocation

2010-08-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

Early May. The lake is being emptied.

Actually, I should say reservoir.

Sadly, even now that we're in the throws of rainy season, it hasn't returned to this level. This may be due in part to the sever drought that Thailand and much of South East Asia has been experiencing, or it may be due to the efforts by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to empty the dam after a minor earthquake apparently aggravated a significant crack at the dam's edge.

According to the Nation, there is the theoretical possibility that if the dam does break, the water will wash away the unfortunate town at its base, and reach all the way to Bangkok.

Casual Friday, 4:38 to 7:25 pm

2010-08-08T01:56:00.000-07:00

The poster on the left is actually a calendar produced by the Thai-Mon community depicting the genocide of the Mon people by a Burmese king in 1757, which involved the de-robbing and stomping-to-death of monks by a horde of elephants, and the execution of pregnant women and children while, apparently, the old capitol burned.

I always know what day it is.

Observing Fallen Day

2010-08-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

Under the Banyan Tree

2010-08-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

"It is ok for me, the scanning of one heart beat"

2010-07-09T05:06:00.000-07:00

A little bit of water, a lot of heat II

2010-07-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

A little bit of water, a lot of heat.

2010-06-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

Before things got bad

2010-06-07T04:16:00.000-07:00

So I'm definitely guilty of being behind. I've been both busy and out of the country, so, alas, only now do I have a chance to get to some un-posted pictures. Bellow is an appropriate place to start...just before Songkhran.

Migrant worker, graveyard, Kanchanaburi

2010-05-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Applause to Those Who've Tried so Hard

2010-04-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

Windchange

2010-04-20T00:46:00.000-07:00

I was told rainy season is in 2 weeks.

Three holidays for the price of one

2010-04-03T23:56:00.000-07:00

A sample of how dark office humor can get: The boat paddles in, the people in the life jackets yell, "Refugees, regugees!" The boat responds, "We are Rohinga, we are refugees! Please let us land!". The life jackets yell "push them back! push them back! We are the Thai Navy!"

Happy Birthday A
Miss you E

Volunturn

2010-03-31T09:15:00.000-07:00

V's Goodbye

2010-03-26T00:11:00.001-07:00

No Light But Candlelight

2010-03-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

Its OK to Punch People in The Face As Long as you are Friends After

2010-03-14T01:13:00.000-08:00

Visa Quest III - Fin

2010-03-02T21:02:00.001-08:00

Visa Quest II

2010-02-28T01:09:00.000-08:00

Visa Quest I

2010-02-23T23:30:00.000-08:00

I recently had to leave the the country after running afoul of Thai immigration authorities at the Laos border who flet my tourist visa should be shortened to only 15 days. Thanks guys.

With the unspoken suggestion that perhaps I should travel somewhere else besides Thailand, I decided to visit Penang, Malaysia where I could apply for a new Thai visa.

Malaysia, if you're not familiar, is a bizzar country that is currently in the throws of trying to bring down what many would have considered to be a reasonable democratic political system. See here for some interesting information and commentary: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2010/02/24/najib%E2%80%99s-defence-against-umno-%E2%80%93-centralising-power/

Navigating the bizzar fusion of cultures and religions, Malaysia was a beautiful place. If you hate heat - don't go - its hotter then anywhere I've encountered, with a thrust quenching volume of humidity; the pay off in a visit is the breath taking food and an amazing mix of asian, muslim, and colonial architecture.

These first photos are of THAILAND as I left:

Sangkhalia River

2010-02-17T21:23:00.000-08:00

Mon National Day II

2010-02-17T07:22:00.000-08:00

Mon National Day I

2010-02-14T00:57:00.000-08:00

Mon National Eve

2010-02-09T04:18:00.000-08:00

Waiting for Electricity

2010-02-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

Rivers

2010-01-29T04:16:00.000-08:00

The Mekong in Vientiane before it becomes a park, shopping center, and series of hotels.

Downtown Bangkok, 6 am.

Pickup Drum Circle

2010-01-27T08:17:00.000-08:00

Friday Afternoon

2010-01-22T22:39:00.000-08:00

Internally Displaced: 4th Times the Charm

2010-01-21T07:23:00.000-08:00

26th birthday: 4th house: bring it on.

Like A Golden Sheldrake: Mon Dance I

2010-01-19T05:41:00.000-08:00

Eclipse and the Second Comeing

2010-01-17T09:58:00.000-08:00

Out to the outside

2010-01-10T19:10:00.000-08:00

Blood Sports

2010-01-08T15:25:00.000-08:00

Pre-bout warm up.

Blood and cigarettes.

Here, cock fighting is legal. Not only is it legal, it is practiced by the young and old, writers, music teachers, and anyone who can afford to raise chickens.

In fact, the Thai equivalent of ESPN broadcasts professional cockfighting contests with all the padded siding and pomp of most any MMA tournament in the US.

In this case, these roosters had never fought before. Apparently it was a trail run to see who is stronger, so that it can be trained and then contested on the Thai side of town for actual money.
I was surprised to learn how carefully owners of these birds care for them. Rounds actual last a bout 5-8 minuets, after which birds are snatched up, patted, bathed in water, blown on, ran around while being held by the tail feathers, and massaged.

1 Door Down

2010-01-07T20:31:00.000-08:00

Growing Up

2010-01-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

"I'll see you next year..."

2010-01-04T08:28:00.001-08:00

Music

Preparing for a gift exchange - names are drawn from a glass jar.

Games: Something like charades and hot potato. If you spill water from a cup, you have to act something random out. Here, he had to act like a petulant baby and she had to comfort him. Please note, children here drink orange soda.

The card said she had to ask him to marry her...

Overlooking the valley, paper lanterns are let go as we hit midnight.

Christmas Day and Chemical Snow

2009-12-27T00:02:00.000-08:00

Inconveniently this Christmas I caught some sort of stomach flu. It’s a might frustrating illness to have when most of the festivities center around food and drinking. Regardless I did manage to make it to our office party. It was a pretty stunning Christmas with a huge package from home which I shared with our krew...thank you my dear family - it made the day!
Christmas Music...
A Christmas tree!
Snow? Yes, in the package I received 'Chemical Snow'. It is an instant powder that, when water is added, forms in to a solid crystal powder mass that almost exactly looks like real snow. It only feels as cold as the water you use, but it does last for months, and it can be rehydrated depending on your festive needs.

This and the above photo were the result of intuitive knowledge of what one can do with snow - a small human form from chemical snow with chili for eyes. Merry Christmas Thailand.

Christmas Eve: Thailand

2009-12-25T06:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, we were at 7-11. It is a pretty happening place.

Fighting fireants with fire

2009-12-23T09:45:00.000-08:00

With out the rain to keep the population at bay, ants have become a regular annoyance, to the degree that they have taken up residence inside one of the monitors. That was relatively fine until they started laying eggs. And peeing on the circuit boards. That would then produce small shocks felt by those using the computer - clearly the ants had to go.

The hair-dryer didn't work, so smoke from fire was the next best option. The broom was also a duel use: cleaning up ashes and encouraging ants to flee with eggs.

I was also told in either in Cambodia or Laos (I'm leaning towards Cambodia…), that people there make a mighty fine ant egg salad. Apparently it tastes like limes.

KW and his Cat

2009-12-22T08:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas Landscapes

2009-12-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

Stop, Drop ... and Rolling home

2009-12-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

I suppose this warrants some explanation. People burn a lot of trash here, so we didn't think the smoke drifting in our office windows. However, while biking home, we came up the crest of the hill from our office, and found it to be engulfed in an abnormal amount of flame.

For all intents and purposes though, this was technically a controlled burn. Apparently fire is a great way of clearing brush...

Happy Birthday RC

2009-12-16T08:38:00.000-08:00

"We have hearts too..."

2009-12-14T09:52:00.000-08:00

Long Live the King

2009-12-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

I've been a little delayed in my posts as I've been tied down with traveling to Bangkok for some Visa work. Here are a few images I shot during celebration of the King's birthday this month.

Traditional Mon danceing.

The King is an eclipseingly significant public and political figure for Thailand's population. He’s also the longest ruling monarch of any country (correct me if I'm wrong...).

Oddly....not to undersell the holiday, or the amount of festivity actually exhibited, but the entire night's events seemed a little underwhelming compared to the sweeping multi-day bonanza undertaken by other cities throughout Thailand. It might just happen to be that since we're so far out on the edge, people don't get quite as built up...that, or the real die hard fans had already gone to bed.

Drinks and Nationalism

2009-12-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

The Last Word

2009-12-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

Those Lazy Sundays....

2009-12-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

The Garden of AS

2009-12-06T01:08:00.000-08:00

2:57 am

2009-12-04T07:48:00.000-08:00

One Way Ticket: Goodbye KT

2009-12-02T07:27:00.001-08:00

Things to be Thankfull for on the Border

2009-12-01T22:03:00.000-08:00

When you have Thanksgiving dinner, birds die.
--

We mentioned Thanksgiving in passing because we all wished we could be at home. There is no turkey here, or cranberry sauce, no pumpkin pie or giant parade, and not a sign of paper hand-turkeys, buckles or feathers.

But our colleagues were intrigued. 'Why? What is this holiday? It is not religious?' For the first time, perhaps ever, I had to explain what exactly Thanksgiving was. There a lot of back story for such a simple day... these questions leaving me struggling to reconcile theft with giving and genocide with thanks.

Being away from home on this holiday stripped away all those familiar things - no question of commercialism, or animal rights, or which relatives to invite so we can have a peaceful dinner where we all get along, or "will this person actually pass the potatoes when I ask?"

Here, this year, we got to have our holiday thrown back at us. It took only a few short discussions before everyone was de facto invited, and serious thought was being put to what would most closely approximate Thanksgiving diner.

And amazingly, in less then a day, from only wishful musings, sprung two ducks, killed, plucked, and chopped in to pieces for a duck curry; pumpkin curry; papaya salad; one or two local Mon dishes; an apple pie; some other type of cake/pie; and the crowning achievement: a chicken, stuff with carrots, spring onions, spices - baked in a tiny oven - and served on a garnished bed of salad, tomatoes, and a gravy-esque sauce (the chef crediting an instructional YouTube video).

When you're this far from home, some bonus has to be given for a holiday so close to what you've wanted. We didn't think it was possible, and for that reason its one of the best Thanksgiving's I've had - not of course in anyway that would surmount the days when one does have family and familiar things - but at its heart, as a time when people are lucky to have each others company, regardless of their differences.

Some photos of the dinner: **all these ones in color are by Aumeon**

The fullest of full moons...

2009-11-30T20:30:00.000-08:00

A full moon festival unlike any I've seen yet: It began with an early morning festival after a day at the temple. A giant bamboo boat that was filled with offerings and alter launched into the lake, and the release of hundreds of paper lanterns - ranging from the size of your head to a VW van. After the monk's dispersed lots of Mon covers of the Beatles & the Ramones were played - a pleasant change from the ever popular Nickleback and Limp Bizkit ...

Full moon festivals occur...yep...every full moon. These are your basic day for making merit, where most of a town will visit the temple where they are led in prayer by the head monk or abbot, and then later return with large quantities of food, sugar, coffee, soda, etc. since the monks cannot cook for themselves.

TNSTAAFL

2009-11-28T22:14:00.000-08:00

For or against...

2009-11-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

Fever lays you down

2009-11-25T19:17:00.001-08:00

Erin and I arrived back in Bangkok at the same time, and headed back home. But some how, within the 5 days of coming back she contracted her second case of Dengue. I'm not sure how that happened, or how I managed to escape it.

She ended up spending 4 days in the hospital with a varied skin rash that could have passed for a fresh sunburn, and a continuous round the clock guard from the girls in her office. Not to mention extreme body pain and nausea. The first day Erin's boss spent hours blotting her face with a damp washcloth. Apparently we as westerners, were only expected to arrive periodically with gifts of yogurt and croissants from 7-11. I think we're percieved as somewhat calous.

Friday Night

2009-11-24T08:39:00.000-08:00

Coming home from work on Friday night I found, maybe 50 feet from our house, that a truck had crashed off the road into the drainage ditch.

At 8 pm, there's really not much to be done in terms of rescuing said truck, so the driver had decided to sit down and have some snacks and a chat with the owners of a internet cafe directly across from the truck. All this fell with in the realm of normal, until we decided to take turns having our pictures taken pretending to be pushing the truck over. Seeing white people pretend to strain themselves with pretend enormous strength is apparently hilarious.

Of course, the truck was gone by early the next morning.

Cleaning party...

2009-11-22T21:02:00.000-08:00

Every Friday at 5:00 pm people break out brooms and sweep leaves, wrappers, trash, fallen fruit, etc. in too piles, and then set it on fire. With in minutes the whole hillside is shrouded in a thin and pungent smoke. Moving form one place to another you hit pockets of wood smoke, plastic, human hair, food - and all the unexpected combinations. For those with eye ailments, it becomes a hell, and for those who are concerned about the environment, a constant irritation.

But one thing I have noticed is that it seems to be a cultural phenomenon, and that cleaning is a somewhat regular and social activity here. If you can get used to the smoke, talking, sweeping and setting things on fire sounds like a fine sunset activity to me.

Back in the saddle again..

2009-11-21T19:43:00.000-08:00

Riding to the market in the evening, the sun was setting. They sky's here is always uniquely breathtaking.

What you can access by way of motorbike or motorcycle is beyond any bus or truck trek or tour the country could offer. Which has prompted a group of us to consider the possibility of getting motorcycles to travel around the continent on.

A little bit slower, and a lot more room for choice, we'd be able to take as many side tracks and back roads and need be, and then either camp or stay were ever we can find a place. If it ends up happening, photos will be here.

I'm coming home

2009-11-19T06:36:00.000-08:00

I was back for a little while. Absolutely beautiful. I think I've managed to put my homesickness out of my heart for the 5 months I was gone. But its surely impossible once you're back. I really do love being in the US – being home. I was so busy I even forgot to take pictures. For realz.

Except these. These are of my dear sister her cute hound.

Audio card: Music Means More!

2009-06-11T04:55:00.000-07:00

In the evening people play songs. Guitar skills and the ability to sing seem to be standard issue, and there appears to be no wrong time to take a break and play. Oh also, singing songs ot your significat other is pretty popular - in a very serious way, if you want someone to know you like them you sing them a song.

I've still not encountered one of the Mon ballad battles - where someone will sing a part of a free styled song to another person (while playing guitar), and the other person has to respond with their own free styled son. And it basically goes on all night.

Bad News, Good News, and Somewhere in Between

2009-06-06T05:06:00.000-07:00

Reading news in the evening about the arrest and ongoing trail of Ang San Su Ki

Studying and drinks in the evening.

We went to a hospital a little while ago to visit a friend who recently had a baby. I haven't been to a hospital for anything baby related since my sister was born. Honestly being at one again for something baby related made me really happy.

I had no idea, or at least recollection, that babies are sooooo small. Absolutely, absolutely incredible. I think that really threw my mind for a loop.

A cross between soccer and volley ball. Try spiking the ball with a flip kick rather then your hands. Yes, that's right. Its hard.

Come look at 59 years of oppression

2009-05-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

I can't imagine the feeling of fighting for something for 59 years. And I cannot imagine what it must be like to come so close to realizing it numerous times only to have it stolen at the last second. People here and in Burma people can actually describe that - for those who have lived long enough, and were born before the fight for Burmese Democracy began. Everyone else was born in a climate of oppression, and that is what many were raised to see as normal. Why is why

After 1990 Burma's population was surprised when the government announced its continued commitment to holding elections (which it had agreed to in 1988 after its extremely brutal crack down against democracy protesters resulted in thousands deaths). Perhaps it underestimated its own support base but, breath-takeingly, the democracy candidate, Ang San Su Ki, won in a landslide with votes of support from Burma's own military. Blindsided, the government refused to honor the election, and instead jailed Su Ki again.

So the point I'm making is this–
The pro-democracy protests of 2007 proved that even in the face of ever increasing suppression, hundreds of thousands of people are still committed to an idea they've only caught the faintest glimmers of in 59 years of worsening oppression.

Those 2007 protests resulted in many deaths, more arrests, and the unprecedented assault of monks who had been, prior to that point, universally revered as men who had devoted their lives to peace and represented the most holy things in life.
They began to turn up murdered face down in streams.

As a digression, a move about these events has recently, on a limited release, made it to the United States. Its called 'Burma VJ' and is a documentary made by video journalists, at great personal peril as first hand witnesses, to the brutal crackdown of the 2007 protests.
You can read about it here:

http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/movies/20burm.html?scp=1&sq=burma%20vj&st=cse

I cannot emphasize enough how good it would be if you could go to see it - its at least playing in New York....so for those of you who are there...GO!

Also, for the sake of distribution, the company has posted a lower res version of the movie online in 9 parts - I'll include links to it here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?bjmlrgkmmm3
http://www.mediafire.com/?2wztnuimkmg
http://www.mediafire.com/?2njztzawmh1
http://www.mediafire.com/?tjunjhoyty0
http://www.mediafire.com/?3motjjcncde
http://www.mediafire.com/?fyjgtnujwmo
http://www.mediafire.com/?rdeedm4kkcn
http://www.mediafire.com/?zhqxegwynzw
http://www.mediafire.com/?jdfozhjz2nj

I never thought that the government described in George Orwell's '1984' could ever actually be manifest in reality. But the more I speak with people who lived in Burma, and the more I read about its painful history, I get the eerie feeling that perhaps I was wrong.

Magic and Moterbikes

2009-05-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

I think one of the unusual things about having now been here a little over 2 weeks, is the feeling that time has slowed down considerably. The two weeks, which used to fly by in New York, now feel something closer to a month.

Perhaps it is the literal world of difference, where I work regularly now (not to belittle the fun job application filled days I spent in NYC), and every morning wake up to something new. I've found that when I'm not blocking out parts of my life - noise, crowds, social pressures, etc. - I suddenly find that everything has a certain clarity, even if it becomes a routine.

On a diffrent note - motorbikes - every man woman and child appears to be able to ride one. Yesterday, while standing in the parking lot of a near by temple, a gang of middle schoolers tore by me, gunning their 50 cc engines (training bikes?), and poping wheelies. Being bound only to my own two feet and the kindness of the office staff who come collect me kindergarten-style, I could only wave, and at best run after the fast recdeing bikes.

One day when I grow up, I'll ride a bike too. Or at least when it stops raining long enough for anyone to brave giveing me a lesson.

This is the bridge I walk to work on every day. Up close. Which I'm not sure does it justice. You'll see it again.

This is a panorama of the depleted reservoir (that the bridge crosses) at sunset.

A view of some of the Mon house/farms at sunset, from the bridge.

A view from our balcony. After watching one of the storms role in, there was a rare sun break just at sunset. And look! A magic Rainbow!!