The Lonely Loner

India Part VI - Ain't no wedding like an Indian style wedding

2011-03-16T20:10:00.002+08:00

I'm now back in Perth which means I'm back to my old procrastinating ways.. hence the reason why this lifestyle-come-travel blog hasn't been updated on the regular.

I'm going to jump forward a little from my last entry.. and write a short piece covering a wedding I had attended on the final leg of my travels through the sub-continent. Though, this wasn't your normal, run of the mill church/garden/beach/cliché wedding most of us attend in our now matured adult lives [fuck, I'm 26 this year].. this was a straight 72+ hour celebration of love/commitment between two people, with a 3 hour nuptial squashed somewhere in between. You read right, the festivities went on for days.. our people certainly know how to party.

In a little more detail, I had the privilege of attending the wedding of one my close friends from Perth, who just so happened to have his wedding around the same time I was wandering through India, perfect! So after backpacking through Rajasthan, I went back to Bangalore, only to fly back up for homies wedding in Jaipur. Now Indian weddings are crazy.. the logistics involved are next level, and as far as celebrations go... they go on for days upon days as it's a HUGE family affair. Two families are essentially coming together through the union of two people after all, and while you may think this is normal.. you can't comprehend the size of Indian families [comparisons to Italian families can be drawn].

I was fortunate enough to stay under the same roof as the grooms immediate family, and like a stray, I was taken in by a kind and loving family; and got to witness first hand the tears, drama, laughs, stress, and most importantly the happiness that exuded throughout every single soul present. To Sau and Trish.. thank you for allowing me to be part of it all. Honestly, you guys are perfect for each other, because you both have the same tendencies that irritate the shit out of me.. haha! All love haha, but seriously.. wish you guys all the best for your exciting new future together.

Sorry it took so long to upload these, but I finally got them up thanks to a little someone pestering me [Nea]. Note. I was on a food and alcohol high during the four/five days I was there [in true Indian style], so I apologies for the photo's being off point [and there are more photo's don't worry].

The venue.

Exhausted groom [or relieved after taking a huge dump]

The brothers.

Alive?

Smash that cake [you could have used a spoon man.. c'mon!]

Traditional Fits.

Haroon & Myself [tailored suit.. that's whats up]

The couple!

Saket & Myself [alcohol induced lazy eye.. woo]

Married!

India Part VI - 1722 m.s.l

2011-01-14T18:02:00.001+08:00

You know what I really love about being here? It's the lack of ignorant 17 - 25 yr old tourists; wielding beer cans in hand, being obnoxiously loud.. all whilst sporting some ridiculous and impractical fit. Nothing but festival kids wearing their festival kits everyday.. and in any climate. Anyways..

Lying deep in the ancient Aravalli Range of Rajasthan, sits a certain rocky plateau. This rocky outcrop cradles a small hill station known as Mount Abu [Abudaanchal to the locals]. After spending the previous night in the freezing Thar desert, I traveled about 450 km [12 hours] through desert and farmland, only to finally make my ascent into the Aravalli Range; where I would spend the next 2 days in the quaint little town of Mount Abu.

The friendliest of people, picturesque scenery, breathtaking views and loads of culture.. a fantastic memory..

I was lucky enough to stay at the Bikaner House during my time here..

This was my 'driver' for the Rajasthan exploration, his name is Anil. However, I didn't think of Anil as my 'driver', but more a good friend [I had to put my complete faith and trust in him]. Without fail, Anil got me to my destinations both safely and securely. Some of these roads can be unforgiving, and the level of concentration required to drive the Aravalli Ranges at night, with no street lights or barriers.. is unbelievable. I opted for a driver over sleeper coaches or trains, as you seldom get to move off the beaten track with the aforementioned modes of transport. Having the ability to stop whenever and wherever you please to get 'that' particular shot, is worth the extra money. Thank you Anil.

India Part V - A Loners NYE

2011-01-08T18:22:00.000+08:00

New years eve.. for some reason I always manage to let this day to get to me. Another day where I feel sorry for myself, often dwelling on my flaws as a person rather than my attributes.. often allowing myself to get trapped in a deep hole of self pity. While I don't intend this post to be emotional dribble of poorly structured English.. this is my personal blog after all, and I need to utilize this space for the purpose of venting and ranting.

However, this year has been different. Regardless of the lows, I am going to dedicate this post to all the highs that have occurred during the year. In January, I was given the opportunity to work in one of the dopest retail stores in Australia, let alone Perth. This has become my place of refuge, as my colleagues have become more than just peers, but good friends. Additionally, I've met a lot of truly genuine people in 2010.. and I now have a stronger circle(s) of friends, who were there for me when I really needed it [similarly, I hope they know I will always have their back... truth].

In the first quarter, I traveled to Sydney and Brisbane to see Brand New perform live. Around the midyear mark, I traveled to Melbourne to see A Tribe Called Quest perform live. In November I traveled to Japan.. a country where I can definitely see myself settling down in one day. In February, I traveled to Indonesia to see my brother get married to my beautiful sis'n'law.. truly one of the highlights of the year for me. And to finish off 2010, I traveled to India.. where I sit and write this now.

So how did I spend NYE in 2010? Lets go back to the map of India..

On the 31st early morning, I left Jodhpur and traveled 270 km through the Great Indian Desert by road to reach my destination for the night.. Jaisalmer. A small town that sits practically on the border of India and Pakistan. I'm not going to delve into the history between the two countries, but essentially border towns aren't the safest of areas, especially during NYE celebrations. So what drew me to Jaisalmer? Well, I was told about these desert camps the Rajasthani villagers organise, and I thought it would be a pretty awesome experience. And an experience is what I got... as the villagers greeted me into the camp toting rifles on their back, Indian Army choppers constantly circling the desert skies above, random gun fire in the early morning [possibly celebratory related discharge?], and border jeeps patrolling the dunes throughout the night.

I was hesitant using the DSLR in this region, so didn't take as many pics as I would have liked to. DSLRs are banned in places like Ahjmer [hence why no photos were taken there] due to the high level of conflict/terrorism.. much like what they're trying to enforce in Iraq now. According to an article I had read recently, SLR/DSLR's makes the public uneasy, especially in said conflict regions. I should always travel with a compact, lesson learnt..

First stop, attainment of local Indian hard liquor.

Last sunset of 2010..

I sincerely wish everyone a safe, prosperous and healthy new year.

Peace.

India Part IV - "Knowledge without mileage equals bullshit"

2011-01-04T04:37:00.002+08:00

I was merely 14 when I first travelled by myself within India. I won’t deny it, I was shit scared, but I had the opportunity to travel to Agra and see the Taj Mahal up close. I’ve recently been thinking about that trip… and I guess that was one of those defining moments in my life where I realised I had a yearning for knowledge, especially when it came to educating myself on global culture and history.

After that trip to Agra, I made it a point to travel and see as much as the world as I could [it’s actually not that expensive to see the world, so don’t use cost as an excuse]. Within the last couple of years I’ve been fortunate enough to visit some of the most impressive UNESCO World Heritage listed sites. I was able to roam free through Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and spend three days on a junk boat floating through Ha Long Bay [Vịnh Hạ Long], Vietnam. However, what I had witnessed on the 30th December 2010, equally matched these aforementioned sites in all their beauty, grandeur and history, and I just can't express the excitement or even how content I was that day..

So here is a little recap. I arrived in Rajasthan on the 27th December, spending two nights in the Pink City (Jaipur), and then departing for Jodhpur [about a 350 km drive]. Jodhpur, also known as the Blue City, is a city of Princes that dwells within the Thar Desert. I was here for only one reason, the Mehrangarh Fort. Sitting 400 ft above the Blue City, the Fort is one of the biggest in India as it boasts seven mammoth gates, thick walls and expansive court yards. Treacherous winding roads lead to the Fort from the relatively small desert city below. The intricate carvings on the walls within are truly phenomenal, and I was actually shocked at the up keep of the structure in its entirety [unfortunately, maintenance is sometimes a rarity you find in India].

The below photos were captured from the Chhatri [similar to a tomb but not quite the same] of Kirat Singh Soda, a soldier who fell in battle whilst defending the Fort. The Fort sits perched on the left in the photo below.

Photographs captured at the site of the Fort.

The following photographs depict the height at which the Fort sits, as it overlooks the Blue City that lays below.

I thought I would include a map of India, so you have some idea of where I am/or going to be.

Peace
"Knowledge without mileage equals bullshit" - Henry Rollins

India Part III - Portraits from Rājasthān (राजस्थाण)

2010-12-31T13:22:00.000+08:00

‘Bucket List’ I’ve noticed that in the last couple of years, people have been throwing these two words around on the regular. Whilst I don’t have a particular list denoting the things I should achieve/accomplish before my demise, there was one place on this earth that I knew I would one day explore with my own eyes… Rajasthan, The Land of Colours. Spielberg crudely portrayed the North of this country in the Indiana Jones franchise (see Temple of Doom). Unfortunately there aren’t any banquets here entailing spreads of monkey brains and newborn live snakes [I say unfortunately as I am keen to try anything at least once]. What you will find however, is some of the most impressive and picturesque sites in the world, not to mention the rich history that dwells within this region. I’m not only referring to the days of British India rule, but more importantly this land once set the backdrop to some of the most epic battles in ancient Hindu Mythology (see Ramayana).

From the 28th December till the 5th January I’ll be exploring the lands of Rajasthan, starting from the capital Jaipur… The Pink City. Here are a few portraits from around Jaipur. I should note that the weather hasn’t been the best [haze & rain], and so I’ve mainly been using the 35 mm and 50 mm. The 10 – 20 mm hasn’t been seeing a whole lot of action - hopefully once I reach Jodhpur, the skies will be a clearer…

India Part II - Family History X

2010-12-28T05:55:00.003+08:00

Roots.

I guess returning back evoked a curiosity into my family's ancestry [lineage even]. Before making my way up to the Northern Kingdoms of India, where I type this now, I spent some time with my mum's aunt [who has happily taken on the role of Grandmother to us, and I couldn't be prouder]. She dropped serious knowledge on mum's side of the family, going into some detail on how my maternal grandmother and herself were raised in a family of 7 sisters and 7 brothers. My Grand-aunt was one of the youngest of the 14 siblings, and I sit here wondering how it's been for her watching them one by one slowly fade away into the path of the Sun. Your family, your culture, your heritage.. it's important.

My Grandmother. Left this world before I was born.

"When one leaves the physical body by controlling all the senses, focusing the mind on God and the bioimpulses (life forces or Prana) in the cerebrum, engaged in yogic practice, meditating on Me, and uttering 'Om' (the sacred monosyllable sound power of the Spirit) one attains the Supreme Abode (the path of the Sun)" - The Bhagavad Gītā 8.12-13

India Part I - Bengaluru

2010-12-26T11:06:00.004+08:00

For those of you who are open to the idea of traveling to India from Perth, I highly recommend you spend the extra $300 and take Singapore airlines [PER – CHANGI, CHANGI – BANGALORE] and get there in about 10 hours. I only say this because I chose the relatively cheaper option [while still not opting for a low cost carrier] only to reach my destination some 24 hours later. My itinerary looked a little something like this: PER – KL, KL – CHANGI, CHANGI – COLOMBO, COL – BLR and I swear I was ready to smother the guy seated beside me [on the KL – COL leg] who kept sneezing, coughing and hocking up flem all over me whilst I was trying to achieve a state of slumber. At this point, I had flashbacks of when I backpacked through SE Asia… flashbacks of when I spent almost 12 hours bunked next to another fine gentlemen, whilst travelling through Vietnam via ‘sleeper’ coach. At least this time I wasn’t attacked in my sleep.

I think the 4 hours delay in Perth ‘International’ pretty much orchestrated my mood for the 24 hours of tortuous travelling hell. I’m sorry, but it was a fucking nightmare to reach Bangalore [or should I say Bengaluru now, to be politically correct].

It’s been 10 years since I’ve been back to the motherland; however, the last time I had a real vacation or any type of enjoyment here was 1995. I returned in 1999 & 2000 to attend the cremation of both my grandfathers. Not the most ideal of circumstances to return back huh. I had mixed emotions returning back this time, but for many different reasons. Although the strongest of reasons I must admit, is the sadness I had experienced here in the past, especially since I was very close to and fond of my mum’s father. I miss our lengthy discussion on the bullshit that exists in this beautiful country, specifically the absolute idiocy of the caste system. More often than not the conversation would revolve around philosophy and life in general, whilst he sucked his life away though Benson & Hedges branded cigarettes. Deepak Chopra ain’t got shit…

But regardless of this, I am glad to be back. I’ve only been here for about 24 hours now, and after finally experiencing it through the eyes of an adult and not some unappreciative kid from the burbs’… I now have a newfound respect for this country. I type this whilst sitting in my aunt’s place in JP Nagar [Bengaluru], which I guess becomes our family home anytime anyone of us [my immediate family] comes through. A lot has changed in 10 years. I’m going to be in India for a month, so I’m hoping to document as much as I can through some type of photo journal. I’m no writer, so I’ll try and stick to the photography side of things, albeit totally amateur… so excuse me.

No messing about, I got straight into the kitchen and cooked up some Indian style scrambled eggs (a bit of a staple for me back home). Eggs, onions, turmeric and coriander.. live for this.

Indian style masala chai. The difference is they add all the ingredients together (including the milk) and boil the heck out of it.

Chaat Masala for dinner at a local spot I remember eating at the last time I was here. Smashed a couple of my favorites: Dhai Batata Puri, Special Sev Puri and Pani Puri.. delicious.

My grandfather used to scold me for even thinking about climbing the water tank as a kid. It was the only thing on my mind.. I swear the suspect ladder was going to fail on me..

Mar Variations II

2010-11-10T16:30:00.004+08:00

Last month, we witnessed the first variation from MPM signed artist Mar [Full Crate & Mar], as part of his new collaborative project that is aptly titled 'Mar Variation'. The first variation was the vocalists own rendition of Lil Wayne's 'Single', which you can conveniently listen to here. Did I mention that Mar did it better?

Within the last 24 hours, the second installment of the 'Mar Variation' series finally dropped, noting that the Amsterdam vocalist now takes on Louis Bordeaux's '1st Session', whilst adding his own personal flare to it.

Listen to the joint! [watch the official video after the jump]

Nb. This was the first track I had listened to this morning.. as I usually compile a playlist to accompany my daily morning routine [a routine in itself]. So whilst I was vibing out to this down-tempo joint, I proceeded to open my blinds only to discover that the conditions outside were questionable, as dense grey clouds were approaching [with haste]. Struggling through a sake induced hangover, lack of sleep and miserable weather; my only solace has been listening to this 'nu-jazz' styling of Mar.... whilst sipping on some green tea my room mate [dad] brewed this morning.

NBC

2010-11-04T00:14:00.002+08:00

Terrace lurking last Saturday with the homies. I'm so close to finishing my project build.. all that remains is sourcing a wheel set.

Stumbled across this on Very Masa. A dope little video showcasing a Japanese cat named Teppei aka NASTY, doing his thing through the city of Seoul.

Check out more footage from Lowangleworks here.

Melting Pot Music

2010-11-02T12:09:00.004+08:00

Like purveyors of fine foods, Stones Throw, Ninja Tune and Jazzy Sport have been delivering connoisseurs with only the finest sounds for years now. I can safely state that I've been a devotee to each of these labels... almost to the extent of paying homage to them with every new moon. But I don't need to delve into how these aforementioned labels "do", as their respective team rosters speak louder than any of the words I lack in trying to describe them.

Earlier in the year, I stumbled across a little act by the name of Full Crate & Mar, two homies from Amsterdam who have been making music together since high school. You may remember me posting a little something about Mar here. At this point in time, I do have to thank Garth over at Yeah-Homies, for putting me onto their EP 'Conversations With Her'. Vibing out to the EP propagated a hardcore internet leering session that consisted of firstly finding out what label these guys were signed to; and secondly, there must be more talent signed to said label... so who were they?

So began my infatuation with Melting Pot Music. MPM, a relatively small label based in Cologne Germany, boasts an impressive line-up of ridiculous talent from all around the globe. In actual fact, I had previously heard a lot of material from one of their distinguished artists, one Mr. Miles Bonny, an amazing beatmaker/trumpeter/vocalist/gentleman and all round superhero good-guy hailing from Kansas City. Countless digital downloads later, I managed to buy a chunk of the labels back catalogue and immerse myself in total auditory bliss. With the release of Hi-Hat Club Vol. 5 on vinyl, I decided it was time to invest my hard earned dollars on some MPM issued wax (at last). MPM’s roots lie deep in hip-hop culture, but their current roster consists of talented beatmakers and vocalists who like to push their talents beyond any fixed genre, whilst experimenting through a fusion of down tempo jazz, hip-hop, neo-soul and electronic blends. You could say that this is in the same vein as the artists belonging to the aforementioned labels. They seem to be artists that venture out of their safety, they seem to be artists that refuse to be categorised in one particular style. And because of this, they produce a cut of music superior in quality.

I’ll start you off with a few joints I dig, but I advise you to go educate yourself. You have a lot to take in, a lot to buy, so brace yourself and “turn it up”…

The joint that started it all off...

FS Green on the beat.

Miles Bonny.

Full Crate on the beat.

Suff Daddy & Mar.

Suff Daddy & Miles Bonny.

'Insert amazing name for bike crew here'

2010-10-27T08:50:00.010+08:00

I sold my car.. and now I'm building a bike (albeit slowly). This is me all summer..

Need more money to finish my build. 'Wants' list never ending..

Study Guide

2010-10-20T01:25:00.007+08:00

"I swear I won't leave the next assessment till the last minute". Every year, every single assignment.. always the same words. I'm now 25 years of age, and I have been in some form of school based education since I was 2 years old.. yes you read right, 2.

Having been born and raised in the UAE up until I was 5, and having parents who were both full time professionals, I was basically thrown into schooling when I was 2 (and I'm not talking 'kindy' or 'pre-primary', it was the real deal). I was writing in perfect cursive by 4 years of age. There was no such thing as a pen license in the UAE, if you didn't learn coordination and style, that cane would be coming for you at super light speed... believe.

In 1990, my parents relocated to Australia for work purposes, and to give 'us' kids better opportunities (through better education). This is around the time, I started getting slack, possibly due to the fact I was losing the fear I once had for teachers - "what, they don't cane us here!?". I started to lose the discipline I once had as a diligent student. Don't get me wrong, I got through it all, and have done quite well thus far. But I had to, there was no choice.. my folks struggled to get here, in order to give my brother and I an easier life. I can't let them down, and I can't let myself down either.

Regardless of this, why do I constantly leave assignments till the last minute. This is now my seventh year at Uni, and it has certainly been one of the toughest years in the 23 years of my schooling. To be honest, I feel like I'm definitely burning out. I finish the year in 20 days, and then I only have one year to go. But man, these assignments/thesis are killing me. The work itself, isn't actually that difficult.. but it's just my focus and motivation that's lacking. I feel like I'm taking twice as long to get assessments completed.. assessments with the same level of difficulty I could complete in half the time 2 years ago...

One more year, one more year. Like everything in life.. I just got to grind it out. I will be stronger for getting this completed.

Untitled #1

2010-10-15T21:38:00.003+08:00

She didn't like Badu
Things fell apart, from the start
I should have known then

Is heartbreak worth that amazing feeling of love.. if that was even love? But if it was love.. there would be no heartbreak right? I don't mean to be all glum on a Friday night, but in honestly I thought I would never see her again.. but I did. She was driving beside me in the adjacent lane (Perth is too small). As much as I didn't want it to, all those feelings came rushing back, and my heart fell hard into the pits of my stomach. She dyed her hair blonde.. she seemed happy, and I'm happy for her..

I deserve to be happy too. I think heartbreak is worth that brief moment of whatever that feeling was.

When I find myself reflecting, I keep coming back to the same words that have always led me through the toughest of times.

"It is very important to generate a good attitude and a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come"

The day I went and bought some... art?

2010-10-13T12:49:00.007+08:00

A recap of Tuesday. Having only slept at 2 am yesterday morning, with a considerate chunk of my assignment still yet to finish off, I was determined to rise from my slumber by 5 am, and continue on. With three hours of sleep and copious amounts of caffeine, I managed to grind it out and submit that sucker.

Rather than returning home to start my literature review for my dissertation, I decided it was just too nice a day to be sitting at home procrastinating, when I could be outdoors enjoying it with some buddies. Shit, what would you choose? Regardless of the anxiety, pressure and that overwhelming feeling I have today, I had such a nice day yesterday, so nice that I decided to blog about it.

So I met up with crew at this Vietnamese joint in Nedlands and rewarded my early morning efforts with a bit of Bun Ga Xao and fresh lychee juice. Amazing would be an understatement when describing the food. It's been hit and miss for me when eating Vietnamese food in this city, but this joint in Nedlands did not disappoint (damn I'm kind of craving some Pho right about now). So we had lunch, took a leisurely stroll up and down the block, before continuing our day in the CBD. Stopped at THE french patisserie spot for some sweets, before heading to King St.

Oh, I finally picked up that piece of art I put a deposit on some time ago. Yes I bought art, why did I buy art... I still don't know? I certainly did not need art.. I'm not sure if I wanted art either, shit... did art want me? What has art done for me? I guess I just wanted to carry art around the city.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://hi-hatclub.bandcamp.com/track/never-never"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Never Never by Hi-Hat Club&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Button-ups.

2010-10-08T14:17:00.011+08:00

Spring/Summer.. pretty much the same thing when it comes to the South West of our state. Regardless, the temperature is rising and I can't bring myself to stash away my beloved button-ups.

And so, whilst I type this (procrastinating from studies of course) I thought I would feature one of my favorite styles of a button-up shirt (or 'dress shirts' for all you sophisticated types). I guess it all started when I got my first hand me down from my brother, the first hand me down I actually wanted. It was a RL Custom Fit Oxford that was slightly too small for me at the time (I was a chubby little brother to him). But the way it sat... man it was perfect! It was a fitted piece.. perfect in the shoulders, perfect length, not too boxy, not too tapered.. fitted. Because I struggled to button it up completely (chubbster), I wore it open and layered over a fresh white tee, usually with my trusty camo shorts to complete the fit haha. That was me basically all year around when I first got it.

Roughly 13 years later and I'm still infatuated with a good button-up, even more so now considering I can actually wear them to their full 'fitted' potential. But I digress, the shirt I'm featuring today is a ordinary Oxford (a type of woven fabric), with a utility pocket on the left breast. These shirts are so versatile, and even during the hottest of days, can still be worn with comfort (unbuttoned, white singlet, rolled up chinos.. steez). The featured shirt was made with a pinpoint Oxford weave resulting a finer basketweave look (fine white threads woven through to add some contrast). The Oxford is a great shirt. The next step is to get some tailored joints happening..

Mar Variations

2010-10-07T09:26:00.014+08:00

"I grew up with so many different music genres. With my dad as a professional musician and mom literally starting and ending days with the radio as her bible, I got exposed to music as a whole package. With this as the foundation of Mar Variations, I can take any joint or lyric and flip it the way I would love to hear it." Mar, 2010.

You should know who Mar is by now.. but if you don't, well then.. just go research 'Full Crate & Mar' and all the other amazing artists on the MPM label. I'm not going to make it easy for you. Mar's latest endeavor was launched two days ago, essentially encompassing some facets of design through the medium of music. With sound design by Full Crate, camera/editing by Yoji Moniz and a endorsement through the hype machine that is European blogger Nalden, you know it has to be something worth checking out. Starting in October, every month will see a release from Mar, a variation (not to be confused with a cover) of carefully selected songs from various artists. Octobers release features a variation of Lil' Wayne's 'Single'.

Mar does it better/Amsterdam killing it. Here's the jump.. so you know what to do.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://marmusic.bandcamp.com/track/mar-variation-single"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Mar Variation - Single by Mar&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Looking forward to the next drop.. new musical projects are always good. I'll eventually educate you on Full Crate & Mar's previous collaborative efforts.. but for now, just enjoy this.

Make You Wanna

2010-10-07T01:15:00.005+08:00

The spot where I find myself reflecting, venting, ... and sweating..

I can't ball without beats.. the joint below is one of those musical pieces that always manages to lift me. Thank you Reggie.
15 Make You Wanna by Ta-ku

Teknoman

2010-10-05T01:29:00.007+08:00

As a kid, I knew that one day I would to do big things, great things, honorable things. Who did I want to be..? Well that was easy for me.. it was Blade from the animated series Teknoman. I still regard this series to be one of the greatest ever to be created, followed closely only by Robotech.

Pickups

2010-10-05T01:10:00.005+08:00

I've been called materialistic, yep.. that's me and I can't change.

A Loan For The Lonely

2010-10-01T07:48:00.005+08:00

Dunc & Toine Makin' Dollas? I've been following DTMD for about 5 months now, after stumbling onto their vimeo page. Ever since I copped their EP 'The Basics', I've been playing it hard out, and now I'm highly anticipating their first LP 'Makin Dollas'.

Two months ago, they released "a candid/look listen" at a song from said upcoming LP, titled 'A Loan for the Lonely'. Toine lays it down live in Williamsburg, for our listening pleasures. Make sure you check out their first single from the EP too.. 'You'.

3.25 min mark onwards.. on point..

Welcome Spring

2010-09-21T10:11:00.004+08:00

25 degrees and sunny today. Chino's from Oki-ni.

Work & Lurk

2010-08-25T20:19:00.009+08:00

Thats right folks.. it's Hearing Awareness Week... so get you hearing done checked ok. Arrived at QV1 this morning and met with my fellow colleagues to conduct hearing screenings for anyone willing to have an assessment.. it was free, of course people were willing. It ended up being nearly every single office worker at QV1. I must've said 'middle ear function' and 'significant background noise' at least a bajillion times.

I went for a lurk after work.. and put a deposit down on some art. I then felt buyers remorse, and justified my purchase "It's because its dope ok.. dope".

I came home and listened to this.

Goodnight!

We make noise, not clothes.

2010-08-20T13:59:00.004+08:00

Jun Takahashi for Undercover. $575 RRP, copped for $80 in my size. My advice - hold out for sales and don't pay stupid prices on stuff.

SE ASIA Pt. 9 - Thailand (Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya)

2010-08-19T08:00:00.009+08:00

Before I get to part 9, here are the links to my previous blog entries outlining my journey.

SE ASIA Pt. 1 - Intro

SE ASIA Pt. 2 - Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)

SE ASIA Pt. 3 - Vietnam (Đà Lạt)

SE ASIA Pt. 4 - Vietnam (Nha Trang)

SE ASIA Pt. 5 - Vietnam (Hội An)

SE ASIA Pt. 6 - Vietnam (Huế)

SE ASIA Pt. 7 - Vietnam (Hà Nội & Vịnh Hạ Long)

SE ASIA Pt. 8 - Thailand (Chiang Mai)

After spending a relaxing few (albeit the intense Muay Thai training) in Chiang Mai, I made my way south into the interior of this beautiful country. I spent a night in Sukhothai (bus ride killed me) before reaching my next destination, Ayutthaya.

Ayutthaya was once the capital of Thailand, and the kingdom was named after the Indian city Ayodhya, the birthplace of God Rama (in the Ramayana). And so, the city encompasses breathtaking Wat's (essentially a temple or place of learning). Majority of the Wat's are in ruins due to the invasion of the Burmese army in the 1700's - you will find that most of the Buddhist statues/monuments have been beheaded/destroyed. The Wat's now form a historical park that is internationally recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site.

Khmer temple architecture is amazing and after looking at my photos again, I really wish I had my 10 - 20 mm lens and my D90 back when I did this trip. There's always next time..

Peace.

Choices

2010-08-18T12:58:00.003+08:00

Highs & Lows

Smiles

2010-08-17T22:08:00.006+08:00

Sifting through the photos I captured whilst in Indonesia earlier in the year. Thought I would throw this one up. This little homie went by the name "Smiles", he kept it OG while rolling/pick-pocketing stupid tourists with his crew. They used the Bintang singlets as markers to identify said stupid tourists..

What you do?

2010-08-17T07:27:00.006+08:00

I've been meaning to upload this video since its release back in March. When it comes to ad campaigns I was never blown away by the 'prettiness' of how Converse did; unlike Nike (THAT LT & Polamalu NFL joint) or Adidas (THAT famous Muhammed Ali throwback). But this particular campaign by Converse is next level, featuring one of the best ball-handlers in 'the' game, God Shammgod.

Living for those horns..

Visvim Fall/Winter 2010

2010-08-16T21:31:00.003+08:00

New range of ballistics are amazing. Need that crew neck too.

See it all here..

Sean Cliver for Supreme

2010-08-16T20:30:00.003+08:00

Props to Someday.

Animal

2010-02-15T19:28:00.011+08:00

Treated myself to a new lens during the festive season. Apart from the standard Nikon 18-55mm kit lens that came with the D60, I didn't have a decent wide angle lens until I copped the Sigma 10-20mm F/3.5 EX DC HSM. Gave it a decent test down in Esperance over the new year, and it worked a treat - especially having it coupled with the D90. I'll throw a few photos up in my next post, but here is a quick shot anyway.

This shot was actually inspired from a photo of 9th Wonder surrounded by a whole bunch of books.

Exposure 1/200 sec @ f/10.0
Focal length 10mm
ISO200
Flash fired REMOTELY via Nikon SB-600 (Mounted above the books)
Nikon D90
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5
B&W High Contrast filter applied through Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Version 2.6

9th!

Above The Rim.

2009-11-16T01:54:00.006+08:00

Felt good to finally get back to bball after weeks away from the game. Got a couple of quick pictures in, before we wrapped it up for the day (click to view actual size).

Peace.

SE ASIA Pt. 8 - Thailand (Chiang Mai)

2009-11-15T11:48:00.020+08:00

First stop on the tour through Thailand was Chiang Mai. Located roughly 700 km north of Bangkok, Chiang Mai ouzes culture and tradition, and I could definitely see myself kicking it there for a prolonged period of time in the future.

It was fate that I arrived in the city on a Sunday, which just so happened to be the most eventful day of the week for the locals. People would swarm to the center of the city to part take in traditional Sunday market festivities. Positive vibes and straight out happiness, I swear everyone was smiling constantly, as if Buddha was out in strong force showing the beautiful people path to enlightenment haha.

I felt so good here, I just can't describe the feeling I had in this city, as if I was in a state of nirvana..

Gautama Buddha (I was lucky enough to be named after him - my namesake).

Thai cuisine - FRESH ingredients.. crack. Not a fan of the meat dishes below, but it did smell good.

Is that what I think it is?

It is. Som Tam (Tam mak Hoong).... favourite salad.

Training..Had the privilege to get trained by Kro Pung, a former Lumpinee champion fighter. Shins got all f'ed up.

Deja Vu Tattoo - Chiang Mai. Met up with Art and Ahns and decided to get tattooed by the traditional bamboo method. Was lucky enough to receive a Khmer magic tattoo (Sak Yant) for protection.

Miss this place, miss that feeling.

Peace peace peace.

Gauth

SE ASIA Pt. 7 - Vietnam (Hà Nội & Vịnh Hạ Long)

2009-11-10T10:36:00.010+08:00

Hà Nội (Hanoi) was the final destination in Vietnam, before making the journey to Thailand. If I had to chose over HCMC and Hanoi, I would have to chose Hanoi.. easy. The city is located roughly 1800 km north of HCMC, and is the capital and second largest city in Vietnam. Spent a night in Hanoi kicking it in the old sector before spending 3 days in Vịnh Hạ Long (Ha Long Bay). One night stay in a hotel on Cat Ba Island, followed by 2 days which were spent on a Junk boat sailing around Ha Long Bay. Pictures..
Had the right idea for the pictures below. Pitty I totally screwed up the settings as I didn't get the quality I was after..
Spent a couple of hours chilling with the workers at this local little rice house in the old sector. Good times..
Vịnh Hạ Long (Ha Long Bay). Regarded as one of the most beautiful bays in the one, it was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site back in 1994, and I can definitely see why. It was quite hazey during my time out there, so the pictures aren't the best in terms of depicting the bays awesome beauty.. I really need a wide angle lens (someone buy me a Sigma 10 - 20 mm Nikon mount - THANKS)
Last time I saw my Af1's. Don't miss them though..
Last night in Hanoi.. Last night in Vietnam..
So after roughly two weeks of making our way from the South to the North of this beautiful country, we booked some flights to Northern Thailand (Chiang Mai). A lot of the major sectors in Vietnam were covered, but two weeks in this country was no where enough. I've been fortunate enough to experience a lot of different places and cultures in the world, especially within the Asian continent, but I must say that Vietnam is really something special. If you are contemplating making a trip somewhere in South East Asia, I would recommend Vietnam in a heart beat. Indonesia and Thailand are beautiful countries don't get me wrong, but you can only go there so many times. Vietnam, I will be back yo..

The previous six parts to the travel blog can be seen in the links below. Thanks to my peops who have been following it thus far, much appreciated..

SE ASIA Pt. 1 - Intro

SE ASIA Pt. 2 - Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)

SE ASIA Pt. 3 - Vietnam (Đà Lạt)

SE ASIA Pt. 4 - Vietnam (Nha Trang)

SE ASIA Pt. 5 - Vietnam (Hội An)

SE ASIA Pt. 6 - Vietnam (Huế)

Chào bạn, hẹn gặp lại!

Peace

Inspiration

2009-11-03T14:14:00.004+08:00

You can’t give your photograph soul with technique. I want my photos to be fresh and urgent. A good photograph should be a call to arms. It should say, ‘Fucking now. The time is ripe. Come on.’
-Terry Richardson
Images via Fuck Yeah Terry Richardson

Goodbye October.

2009-11-01T12:03:00.014+08:00

Some random photos to finish off October. Note. I was in a point and shoot frame of mind today, so none of the photos are a reflection of my actual photography work. I was just shooting for fun today without giving much thought into lighting and other conditions.

Chilled out with a lot of different homies today, just driving around randomly. I just couldn't sit still (damn crack withdrawals..). Woke up, lit some Nag Champa and just zoned out to do some self reflection/meditation. So much shit running through my mind, I just need to clear it.

Anyways caught up with crew for lunch at Botanica, well I watched them get their 'dink on' and grab a feed while I waited nearly 30 minutes for what could be quite possibly the worst chai latte ever made. Look, Botanica is pretty chilled out spot, especially the outside section if you're in the sun, but I've been disappointed with the food in the past, and now their service (dont order the spinach and ricotta cannelloni, if you have a taste for Italian food). Anyways here are some pictures of crew. Good times, good times for sure!

My homie Saket flew off to Sydney to sit his final practical exams for his Dental licence. I wish him all the best, and I know he'll kill it. You've worked hard the last couple of months dude, and giving up the drink to focus (he's the hardest drinker I know) it will pay off dude. I will see you on the 5th when you fly back into town, good luck homie..
Drove around listening to some new shit I've copped in the last couple of weeks. One of the LP's which really stands out is Shad's 'The Old Prince'. I remember the single 'Brother' back in 2007 but never got the LP until now. Solid LP, I need to get the entire discography of this cat. Concious lyrics and great production (a lot of it self produced).

Anyways after much aimless driving I thought I would go see what duncraig crew were upto and paid them a quick visit before hitting the streets again. Halloween parties always deliver great photo opputunities.
Slavick! Haven't seen homie in 7 years. Took him a good minute, including an awkward hand shake before he realised it was me. "..the fuck is this random?"
Drove around for another two lonely hours up the coast. Got my Kev Brown fix for the day. I'm not even going to start telling you about Kev Brown, if you don't know.. you don't know...

Peace

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brown Brudda!

2009-10-26T01:10:00.017+08:00

Back to the blogsport by popular demand, yup yup. As requested by the homies, here are the select photo's from Saturday night ("I'm a pro potogragher"). Special thanks to my bro (my brown brother by blood) who came to my rescue within moments of me passing out in front of Greens & Co. I'm sure haters would have stolen my clothes and shoes if I had passed out, luckily my peops looked after the DSLR because I have no recollection of seeing it after the first two bottles of Dolcetto, sigh.

Note. Might not be such a good idea keeping a DSLR on ones self, especially if said person is planning on losing total control. I lost the lens cap for the 35mm, dammit. If you find it, text me promptly yo. It's got the word Nikon on it..

Thanks goes out to Hollie, Marie and Jua who translated "Gauth's/My Brown Brudda" to Spanish, French, Italian and Japanese and wrote it on my trusty brown paper bag (how I do). I found it in my man bag like 20 minutes ago haha! Ignore my rude head in this shot.. actually all shots.. I think this photo pretty much sums my night up. Notice how my bung eye is slightly more prominent than usual (definately alcohol induced in my personal medical opinion).
Later that morning, I took this picture.

No, not really. But I have an obsession with this photo. Not because it's risqué, but because the artist (yes you are an artist my friend) got everything right to capture the subject perfectly.

"Simplicity provides a fine line between eloquence and plainness"

Peace

SE ASIA Pt. 6 - Vietnam (Huế)

2009-10-16T17:56:00.016+08:00

Yup, haven't posted anything for a good couple of months - you noticed?. Not going to justify why, lets just get straight into it.

Ok, well im upto part six in documenting my South East Asian travels from earlier in the year, and for those who have been wanting to see more, I apologise for the delay. For those who don't give a shit, well fuck you. For those who are new to my blog, please check out the links below which direct you to the first five parts of my backpacking journey.

SE ASIA Pt. 1 - Intro

SE ASIA Pt. 2 - Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)

SE ASIA Pt. 3 - Vietnam (Đà Lạt)

SE ASIA Pt. 4 - Vietnam (Nha Trang)

SE ASIA Pt. 5 - Vietnam (Hội An)

Huế Huế Huế! Ok lets just quickly recap, from Hội An we jumped into a mini-bus which dropped us off in Đà Nẵng. We then journied via train 4.5 hours up the coast to reach our next destination, Huế. Jumped on the back of a scooter with my pack and got dropped off into the Hotel district. Found some cheap accomodation, dumped my pack and headed out to explore and get some photos. Oh if you're in the area, check out Mandarin Cafe owned by Mr. Cu (famous Vietnamese photographer). Had a chat to Mr. Cu and he mentioned that the river is magic for photography during dusk and dawn. So grabbed an early feed at his place and then hit up the river way.

Woke up at 5am the next day to go on the DMZ tour (demilitarized zone). I was basically on a bus from 6 am to about 7 pm, with stops here and there. It was a shit tour, next time I will hire my own guide and do the tour myself. I know, you know, everyone knows.. that group tours are shit, yet why the fuck do I keep going on them. WACK.
Third day, we hired fixed gear bikes (1USD) and road atleast 30 km in 37 degree heat and riduculously high humidity, to check out the ancient tombs and the citidel of Huế.
So yeah, spent 3 days/2 nights in Huế before booking our trip to one of my favourite places in SE Asia, Hà Nội! Not many words for this post compared the to the previous I know. Don't really have many words at the moment, but hey.. atleast I'm posting again? I pomise you there will be more, a lot more... from now on. Oh on a side note, looking back at the photo's I took during the trip.. a lot of the shots were out of focus (I was shooting manual focus pretty much all the time with the D60). I have to admit, while I'm not pro.. I look back at these photos and think to myself that I have definately improved my photography game significantly. Just wish I knew then, what I know now. This is always the case in life right...

Peace.

Any Given Sunday (and Saturday..)

2009-08-31T09:57:00.012+08:00

Toni Ashburne (Phon’s Gym WA) VS Briody Walker (Don Millar Vic)
(61.00KG, 3x2 )
Burke Austin (Olsen Muaythai Factory WA) v Jason Jobson (All star fight center QLD)
(90.00KG, 3x2)
Oley Sakonpetch (WA) v Flip Street (QLD)
WBC Lightweight National Title!
(61.00KG, 5x3 Full Thai Rules)
WBC Muay Thai Championship Night Perth Aug 22 2009 - Produced by Phon Martdee. HIGHLIGHTS (Taken from Phon Martdee's Facebook page)

Check out Marco Tentori's KO against his opponent Chris Garner, via a brutal roundhouse to the head (around the 1.05 min mark)

Sunday was another good day. MD invited me along to watch Freo V Essendon at Subi, in his works corporate box! How could I refuse? Good lunch, everything was paid for.. hell I even got my drunk on. Here are a couple of photos captured on the day.

Last thing, those of you who peeped at my Melbourne trip post would have seen that I went to the Dali exhibition. Well, I wasnt able to pull out the DSLR inside the gallery to get photos, but my mate G got his spy on and snapped some shots inside while security werent watching us brown folk (its how we do). You can check out the photos here - Times Of Idiocy - Salvador Dali Liquid Desire.

Peace out homies.

The 3000. 28th July - 4th August 2009.

2009-08-11T21:11:00.042+08:00

Yup, been awhile since the last update I know. Just been so damn busy doing nothing. Anyways, going to get straight into it.. spent a week chilling with my homie (TIMES OF IDIOCY) in Melbourne, and here are some of the selected snaps I took over the week. Melbourne, I heart you.

Escuchela.. la ciudad respirando…

2009-07-26T23:48:00.018+08:00

What’d you do last night?
We did umm, two whole cars..
It was me, Dez, and main three right?
And on the first car, in small letters it said
“All you see is”.. and then you know
Big, big, you know some block silver letters
That said .. “crime in the city” right?
It just took up the whole car?
Yeah yeah, it was a whole car and shit...

Perth’s street art scene doesn’t get much of hype when compared to spots like Melbourne and Brisbane (South Bank/West End). Over the last couple of years, I’ve spotted a lot more commissioned pieces around the city, and I’m assuming this can only be a huge step forward for Perth’s street art scene.

Last night witnessed the launch of the Condor Tower car-park project which is deemed to be “the largest permanent street art exhibition in the southern hemisphere”. The heads that make up the Ololo crew were approached by the heads behind the Condor Tower apartments, and asked to give some flavour to the previously dull car park interior. Ololo organized 60 artists (west, east & global) to perform this feat. More information can be found in the links below.

Ololo's Blog
Facebook Event Page
Facebook Group Page

Dope night, dope art. Kind of hard to plan shots with the lighting not the greatest and about 1000 heads walking around, but here are some photos from the night.

This piece was done by a mate of mine from high school. Pete Long.
AM1 Preme. ATMOS! (Thanks again G, ahaha).
Off to Melbourne in about 30 hours, so will update next from there.

Peace out.

SE ASIA Pt. 5 - Vietnam (Hội An)

2009-07-23T23:21:00.016+08:00

I was pretty much a bastard to be around during my 6th day in Vietnam. Why? Answer - Because of the 12 hours of hell I was put through to get to our next destination, Hoi An.

Here's what happened.. we opted to take a sleeper coach which left Nha Trang at 7 pm. We knew the trip would take about 12 hours and we did infact arrive at the ETA (7am the folling morning), so that was all good. But during the 12 hour trip, I really f'ing suffered. Firstly, there was a slight issue with my bunk. I knew it wouldn't be the comfiest of things, but there was no padding in my bunk from my calf down to my feet. Therefore, I had to deal with a metal plate and wooden brackets in the area where the padding once was. Ive been in worse conditions, so I dealt with it.

The major problem was the elderley Vietnamese gentlemen on the bunk beside me (about 50 cm separation between bunks). Other than the fact that he consistently snored during his sleep, he was also having what I assumed to be nightmares. He would start talking out loud, and the next thing I know he was hitting me in my arm/head. He would wake up, look at me, apologise, and the get back to sleep only doing it again 30 minutes later. Why the fuck couldnt he bother his wife, who was on the bunk on the other side of him. Shit was ridiculous. I did feel bad for the guy (if the nightmares were war related - veteran perhaps?) but at the same time I wanted to choke him in his sleep (shit, I was tired ok).

So yeh.. got zero sleep, caught a cold due to the air con vent right above my head (which wouldn't close), and finally stumbled off the coach with sore calfs due to the wooden brackets digging into them for 12 hours straight. Ok enough with the rant...

Hoi An is another coastal town on the South China Sea, located in the Quảng Nam province. Hoi An is known for one thing, it's textile industry and the fact that every second store front is a Tailor. People come here for one thing.. to get fitted out with tailor made items at low low prices. Mike G, my mate I travelled with, ended up getting a pretty slick three piece cashmere suit tailor made, along with a trench coat and some business shirts. However, we didn't go to no ordinary street side tailor for this, we had to go to the BEST. It's how we do, haha.. :

And the best was Yaly!
We heard about this place as it was featured in the Top Gear Vietnam Special, that aired earlier in the year. Jeremy and the crew went to Yaly to get suits tailor made (which they totally destroyed later in the special).

This place was dope. You give the girls a picture of what you're after (have an extensive range of fashion magazines to designer lookbooks) and they'll replicate the piece to its most minute deatil - once you have been measured up and chosen the fabric of your choice (walls and walls of fabric, every designers dream).
Got back to our hostel after Yaly, and crashed for a couple of hours. Woke up to cop some dinner in the old town.
Fresh beer for 4000 VND, thats like 30 cents. Pitty I dont get my drink on.
Mmmm fried rice with vegetables and tofu - crack.
Went back to hostel and crashed till the next morning. Awoke, went and picked up Mike G's new threads and shipped them back home, then organised some transportation to our next destination (where we would be spending more than 1 night for a change) Hue!

To get to Hue, we had to catch a mini bus to Danang, then hopped onto a train for the final leg there. Total trip to Hue took about 4.5 hours and cost just under 15 AUD.
The next post will be a large one since we covered quite a lot during our stay in Hue. I'll get to it once I'm back from my Melbourne trip (28th July - 4th August). Until then I'll try to regularly update the blog with other randomness.

Peace out.

SE ASIA Pt. 4 - Vietnam (Nha Trang)

2009-07-18T22:51:00.014+08:00

Day 5 of our journey consisted of jumping on the 10:00 am bus from Da Lat central, and making our descent towards the south central coast of Vietnam. We arrived at our destination (Nha Trang) in about 4 hours. You should expect to pay around 90 000 VND (about 6.50 AUD) for a ticket from Da Lat. Stopped off for some gas about 3 hours into the trip at this little village station. The setting was dope, so got the 60 out for a snap.

Anyways.. Nha Trang is the capital of the Khánh Hòa province, lying adjacent to the South China Sea. People come here for one thing, the beaches. They're good, but we have a lot better back home, serious.
Another tip, after wandering around, looking for accom, we found a 1 month old Hotel which was pretty close to the beach. It was about 14 USD per night for a twin share room (7 USD p/p can't go wrong) and it was luxurious as hell (best spot I stayed in, during the 5 weeks of back packing). The place is called the Saint Paul Hotel and you wont find it in your Lonely Planet guide. I assure you that it's better than any of the places listed though (get that right).

Dumped our bags, and headed straight for the beach. Chilled there for a minute, sipped on some lemon/honey ice tea (I really miss that shit) and took in the Nha Trang sea breeze.
Next day a "tattooed brother" spotted me and we started conversing about my ink. I had no problems with that. Did that, then convinced this dude to take us to a couple of spots we wanted to check out, but which were a mission to get to by foot.

Yeh I know, photos are slightly out of focus, and had issues with lighting. My head wasn't in it.

So I was back riding bitch on another motorbike... but it meant I could snap away at Nha Trang with ease, so I dealt with the mad shame.
I wanted to check out the Cham Towers (Tháp Bà Pô Nagar) and it just so happened there was a festival going on. Spotted a play, so I sat in with the locals for a minute, sussing it out.
Met some cool little local kids running around the temple hustling tourists out of 1 USD notes. Was entertaining to watch. These kids were slick, and some of them were mad little Bboys. A couple of the shots were out of focus, my apologies.. was on manual focus, and sweat was dripping off my head onto the viewfinder. I was clearly having focussing issuesin Nha Trang..
The 'leader' of the little gang had some ink. So as per usual, I got some snaps. Ink at that age, and a hand piece? Kid was fly. I dug the hand piece.
Spotted that my 'tattoed brother' had a hand piece too. A emerald green scorpion.
Before leaving on my trip, I heard that Nha Trang was home to a GIANT seated white Buddha, so I NEEDED to see it for myself.
Got some snaps and that was that. Next stop was Hoi An. Peace out Nha Trang.

SE ASIA Pt. 3 - Vietnam (Đà Lạt)

2009-07-15T14:51:00.020+08:00

After spending 2 nights in HCMC, I copped some cheap flights that would get us to the central highlands of Vietnam. Our next destination was a mountain town called Da Lat (capital of the Lam Dong Province) approximately 1500m above sea level.
Note. we actually flew there twice, as our first approach was aborted due to the dense cloud cover causing low visibility to the runway. After a 3 hour wait back at HCMC, we tried again and made it this time. Only trains, buses and boats were used throughout rest of the trip.

Since we were backpacking, everything was pretty much done on the fly, including getting accomodation and transport, so I'll try and give you some tips on each town throughout my posts. If you fly into Da Lat, don't get a cab from the airport into town. They charge USD and its a joke (10 USD). Get yourself a seat on a bus that will take you pretty much into Da Lat central, and it will only cost you about 30,000 VND (about 3 AUD). The main town is rougly a 1 hour climb by road. First thing I noticed was the drastic climate change compared to HCMC (altitude difference obviously). Coming from 40 degrees and ridiculously high humidity, to the low 20's and basically no humidity, it was fresh... literally.
Got into town, looked for some accomodation and ended up staying at a hostel called Hotel Europa, which was a family run spot. Was cheap and had a bed and bathroom so I couldn't complain. The owner (Mr. Phuc Duc) was a mad photography enthusiast and had a crazy collection of vintage lenses, so we ended up conversing for a minute. The hotel is located at 76 Nguyen Chi Thanh Street. Dumped the bags, then walked around for the rest of the day getting my exploration on. Crazy downpours throughout the day, so didn't make the best photo op weather.
The next day was fine and relatively clear. Met some local tour guides the previous day and booked them in. I rode bitch on the back of a 125cc m/c. Motorbikes are the best way to get around Da Lat.. however next time I do SE Asia I'll be hiring a m/c myself (hate riding pillion/bitch).
Jumped on a cable car to later redenvous with the guides at a few Buddhist pagodas. Was very peaceful there, and I had to get my meditation on.
I found the sign in the last photo interesting. Upon first glance you're like "what? no holding hands or interacting with white girls with blonde hair, as it offends asian families" but then I figured since it was a holy place, they obviously frown upon public displays of affection (which is fair). After all.. Buddhist monks can't come in contact with members of the opposite sex. But seriously though, the depiction is pretty detailed... it could easily be read differently (no hate on America and their women, love Vietnam.. ha!).

Went to a small minority village in the outskirts of Da Lat (about an hour away) called Prenn. Met a lady who makes silk scarfs using a traditional oldschool loom. Her concentration was incredible. She spotted my ink, saw my lotus flowers and then showed me a flower her brother tattooed on her when she was younger. She was pretty excited when I asked her If I could take a picture of her ink. She was so flattered, I think it made her day hehe.
Spotted this elderly gentlemen walking towards us in the distance. He was walking with a hop in his step, and dude had swagger. My guide knew him and went up to him to have a beedie with him. Guide introduced me to him and they started conversing in a dialect that wasn't Vietnamese, but a language used by the Prenn people. They are afterall another minority in Vietnam. He was a coffee plantation farmer on his way back home from a hard day's..
Walked around the village and spotted two kids sitting on the porch of their cosy little house. They didn't have a DS, PSP, iPod or anthing close, but they were just so f'ing happy. Seeing them together smiling and laughing, made my day.
Got back to the hostel that evening and booked a bus for the following morning, which would take us to our next destination, Nha Trang.
I really dug Da Lat. It's such a chilled out spot and the locals were all mad friendly. Would have been good to unwind here at the end of the trip, since the next 4.5 weeks were a straight grind.

Peace.

SE ASIA Pt. 2 - Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)

2009-07-13T22:58:00.016+08:00

Named in honour of the Vietnamese communist revolutionary, who became Preseident by leading the independance movement to victory against the French Union, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) was the first destination of my 5 week journey through South East Asia. The city itself is located relatively close to the Mekong delta, in the south of Vietnam. Pollution, crazy driving, hustlers, motorbikes & scooters EVERYWHERE, the city reminded me of cities in India.. so I pretty much wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, once I knew where I was going next.

But dont get me wrong, there is a lot of history in HCMC and if you ever happen to be there, check out the Reunification Palace and the War Remenants Museum. Since I can't upload all the photos taken (whilst in HCMC), here are a select few.

View from the hostel I was staying at (Nguyen Khang Hotel) located in District 1 on Pham Ngu Lao Street.

Walking around HCMC.

Cats saw my ink and we started talking tattoos. First dude did it himself in front of a mirror with a homemade tattoo gun. Second pic is my barbers (shaved my head) chest piece, which he recieved whilst in a gang (in his youth). As my posts go on you'll see more photos of regular folk with ink. Was interesting listening to their stories.. regardless of how good their ink was.

Just some cats jumping off a jetty into the HCMC River. It was hot and humid as fuck.. they had the right idea.
Was strolling through a park and saw a random cage. Upon closer inspection, there was a monkey inside and it looked mad sad. I regret not breaking it out :(

Walked through Ben Thanh markets to get some food. I hope this isn't where monkey ended up.
More random photos.
Vietnam is amazing, but HCMC is nothing special.. hence my lack of enthusiasm whilst writing this post. After HCMC I headed to the Central Highlands of Vietnam, to a mountain town called Da Lat (significant difference compared to HCMC). I'll give you the run down of Da Lat in my next post.

Peace.

SE ASIA Pt. 1 - Intro

2009-07-12T23:17:00.009+08:00

What it do? Had work this morning, played some ball, went for a run and then ate some food - swell day. I'm chilling under the warmth of the heater at the mo, listening to some beats and finally getting a little motivation to start processing the photos I took during my backpacking expedition earlier this year (SE Asia - April & May). Better late than never huh... anyways I'll try and bust out as many posts as I can before I leave for Melbourne (nearly 2 weeks away, skeet skeet skeet).

Below is a map of South East Asia. The main spots I wanted to hit on the tour were Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. I can finally check them off my places to explore list. Next tour will mos def include Borneo (traditional Borneo hand tattoos by tribal head-hunter elders anyone?), Burma (If they let me in) and ofcourse Laos. Laos was originally on the cards as it lies between Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia... however, due to time constraints I had to prioritise and Laos was at the bottom of the list (wanted to spend more time in Vietnam). Next time Laos. next time..

Departed P-town on the 12/04/09 and arrived in Kuala Lumpur for transit before the short leg to Vietnam (first country of my SE Asia tour). I had about 5 hours to kill, so I got my backpack & daypack and jumped on a bus to KL central. I didn't realise the airport is like an hour away from KL central. Caught a train from the central train terminal to the KLCC stop. This is the stop adjacent to the Petronas Towers. The only thing I wanted to do during the short transit in KL, was to check these towers out and grab a photo or two. Did that, walked around a bit, copped some food and made my way back to the airport.

Had my 50mm on the D60 so my field of view was lacking, hence only managed to capture the top half of the tower(s). But you get the point.. towers be big. Next post will cover the entry point (and also exit point) of my SE Asia tour, Ho Chi Minh!.. city.

Peace.

The Light.

2009-07-03T02:34:00.009+08:00

Slumdogs

2009-06-20T00:25:00.008+08:00

My fellow curries and I hit up our normal pool hangout to celebrate P's birthday. As per normal one pint led to another and some drunk asshole (Sak-et) had the brilliant idea of ordering a shot of every single flavour vodka available (11 flavours). There was a lot of school yard taunting and peer pressure being thrown around for P to take them all down, bar staff overheard and the manager came and told us it wasn't the wisest of ideas. I think P could have downed them all personally (without having to take a trip to the hospital). These curries drink hardcore moon shine shit back in the motherland, so some flavoured diluted ethanol aint no thang.

"SHAZAM!"

2009-06-16T21:38:00.008+08:00

Decided to go for a solo shoot tonight, with my tripod by my side this time. Walked up Karrinyup Rd towards Morley Dr and found a seated bus stop with a busted advertisement light panel - with the poster missing (shit we in the 6060 afterall). The dim street lights and vacant plot behind the stop made a dope photo op, so I snapped away. After about 15 minutes (15 minutes of fustration as I wasn't down with any of the shots I captured) a patrol car pulled up, a rookie began to exit the car then proceeded to ask me what I was up to. I told him I was taking a picture of the bus stop. He asked to see what I had shot on my 90, I obliged and showed him just so they could leave me the fuck alone. He assumed I was actually taking pictures of some random tags/scribble on a fence in the vacant plot adjacent to the stop.

Rookie thought I was admiring my own work? The fuck... if I produced some shitty "graf" like the pieces I saw.. the last thing I would do is take pictures of it for self admiration.

Anyways here are a few shots I processed from tonight. They were captured using the D90 and a 35mm prime. Wasn't feeling any of the bus stop photos, but heres one anyways. The other pics were taken behind the bottle shop in Tuart Hill.

Skeet skeet skeet.

A melodious thunk

2009-06-14T12:24:00.003+08:00

I remember chilling to this whilst driving through Manhattan back in 07, tuned to WBGO's Jazz 88.3FM. I really need to get back there.. Hitting up the city later to cop some coffee and get some photos during dusk. Need more practise with the 35mm.

Jus Blogsport.

2009-06-11T00:28:00.009+08:00

So yeh, the last couple of years I've kind of been a vegeterian (eating the occasional fish here and there), and so recently I started eating meat again... exciting times I know. Some homies and I hit up Jus Burgers in Leederville tonight. Firstly, the food is most definately worth the wait if you're waiting on a free table. Seating is very limited, so don't let this put you off. Shit, grab some to go if you have to. Last couple of times I've copped the Turkish lamb burger and it never fails to disappoint, mainly because of the tahini yoghurt and middle eastern slaw in it. Middle eastern flavours.... like crack.

I know I've probably slept on this place since my time away from meat and most of you who even bother to read this are thinking "the fuck is this guy on about, old news son!". I just wish I knew about this place earlier as they cater for vegeterians and vegans, and I will be trying out these options in the not too distant future as well.

Winter Madness

2009-06-09T00:22:00.004+08:00

Welcome.

Firstly, this blog will serve as a medium to display some of my photography work. Photography is not my job and I have no intention of making a career out of it. I just love the way low light, low noise photos look when captured correctly. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I'm primarily a portrait shooter, however I don't limit myself to any one particular style. A little info about myself...

I shoot Nikon.

I hustle culture.

I like tattoos.

I spin wax and fuck with beats.

I am jazz, I am hip-hop.

I have an obsession with sneakers and denim.

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be uploading photographs from a recent backpacking expedition through Vietnam, Northern Thailand and Cambodia. Hopefully this blog will motivate me to start processing the gigs upon gigs of photos I captured.

Until then, here are just a few random photos I've taken around the traps. The first couple were captured using Nikons recently released 35mm f1.8 AF-S prime lens, and the rest with the Nikkor 50mm f1.8 prime lens (manual focus). I use a Nikon D60 and a Nikon D90 coupled with a Nikon MB-D80 grip for easy portrait shooting. If a flash is fired, it will source from a Sb600.

More in future posts.

Peace.