I Wish My Name Was Marsha

Wacky.

2009-10-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

"Small Jellyfish," April 8, 2008. Nikon D80, Nikkor Macro 60mm lens, f/3.3, ISO 500, 1/50 sec. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

Aren't these wacky looking jellyfish? I'll just answer my own question, if you don't mind. Yes, yes they are. By far the wackiest jellyfish I've ever seen.

A New Blog Post

2009-10-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

"Purple Flower," September 12, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 50mm lens, f/1.4, 1/250 sec, ISO 100. Kivik, Skåne, Sweden.

My photo titles are so boring. For reals. I'm pretty sure this photo would win a lot more people's hearts and minds if it was entitled something more like, "My Ethereal Grace on the Back Doorstep," or "Balkan Freedom Fighters on the Eve of Ascension Day," or even "Katherine Missed Work Today Because of the Swine Influenza." Something that engages people more than "Purple Flower." That is what the great artists do. They do NOT go with literal titles, I'm quite sure of that. I shall work on it.

Coincidence? I THINK NOT.

2009-09-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

"Birds of Humming and Paradise," August 4th, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 18-200mm lens (at 200mm), f/5.6, 1/40 sec, ISO 320. Manuel Antonio, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

Isn't it the CRAZIEST coincidence that I photographed this bird next a plant that's also named after a bird??? I am freaking out about it. The only thing that I have that might compare is that one time, when I photographed this guy named Jim, holding a gem, and he was also AT THE GYM!!!! When I took that photo... well, let's just say, that was the wildest 5 seconds of my life.

Make love, not war

2009-09-06T00:34:00.000-07:00

"Soldiers Night 3," December 19, 2007. Nikon D80, Sigma 15mm fisheye lens, f/2.8, 1/6 sec, ISO 500. Seoul, South Korea.

This is the Korean War memorial in Korea. I've also been to the one in Washington DC, and the Korean one is more impressive. That makes sense, though. I wonder what that star is in the photo? Or maybe it's a planet. Hmmm.

Froggy went a-courtin'

2009-09-05T01:22:00.000-07:00

"Very Small Frog 2," August 1st, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 60mm Macro lens, f/4.5, 1/200 sec, ISO 400. Monteverde, Costa Rica.

Hundreds of frog species have gone extinct in the past 20 or so years, and a lot of populations around the world have declined by 95-98% in just the past two or three years. Frogs are an "indicator species," because they're one of the very first animals to die off due to environmental changes. It's like the canary they used to keep in coal mines to warn miners when the air was bad. Frogs are really vulnerable to climate change and pollution. They breath through their skin, so any poisons in the air or water are absorbed right away. Which is a bummer, as you may imagine.
Also, a group of frogs is called an army.

Bubbles is the girl next door.

2009-09-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

"Bubbles," July 20, 2009. Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP, 10.4mm, f/4.0, 1/340 sec, ISO 100. Nassau, Paradise Island, Bahamas.

Da plane! Da plane!

2009-08-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

"Sky1," July 22, 2009. Nikon D80, Sigma 15mm Fisheye lens, f/22, 1/125 sec, ISO 100. On a Nassau to Ft. Lauderdale flight.

I love taking photos out the airplane window. I feel a bit silly most of the time when I do it, though.

In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

2009-07-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

"Johan and Plane," July 20, 2009. Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP, 6.3mm, f/4.9, 1/320 sec, ISO 100. Nassau, Paradise Island, The Bahamas.

Look at the sunken ruin we discovered while snorkeling! We are sure to be famous!

Under the sea

2009-07-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

"Part of Joey," July 19, 2009. Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP. 6.3mm, f/8.0, 1/400 sec, ISO 100. Nassau, New Providence Island, The Bahamas.

When I took out my new waterproof camera at the beach, people said I was the best photographer they'd ever seen.

Goth Rock

2009-07-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

"American Gothic," July 10th, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 50mm lens, f/4.5, 1/4000 sec, ISO 100. Chicago, Illinois, USA.

These are big statues in downtown Chicago of the people from the American Gothic painting. Grant Wood modeled the man in the painting on his dentist. It's time for me to go to the dentist again for a checkup. Coincidence? I think not.

Longer with Big Red

2009-07-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

"Big Red," July 11th, 2009. Nikon D80, Sigma 15mm Fisheye lens, f/2.8, 1/4000 sec, ISO 200. Glencoe, Illinois, USA.

"Big Red" is the name of America's #1 red soda. I wonder how much competition there is for that title. And of course "Big Red" is also the name of that cinnamon gum. I don't like cinnamon. It burns my tongue. But you can kiss longer with Big Red, I hear. I don't have any complaints about my kisses being too short now, though, sooooo... I'll just pass. I prefer mint gum.

Raise the roof

2009-07-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

"Roof," June 25th, 2009. Nikon D80, Sigma 18-200mm lens (at 40mm), f/4.8, 1/1250 sec, ISO 100. Lodi, California, USA.

Head in the clouds

2009-07-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

"Clouds," June 29th, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 50mm lens, f/8.0, 1/800 sec, ISO 100. On a Sacramento-Chicago flight.

Sofa King

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

"Striped," June 18th, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 50mm lens, f/1.4, 1/80 sec, ISO 320. Los Angeles, California, USA.

Would this sofa look fantastic or heinous in my living room? I can't decide. The boyfriend is colorblind, so I don't think he'd mind...

Chasing the dragon(fly)

2009-07-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

"Red Dragon Fly," June 17th, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 80mm Macro lens, f/3.3, 1/2000 sec, ISO 200. San Marino, California, USA.

Can you guess where the world's largest species of dragonflies lives? I can. Because I just looked it up, and it's Costa Rica. So there you go.

Let me tell you about the birds and the bees... But wait, not the birds.

2009-07-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

"Bee2," June 17th, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 60mm Macro lens, f/3.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 200. San Marino, California, USA.

Isn't it weird how when drone bees have sex with the queen bee, their penis breaks off inside of her to act as a barrier to prevent other drones from fertilizing her eggs, and then they die? 'Cause I think that's kind of weird. But, you know, whatever floats your boat.

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

"Red," July 4th, 2009. Nikon D80, Sigma 18-200mm lens (at 200mm), f/32, ISO 100. Chicago, Illinois, USA.

The 4th of July is cool and all, but I'm really all about the lesser-known 5th of July. I just love it. Can't wait until tomorrow!!!

We are Chi-a-neese, if you please

2009-07-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

"China... Almost," June 18th, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 50mm lens, f/13, 1/160 sec, ISO 100. Chinatown, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Did you know the Chinese invented ice cream in 2000 BCE? Yes, it's true. The internet couldn't print it if it wasn't. Last week, my mom tried to make homemade ice cream, but it didn't work out. Also, yesterday, I ate some mint chocolate chip ice cream. The coincidences are mind blowing!!

Jumping the Shark

2009-07-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

"Jump," December 25th, 2008. Nikon D80, Nikkor 50mm lens, f/3.2, 1/1250 sec, ISO 100. Kåseberga, Skåne, Sweden.

When I was in junior high, they always played two jump-themed songs at every school dance: "Jump Around" by House of Pain, and "Jump" by Kris Kross. Everybody would dance to those songs. And by "dance" I mean "jump." Ahhh, those were the good old days.

Disgusted

2009-06-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

"Disgusted," December 25, 2008. Nikon D80, Nikkor 50mm lens, f/1.4, 1/25 sec, ISO 250. Ystad, Skåne, Sweden.

I know, I know. I'm disgusted at my lack of posting, too. I promise I'll be better.

Bright Lights, Big City

2009-06-08T02:28:00.000-07:00

"Orange Bokeh," May 13, 2009. Nikon D80, Sigma 18-200mm lens (at 116), f/6.0, 1/25 sec, ISO 1000. Copenhagen, Denmark.

Who spiked the punch?

2009-06-02T01:04:00.000-07:00

"Spikes," May 15, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 60mm Macro lens, f/4.0, 1/1250 sec, ISO 200. Lund, Skåne, Sweden.

The word "spike" makes me think of punk rockers and that vampire from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Although I never watched that show, so I'm not really sure which one he was. If I had to choose between being a punk rocker or a vampire... well, that's a tough one. It would be nice not to have to only go out at night, and to drink people's blood only for fun, if I wanted to, instead of to survive. Eternal life might be nice, though. & I'm kind of getting too old for punk music these days. After I'm finished with school it might be good to be a vampire, because I could take all the night shifts. But night in Sweden isn't that long in the summer, only 6.5 hours of darkness here in the south on the longest day of the year. But during the winter, everything would be peachy. Hmm... I'll have to ponder this some more.

Look! In the Sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... No, it's definitely a bird.

2009-05-31T23:46:00.000-07:00

"Flying Seagull," August 3, 2007. Nikon D80, Sigma 18-200mm lens (at 65mm), f/20, 1/40 sec, ISO 100. Hermosa Beach, California, USA.

Who let the dogs out?

2009-05-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

"Hahahaaaa!" March 10, 2008. Nikon D80, Nikkor 60mm Macro lens, f/2.8, 1/4000 sec, ISO 320. Lodi, California, USofA.

This photo craaaaaaacks me up.
But this does not crack me up: If never spayed or neutered, a female dog, her mate, and their puppies could product over 66,000 dogs in 6 years. That is a freaking lot of dogs, and a freaking lot of incest.

To kiss/ A mug/ That's like a cactus/ Takes more nerve/ Than it does practice/ Burma-Shave

2009-05-26T03:38:00.000-07:00

"Burma Shave," April 5, 2008. Nikon D80, Sigma 15mm Fisheye lens, f/11, 1/800 sec, ISO 100. Holbrook, Arizona, USofA.

Burma Shave By Tom Waits

licorice tattoo turned a gun metal blue scrawled across the shoulders
of a dying town the one eyed jacks across the railroad tracks
and the scar on its belly pulled a stranger passing through
he was a juvenile delinquent never learned how to behave
but the cops would never think to look in
burma shave

and the road was like a ribbon and the moon was like a bone
he didn't seem to be like any guy she'd ever known
he kinda looked like farley granger with his hair slicked back
she says i'm a sucker for a fella in a cowboy hat
how far are you going he said depends on what you mean
he says i'm going thataway just as long as it's paved
i guess you'd say i'm on my way to
burma shave

and her knees up on the glove compartment
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like root beer
and she popped her gum and arched her back
hell marysville ain't nothing but a wide spot in the road
some night my heart pounds just like thunder
i don't know why it don't explode
cause everyone in this stinking town has got one foot in the grave
and i'd rather take my chances out in
burma shave

presley's what i go by why don't you change the station
count the grain elevators in the rearview mirror
mister anywhere you point this thing
has got to beat the hell out of the sting
of going to bed with every dream that dies here every mornin
and so drill me a hole with a barber pole
i'm jumping my parole just like a fugitive tonight
why don't you have another swig
and pass that car if you're so brave
i wanna get there before the sun comes up in
burma shave

and the spider web crack and the mustang screamed
smoke from the tires and the twisted machine
just a nickel's worth of dreams and every wishbone that they saved
lie swindled from them on the way to
burma shave

and the sun hit the derrick and cast a bat wing shadow
up against the car door on the shot gun side
and when they pulled her from the wreck you know she
still had on her shades
they say that dreams are growing wild just this side of
burma shave

The Kiss Army

2009-05-24T00:08:00.000-07:00

Prairie Dogs in Love, September 25, 2007. Nikon D50, Sigma 18-200mm lens (at 200mm), f/9, 1/400 sec, ISO 400. Yongin, Gyeonggi, South Korea.

I'm not sure why this is not the most popular photo on flickr, or, in fact, the whole internet. It is SO FREAKING CUTE!!! I mean look at them! Prairie Dogs! Kissing! Kawaiiiiiii!

The Wind in the Willows

2009-05-22T23:53:00.000-07:00

"Line of Windmills," May 13, 2009. Nikon D80, Sigma 18-200mm lens (at 175mm), f/6.0, 1/800 sec, ISO 100. Copenhagen, Denmark.

You know what causes wind? Uneven heating of the Earth's surface. Weird that there isn't wind in my microwave then... ba-dum-cha!
But seriously. I get very happy whenever I see wind power, thinking about renewable energy. Luckily, it's all over the place here, so I'm often happy. Good thing I picked something ubiquitous to base my moods on, eh?

Flower Power

2009-05-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

"Part," May 15, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 60mm Macro lens, f/5.0, 1/2000 sec, ISO 100. Lund, Skåne, Sweden.

A man wanted Valentine's Day to be special, so he bought a bottle of absinthe and stopped by the florist's to order a bouquet of his wife's favorite flower: white anemones.
Unfortunately, the florist was sold out of flowers and had only a few stems of feathery ferns.
The man asked the florist to make a bouquet out of the ferns and the flask of liquor. He added a card and proceeded home.
After a romantic candlelight dinner, he presented his wife with the gift. She opened the card to read, "Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder."
With a tear in her eye, she whispered to him lovingly, "Yes, and with fronds like these, who needs anemones."

I've been training a lot lately

2009-05-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

"Train Tracks," May 13, 2009. Nikon D80, Sigma 18-200mm lens (at 95mm), f/5.6, 1/4000 sec, ISO 100. Malmö, Skåne, Sweden.
Ugh, I've rode the train way too many times in the past few weeks. Commuting is for the birds.

Led Zeppelin

2009-05-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

"What a Nice Airship." May 10th, 2009.

I loooooooove blimps. I heard a story a few years ago about how they were the wave of the future, because they offer relatively fast, emission-free travel. They'd be like cruise ships in the sky. But I think the article said that around 2009 we'd have the first blimp in service between the coasts of the US. But here we are, in 2009, and... where are the blimps? WHERE ARE THE BLIMPS?!?!
I also like Led Zeppelin. If I were them, I would totally invest in blimps, and then have a concert on one. Then I'd bite the head of a chicken or go bang a groupie, because that's very rock and roll.

In loving memory

2009-05-07T12:05:00.000-07:00

"Flower," April 27th, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 60mm Macro lens, f/5.0, 1/640 sec, ISO 100. Malmö, Skåne, Sweden.

I managed to kill this pot of flowers in like 3 days, which is totally a record for me. This was taken right before tragedy struck. My last picture of the good times. I love this one because it really captures the plant's personality; you can definitely see how it always tried to be serious, but it couldn't keep a straight face. And boy, did it love mugging for the camera!! It really brings back the memories... like that one time, when I watered the plant. Oh man!! Hahhahaa... it was hilarious. I'll never forget that. Oh god... I just miss it so much. Why do bad things happen to good plants?!
The memorial service is Saturday at 10am at the First Lutheran Church, with a reception at my house afterwards so we can reminisce about our favorite memories of the plant together. Please bring a dish to pass.

Two is better than one. Maybe.

2009-05-03T10:16:00.001-07:00

"Windmills," May 3, 2009.

A diptych! By me! Very exciting! On the right, we have the most exciting hole at a minigolf course in Sweden: a knee-high windmill! I don't think the other holes had anything at all. Where's the fun in that?? On the left, a windmill in Texas, with no minigolf hole anywhere near it. Where's the fun in that?? But put these two unsatisfying things together, and... does it relieve or double the dissatisfaction? Hmmm.

Electric Light Parade

2009-04-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

"Light years," April 13, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 50mm lens, f/1.4, 1/4000 sec, ISO 100. Malmö, Skåne, Sweden.

Honestly, I wasn't all that enamored of this photo, but two people favorited it on flickr, so I bow to the will of the masses. I guess I'm a big old sell-out, shilling for whoever will give me the slightest crumb of encouragement. But that's fine. I don't hate myself. I can still look myself in the eye (in the mirror, obviously...) and say, "I like you! You're a-ok!"

I don't actually do that, but I can, and that's what's really important. Isn't it?

Little Known Facts About the Ferris Wheel

2009-04-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

"Grainy Ferris Wheel," April 13, 2009. Nikon D80, Sigma 18-200mm lens (at 78mm), f/5.6, 1/1000 sec, ISO 100. Malmö, Skåne, Sweden.

I tried to find statistics for how many people die each year because of ferris wheel-related injuries, but was unsuccessful. 56,597,034 people die total each year, though. That's including ferris wheel deaths.
Ferris wheels are a pretty banal photographic subject. They're always pretty cool looking, but it's hard to get something different than everybody else's cool ferris wheel photos. That's why I made this grainy, you see! It's totally original and unique now! The world has never seen anything like this photo before!! Awesome!! And you're welcome.

Metrosexual. But without the sexual.

2009-04-24T05:35:00.000-07:00

"Handles," December 29, 2007. Nikon D80, Nikkor 50mm lens, f/1.4, 1/400 sec, ISO 320. Seoul, Korea.

There is a group for EVERYTHING on flickr. This photo belongs to the "View down the train handles group." Which has 89 handle-interested members. In fact, there are 796 groups on flickr having something to do with handles. Maybe it's just me, and this isn't actually weird?! Are handles in?! Have I missed a trend?! I feel very out of the loop. Handles are the new black. Maybe.
There's a group called "Oregon Banana Handle" that I'm very interested in, but only group members are allowed to see the pool. & there's only one member... which is either dorky (because nobody else shares that person's Oregon Banana Handle hobby) or awesome (because the club is so rad and exclusive that only one person so far has qualified for membership). I can't decide.

Beach Boys

2009-04-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

"Beach Huts," April 11, 2009. Nikon D80, Sigma 18-200mm lens (at 155mm), f/6.0, 1/3200 sec, ISO 320. Skanör, Skåne, Sweden.

The boyfriend would like me to tell all my faithful blog readers that I am actually not, in the strictest sense of the word, Jewish. But I say, if a gal can't tell lies on her blog, then where can she?! Geez.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

"Eggs," April 12, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 50mm lens, f/1.4, ISO 100. Malmö, Skåne, Sweden.

I dyed some Easter eggs yesterday! They came out a lovely shade of light brown. Of course, I could've saved myself a lot of effort and just bought brown eggs to begin with, since they look exactly the same, but this is the way more DIY fabulous. Right?
Anyway, I'm Jewish. I don't even celebrate Easter. Get off my back already.

Boy George and KD Lang: Androgynous Rollmodels For Us All

2009-04-04T03:37:00.000-07:00

"Salon," April 3, 2009. Nikon D80, Sigma 18-200mm lens (at78mm), f/5.6, 1/500 sec, ISO 100. Malmö, Skåne, Sweden.

This is a sign for a hair salon, for men AND women! So all-encompassing. It warms the cockles of my heart. I need a haircut, I've got some major split ends. But sadly, this place is closed. I guess this two-bit town just wasn't ready for the revolution of equal opportunity hair cutting and styling. Sad. When will people learn that sexism can weaken communities by dividing them along gender lines?! Down with single sex salons!!! Up with androgynous barber shops! Tidily clipped hair equality for all!
Actually, looking at the photo again, I notice that the salon is not for men and women at all. It's really for ladies and gentlemen. Which is for the best. We don't want cads and rogues and fallen women and scalawags getting their hair cut in the same place as us respectable folk. Gender equality is one thing; moral equality is quite another kettle of fish.

Also, I just took this quiz to find my androgynous name. It's Columbus Prince, which I think sounds significantly less androgynous than my actual name.

Spring is in the air, springs are in your sofa.

2009-04-03T04:21:00.000-07:00

"Flowers on Windowsill," April 3, 2009. Nikon D80, Sigma 18-200mm lens (at 46mm), f/5.0 1/200 sec, ISO 100. Malmö, Skåne, Sweden.

I think it's finally spring! Not that you can't buy flowers in the winter, so this photo is not actual proof. But trust me! It's spring now! Would I lie to you?!
Also, I've got some oceanfront property in Arizona, if anyone is interested.

Flowers for Algernon

2009-03-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

"Flowers Blue," March 23, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 50mm lens, f/1.4, 1/50 sec, ISO 100. Malmö, Skåne, Sweden.

While attending a Marriage Seminar dealing with communication, Tom and his wife Grace listened to the instructor, "It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other."
He addressed the man, "Can you describe your wife's favourite flower?"
Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and said, "It's self-rising, isn't it?

Laughing gas isn't a joke.

2009-03-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

"Red & White," April 14, 2008. Nikon D80, Nikkor 50mm lens, f/1.6, 1/4000 sec, ISO 100. Illinois, USA.

Isn't it weird that gas is called "gas" when it's really a liquid?!? I like "petrol" much better, but if I was English, I'd probably like "gas" better. The grass is always greener, and all that.

Little House on the Prairie

2009-03-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

"Little House," April 12, 2008. Nikon D80, Sigma 18-200 lens (at 55mm), f/5.3, 1/500 sec, ISO 100. Missouri, USA.

I never really watched "Little House on the Prairie." I've seen it once or twice, and I might have read one of the books a long time ago... but prairies aren't really my thing. Prairie dogs, on the other hand, are totally my thing. Can't get enough of 'em.

Splendor on the Grass

2009-03-14T03:42:00.000-07:00

"Flamingos2," June 14, 2008. Nikon D80, Nikkor 60mm Macro lens, f/2.8, 1/2000 sec, ISO 100. Chicago, Illinois, USA.

I wonder what the percentage of people who non-ironically put pink flamingos in their front yards is compared to people who do it to be kitschy-funny? & what is the relative popularity of pink flamingos vs. garden gnomes or other animal statues? What is the most popular lawn ornament out there? & why don't you see more of those wooden cutouts of a lady bending over in the flower bed so that you can see her underpants? I suspect it's just that people don't know where to buy them. They are incredibly humorous.

Still waters run deep

2009-03-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

"Big Drop on a Cactus," November 2, 2007. Nikon D80, Nikkor 60mm Macro lens, f/3.5, 1/1000 sec, ISO 100. Suwon, Gyeongido, South Korea.

This is so artistic I could just DIE. Do you get it?! I mean the contrast between the water drop, resting in the prickly cactus? The juxtaposition?!?! It's a metaphor for the delicate ephemeral quality of happiness contrasted with the piercing spikes of sorrow... The interaction of impermanence with superfluity, both destined to perish, but the idea lives on; it's remarkably similar to theories about collective pressure on the individual in a society, if you really think about it. Not to mention the parallels that can be drawn to early iconography (by which of course I mean its significance in religion). One must ask oneself, how do the objects relate to each other, and what does that tell one about one's present and future? Is it avant-garde? Post-modern? Can we even label it? & even if we could, does it matter? To me, it says that we need to embrace the revolutionary while not necessarily rejecting the contemporary. Dude. It is so incredibly deep, on so many different levels. My mind boggles.

Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream

2009-03-05T08:55:00.000-08:00

"Lamp," February 24, 2009. Nikon D80, Nikkor 50mm lens, f/1.4, 5 seconds, ISO 100. Malmö, Skåne, Sweden.

This is the view I fall asleep to every night- my lamp hanging down from my ceiling. I'm getting sleepy just looking at it.... zzzzzzzz.....

Shoe horn

2009-03-04T13:30:00.001-08:00

"Shoes," March 4, 2009. Nikon D80, Sigma 18-200mm lens (at 55mm), f/5.3, 1/6 sec, ISO 320. Malmö, Skåne, Sweden.

These are some of my shoes sitting in my hallway. I like to wear the red ones to school, because I have to wear head to toe white when I'm in the hospital, and I think they liven things up a bit. But another doctor yesterday said all the students wear Converse, so now I just feel mainstream and trendy. Alas. Here I thought I was original and cool. Maybe I should start going barefoot?

Have you slept in a wigwam lately? ... Well? Have you?!?

2009-03-03T10:50:00.000-08:00

"Wigwam Blue Car," April 8, 2008. Nikon D80, Sigma Fisheye lens 15mm, f/4.5, 1/4000 sec, ISO 100. Holbrooke, Arizona, USA.

How cool are wacky buildings? I know I've already talked about them in my very first post, but man... I just love them. Although it might be cooler if I got to sleep in some sort of animal fur and have a cool Native American name while I was staying there. Like Blood Red Singing Chicken Hawk that Soars (I got that from a website, I didn't come up with that piece of brilliance on my own).

We Polked You in '44, We Shall Pierce You in '52

2009-03-01T00:20:00.000-08:00

"Oranges," February 1, 2007. Nikon N50, and that's all the info I know, because it was taken with a film camera. Penang, Malaysia.

This is a photo from the Thaipusam festival in Malaysia. It's a Hindu festival where people have a Kavadi, which is a physical burden through which the devotees implore for help from the God Murugan. According to Wikipedia, anyhow. Who knows how right that is? Anyhow, people carry jugs on their heads or pierce their skin with hooks and skewers and walk through town up to the temple. It was so fascinating to see. Didn't make me want to become a Hindu, though. Roaming cows in India and kumkum dots, now that makes me want to be a Hindu.

That photo is fowl

2009-02-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

"Flying," January 13, 2008. Nikon D80, Sigma 70-200mm lens (at 200mm), f/6.3, 1/2500 sec. Siem Reap, Cambodia.

This is from a boat trip in Cambodia. I think it was on the Tonle Sap river. An interesting fact is that the river reverses it's flow every year in the rainy season. Or, maybe it's not the Tonle Sap, in which case whatever body of water it is probably does not reverse it's flow. How dull.

It don't matter if you're black or white

2009-02-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

"Fern Leaves," February 3, 2007. Nikon D50, Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 82mm), f/10, 1/2000 sec. Penang, Malaysia.

See, this photo *looks* like it's black & white, BUT IT'S NOT!!! How exciting is that?! I'm always meaning to make more of my photos into black & white, but I never actually do it. Maybe this post will be that extra push that I needed to inspire me to reach a whole new level with my art!!

Or most likely not.

When is a door not a door?

2009-02-23T12:19:00.000-08:00

"Door," February 3, 2007. Nikon Coolpix S5, f/3, 2/203 sec. (yes, that's not a typo... the picture says that's its exposure... Who knew such a thing was possible?!). Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.

This was at a cool, very blue mansion the boyfriend and I stayed at in Malaysia. They filmed part of the movie "Indochine" here. Malaysian food was sooooo good. If by "Malaysian" I mean "Indian," which I do. We actually didn't really ever get around to trying Malay or Chinese food in Malaysia, because the Indian food was so amazing and cheap. MMmmmmmm. I liked Indian food much better in Malaysia than in India. How ironic (Maybe. Ever since that Alanis Morisette song I have a difficult time knowing what is really ironic, and what isn't).

I think I need to work on making more interesting titles for my pictures. "Door"?? I'm ashamed. Deeply ashamed.

Also, I've written the word "door" so many times, it's lost all meaning. It looks so weird, and it doesn't sound right anymore. Door door doooooooooooooor.

Something fishy

2009-02-19T06:06:00.000-08:00

"Zen Fish," October 29, 2006. Nikon Coolpix S5, f/5.4, 1/120 sec. Seoul, South Korea.
I like fish (to look at, not to eat). I stood over the fishpond at Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul for like 5 minutes, waiting for a fish to swim by that leaf. & wasn't it all worth it?! I think it's kind of zen. For some reason. Possibly that reason is that I don't really know much about zen.
Also, my soccer team when I was like 13 was sponsored by a fish store named "Something Fishy."

Rock (but not roll) Hall of Fame

2009-02-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

"Sunset at Ales Stenar," December 25, 2006. Nikon N50, Sigma 18-70mm lens, and I don't know any more info, since it was taken with a film camera. Kåseberga, Skåne, Sweden.
This is the Swedish Stonehenge! Isn't that exciting?! Yeah... well, it's really not. It's okay, and there's a nice view of the ocean, but it's really just a bunch of rocks. But maybe you're into rocks. That's okay, then, and you should definitely visit Ales Stenar. If you're into anything but rocks, maybe Ales Stenar shouldn't be at the top of your "Must See" list. But anyhow, the boyfriend and I have made it a tradition to go to Ales Stenar every year on Christmas day if we're in Sweden (How many times do you have to do something before you can say it's a tradition? We've done it twice. Does that count?).
Also, Alles Stenar with two Ls is apparently a heavy metal band. Gnarly.

I heard laughter is the best medicine, but I like antibiotics better.

2009-02-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

"Laughing," January 6, 2009. Nikon D80, 50mm lens, f/1.4, 1/400 sec. Some small village that I don't know the name of near Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Whenever people in India saw my camera, they asked me to take a picture of them. Everybody laughed when they saw their photo afterwards, especially the kids. Super fun! I'm shy about taking pictures of people when I'm on vacation because I don't want them to feel like zoo animals, and I certainly don't want them to get angry that I'm taking a picture without asking, and come over and steal my camera, throw it on the ground, stomp on it, and then punch me in the face. But I'm usually also too shy to ask first, and then maybe the candid moment is lost. Regular portraits are cool, too, but I like candid. Although, not that "Candid Camera" show. Not at all. Often, I pretend like I'm taking a photo of like, everything around me, not the person I'm really wanting to photograph, specifically. I could also take the picture I want of them, then ask them to move out of the way, pretending that I actually wanted to take a picture of what was behind them. Or, I could just take a lot of photos of plants, which is what I usually do. I love plants.

We have to put a barrier between us and the snakes!

2009-02-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

"Horned," April 8, 2008. Nikon D80, 60mm macro lens, f/3.3, 1/160 sec. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Isn't this snake cool?! I like how his eyes are camouflaged, just like the rest of him. I like snakes.

"Albuquerque" is such a strange looking word. It like the fun way it sounds, too. Albuquerque. But I also like how "toxic shock syndrome" rolls off my tongue, so.... So. I'm not sure what the significance of that is. I don't like diseases brought on by tampons. It just has a nice ring to it. I got toxic shock syndrome in Albuquerque. Ah. Nice.

Over the hill motel

2009-02-10T07:47:00.000-08:00

"Fabulous," April 9, 2008. Nikon D80, 18-200mm lens (at 200mm), f/11, 1/500 sec. Texas, USA.
I have a thing for old signs. Last year, The Boyfriend & I took a road trip on Route 66, and I wanted to stop every 5 feet to take pictures of all the cool old signs. Did you know that 5 feet = 0.0076 furlongs? It's true!

I wonder if 40 really is fabulous? I mean, I'm sure it's fine and all, I'm just doubtful that it's more fabulous than other ages. I guess your 30s are supposed to be flirty, and your 2s are terrible... 16s are sweet... What about 28, people?! Fish bait? Playa hate? Procrastinate? Little Man Tate? I miss being 19. Now that was a good year. Before I got all old... Now it's all grey hair and wrinkles and senior discounts. Everything was better back in the good old days... Before the bursitis set in and my grandkids stopped respecting me. Sigh.

Bird, bird, bird. Bird is the word.

2009-02-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

"Bird," March 22, 2008. Nikon D80, 60mm Macro lens, f/2.8, 1/4000 sec. Lodi Lake, California, USA.
Why is it that when you flip somebody off, it's called giving them the bird? Hmmmmm.

This picture is from Lodi Lake, the very best lake in Lodi, California. In my opinion, anyhow. Except that they drain it for the winter, so it was empty when I took this photo. My mom and I went there for a picnic, with burritos, if I recall correctly. There was a little marshy puddle in the middle of the lake, and it smelled funny. Funny-bad, not funny-ha-ha. What would funny-ha-ha smell like, anyhow?

My son? Wait, I don't have any kids...

2009-02-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

"Sanskrit Tablet." August 18, 2007. Nikon D80, 18-200mm lens (18mm), f/3.5, 1/3200 sec. My Son, Vietnam.

My Son is this ruin of a spiritual center from a long time ago near Hoi An in Vietnam. How long ago was it?! Well, it was soooooo long ago that.... phooey, I can't think of anything funny. Something about how yo mamma is so old she hung out there... or something about dinosaurs, or... yeah, I'm drawing a blank. Insert your own joke. I promise I'll laugh. Anyhow, My Son was occupied by the Champa Kingdom from 400-1500 CE. So it's pretty dang old. Now it's ruins, because of time & the Vietnam War (which the Vietnamese call the American War. How ironic (or whatever. I have no idea what "ironic" really means since that Alanis Morrisette song came out back in the day)). Hmm... it might be nice to have a war to blame my wear and tear on, too... But probably not. Wars seem all glamorous and stuff, but I'm pretty sure they're really not so great. We had to get up at like 5am and ride for like 3 hours in a van to My Son, so we would be there before it got too hot. Which was fab, because I'm a delicate flower, and because there weren't that many people there yet. Uh... yeah, not much more to say about My Son. It was nice. I think it's a Global Heritage Site. Afterwards, we rode in a boat down the river. The end.

I know why the caged bird sings

2009-02-04T12:47:00.000-08:00

"Bird Cage Silhouette," May 5th, 2007. Nikon D80, 18-200mm lens (78mm), f/5.6, 1/4000 sec. Hong Kong, China.

Are you supposed to write, "Hong Kong, China" these days? I guess so. It seems weird, though. I think HK should be independent. Why not? I also think the US should be split up into a few smaller countries. The more countries, the merrier, I always say.

Hong Kong has a lot of markets. We went to a flower market, a fish market, and a bird market, plus some general markets. & night markets! & fruit markets, of course. Markets, markets, markets.

I picked the hotel The Boyfriend and I stayed at in Hong Kong because they had a pool where they played music under the water. I also told them it was our honeymoon, and we got upgraded to an executive floor. Woooo! I was expecting the honeymoon suite, though, so I was a bit letdown. & music underwater is cool if you're just floating there, but if you're swimming, you can't hear it.

Octopussy

2009-02-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

"Octopus 22," March 30, 2007. Nikon D80, 18-200mm lens (200mm), f/18, 3 sec. Suwon, Korea.

This is actually a dried squid, not an octopus. But "squid" and "octopus" are the same word in Swedish, so.... So nothing, because I'm not Swedish. I used this photo for the O of an alphabet challenge, so it had to be an octopus instead of a squid. Close enough.

Dried squid is a common snack in Korea. It smells nasty, and I'm not a very adventurous eater, so I never tried it. But it's pretty, isn't it?! I'm sure it's delicious, if you're into sea food, which I'm not. I'm a very picky eater. I don't like meat (except for chicken and hot dogs), spicy food, mushrooms, sea food, cilantro, strong cheeses, parsley, or ... well, that's all I can think of right now, but I'm sure there are a lot more things I dislike.

I don't want to be one of those people who are like, "Foreign food is gross & funny! We should laugh and jeer at it! My country's food is the only normal and delicious food out there!" But here are the gross & funny foods from Korea for you to laugh and jeer at: roasted silk worm larvae, dog stew (which is illegal, but still fairly common. & which I actually did try!), still-living octopus (you have to chew thoroughly, because otherwise the suction cups on the tentacles can fasten in your throat and you can DIE!), jellyfish (I accidentally ate jellyfish salad once. It doesn't taste very much. Just squishy), and the Grand Prix pizza from Mr. Pizza: a soft cookie crust with sunflower seeds, raisins, and pumpkin seeds, then normal sauce and cheese, topped with shrimp and potatoes, and then blueberry dipping sauce. Yep. I'm sorry I never tried this one when I had the chance. Everything else I can live without trying, but pizza... Superman's weakness? Kryptonite. Mine? Pizza.

Not just a grandma flower

2009-02-02T10:25:00.000-08:00

"Crazy Orange Chrystanthemum." October 20, 2007. Nikon D80, 60 mm Macro lens, f/3.8, 1/1000 sec. Suwon, Korea.

I taught English at a high school in Korea for a year. My students grew this lovely bloom for a Chrysanthemum Festival.

I said I would come to the festival, even though it was on a Saturday, and bring my boyfriend, since he'd never seen my school before, or met my coworkers. We were getting ready to leave Saturday morning, and got into a bit of a fight. He didn't feel like showering, since he wasn't dirty, and I thought he should shower anyway, so he'd look extra handsome when he met my co-workers.

"You don't always shower everyday. Nobody's going to care!" he argued.

"But you'll look nicer if you're all fresh & clean. & the students will be so excited to meet you! It's always fun to meet a teacher's boyfriend!"

Of COURSE I got my way, but he was Mr. Grumpy Pants the whole way to school. We got there, and some kids were playing soccer in front of the school. The whole game stopped, and everybody ran over to us. "TEACHER!!! Boyfriend?! Handsome!!!!! EEEEEEEEEK!!!!" There was much shrieking and picture taking. It was like that the whole time we were there, and new students would catch sight of us (& I had about 1000 students, so there was a lot of screaming!). "TEACHER!!!! Boyfriend?! SO CUTE!!!!" Johan felt like a rock star, and began to dream about teaching high school English in Korea, the most self-esteem-building job out there. The kids were always telling me I was pretty, and complimenting me on my hair, or my shoes, or my "S-line" (how a woman's hour-glass figure makes an S... totally inappropriate!). They also asked like once a week if I'd lost weight. But I think people always remember me as fatter, so I think that's why.

Anyhow. Don't chrysanthemum's always seem like old lady flowers? But there are a bunch of different types, some of which don't even look like their destined for a funeral or your grandma's bedside in the hospital after her hip replacement.

Double Vision

2009-02-01T08:28:00.000-08:00

"Glasses2." October 6, 2008. Nikon D80, 50mm lens, f/1.4, 1/800 sec. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

This was at a market in Amsterdam. I didn't buy anything there. Not for lack of trying... just for a lack of cool stuff that I wanted to buy.

I have always wanted glasses, but I don't need them. I made my mom take me to the optometrist when I was about 14, and I tried to fudge the eye exam a bit, but not so much so that I would get strong glasses that would actually destroy my eyes. It didn't work. Even when I was lying, my vision is still just too good. The curse of perfect vision is a hard cross to bear.

I think having glasses could help me study better. When I put on the glasses, I'd know I was in "study mode." I really need to just buy some weak reading glasses. My future in school depends on it.

Better Living Through Science

2009-01-31T08:33:00.000-08:00

"Airplane." October 27th, 2008. Nikon D80, 15mm Fisheye lens, f/2.8, 1/1600 sec. Brussels, Belgium.

The Atomium was built for the 1958 World's Fair. It's a unit cell of an iron crystal, magnified 165 billion times. It's amazingly rad looking on the outside, although inside wasn't very exciting- just some exhibits about the Expo, a place for school groups to sleep over, a cafe, and... that's all I remember. You can rent some of the spheres, or the entire Atomium after 8pm. Hmmmm... an Atomium wedding might just make me reconsider my aversion to marriage.

Why don't we have World's Fairs anymore?! I guess they still exist... but you never hear anything about them, and nobody seems to build anything zany for them anymore. The Eiffel Tower, the Space Needle in Seattle, the Crystal Palace in London, and the Unisphere in New York were from World's Fairs, too. Something we can all agree on is that the world would be a better place with more wacky buildings. It is one of my goals in life to go to a World's Fair sometime in my life. Shanghai 2010, here I come!

I bought very overpriced espresso cups in the gift shop. I had Atomium fever. I don't even drink coffee.

A sign in one of the exhibits says, "27 hopeless people tried to commit suicide" during the expo.

More of my photos from Brussels.