A long hiatus

It’s been a while since I have posted and so much has happened and changed. After 13 years of relative success in corporate America I decided to take a break for now and focus my efforts and energies on non-profit work. It’s been both a great and challenging transition to go from the routine of work to a routine that’s much more self guided and directed.

I find myself now on an Indian reservation in South Dakota working on a short documentary. I am here with a larger team and it’s been fascinating to watch their reactions to the poverty here. My life has been full of experiences that illuminated the privilege that we have in middle class america, but it seems for some of my comrades this is the first time many of them are experiencing that self awareness

Shooting in Guatemala

Today is day two of shooting here In Guatemala. I am working on a project for Casa Guatemala which is an orphanage and school for about 250 kids in the Rio Dulce community in Guatemala. It’s been an amazing project thus far. We have been shooting on the Epic, quad battery module, and the Red 18-85MM which is a beast. The camera and gear weigh about 50lbs so it’s a physical shoot to say the least.

These trips always enable a great deal of perspective and reflection. But it’s not the typical, paternalistic pity. Nor the awe of happiness in poverty. But rather the simple question of “what”. The simple wonder of “what do I want to do today?” and the resulting sensation of endless opportunity and capability. So today I guess I am going to keep making a documentary, tomorrow?

Traveling with the Red Epic

As a filmmaker I am always trying to find the easiest way to move my gear around but also been as inconspicuous as possible. For the project in Haiti with Filmmaker For A Cause I was taking the new Red Epic with an assortment of lenses and accessories. The key is to be able to bring it all on the plane and easily move it around the country once we landed. I know a lot of photogs and Filmmakers swear by backpacks and shoulder bags but fully loaded my kit of gear weighs 50lbs and it’s a back and shoulder breaker. So I wanted something with wheels. I ended up purchasing a Think Tank International v2.0 bag and I absolutely love it. The one downside to the bag is that I have to “breakdown” the camera, meaning I have to take some parts off of it before I can store it in the bag, but thats ok in my style of working. Once I land and I put the camera together, it stays together the entire time I am in the country, and then I work out of the bag for accessories and such.

The bag is able to hold the Red Epic Body, Side Handle, 4 SSDs, EVF, 2 Top Handles, LCD, Canon 16-35, 85, 50, 70-200 lenses, 6 red volts, ssd reader, wireless mic kit, shot gun mic, cables, screw in filters, len pens, and Allen wrenches, screws, and bits. Fully loaded the bag is HEAVY, but it fits in all carryon bins and looks like a small roller of clothes. The one thing I have to be careful with is to not be weighed at Checkin, as some airlines are starting to weigh more and more… Other than that, I have found my new bag! It’s holding up great on this trip to Haiti!

Shooting in Haiti

So I have decided that while I love my detailed and extensive posts, it makes posting time consuming and prohibitive in some ways. That leaves my blog with big gaps and less useful. So I am going to introduce a new format. Small, simple, spontaneous, posts.

Right now I am in Haiti working with Filmmaker For A Cause on documentary projects in Haiti. It’s been intense but amazing. This country truly has such great potential but has received very little true development support.

We walked through the collapsed cathedral and it really is unreal. It feels like some of the rumble has been cleared but no real effort to put it back together.

More later

Panama Bound

So another adventure abounds and I promise to be better keeping the trip log up and running. This is going to be a combination of working off the blackberry and then posting final high res work from the computer at the end of the project.

We are heading down to Panama to do a Filmmaker For A Cause project. We have two panamanian organizations that we are looking to partner with. One focuses on working with indigenous groups to protect their land rights and maintain culture. The other organization is focused on AIDS education, counseling, and supporrt for indigenous communities. Should be two very solid projects and a lot to capture in the next 5 days!

What has me most worried is that we are entering the country with our film gear and we may be assessed taxes and or import duties. I am hoping the low profile of the Red Epic and small bag can get us through. Also our young faces and good looks 🙂 will see. We can’t afford thousands in customs and it could put an immediate end to the trip. Fingers crossed.

More to come!

Ecuador Bound

Sitting on the plane and en route to Ecuador. This is a completely fun trip that may evolve to have a deeper purpose if we connect with a non-profit down there. I am excited to speak spanish and get back to the camera.

Since India I have had a fair bit of international travel, but its been mainly for work. Leaving me with very little time to have fun. This is my first major international trip post India. I am looking forward to getting back to the blog!

India: Madurai…poisoned

So it had to happen. Post Kanayakumari, we headed to
Madurai; making our way east to the project. Madurai is known for
it’s amazing temple which has survived thousands of years and still
operates as a religious place today Unfortunately, we didn’t get to
spend much time with it. After taking a 5 hour train ride from
Kanya to Madurai, we were starving. We wanted to grub on lunch and
have a beer, and then hit the main city and temple. We got
convinced by the touts to save 1000 rupees and stay at a cheaper
hotel. The hotel was decent, so enticed by the money we went for
it. Well the room turned out to be a mirage of comfort and the
hotel a trojan horse for nastiness. When we sat down for lunch, we
could smell the kitchen. Never a good thing. But when the food came
and the chef was so excited about it, we didn’t want to offend. We
selectively picked through our plates but it wasn’t enough. Almost
immediately my stomach started sounding off and Chuckles said it
was “psychosomatic”. Yielding to the influence, we headed to see
the temple. Bad idea, an hour into it, I knew I needed to head
back. Making it to the room, I erupted like that random volcano in
Iceland (but beyond grossing out chuckles, I caused much less
harm). It was bad. Chuckles still insisted that he was fine. I
curled up and dreamed of mom’s pampering. Oh and the awesome room,
yea the AC didn’t work, so that night it was the sweats. Gross. And
chuckles? Well he erupted too. But more like the oil spill in the
gulf, gross. Madurai = no fun for us.

India: Kanayakumari & Nagercoil

Kanayakumari is the southernmost point in India, where the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean meets the Arabian Sea. The town is known for this unique fact and its amazing sunrises and sunsets. Kinda neat to have a place known for what happens around it, vs. whats in it. Oh yea, we found a place to stay. The trusty taxi driver drove us to a few places, and we settled on one n the middle of the action.

We have spent a couple of days here making our way east to connect with a project. The town itself is nothing to write home about, and we are one of few westerners here, but the hotels are full of Indian families on vacation and exploring their country. I like that.

Getting up for the sunrise was an experience. It’s clearly a known fact that it is ThE reason to be there. Like pilgrims waiting for the coming of their messiah, people lined the shores of the water, roof tops, cars, etc. All gazing outward water for the sun to crest. In some ways it was eery, like at any moment some crazy unforeseen event was going to happen. I checked for exits 🙂 and then settled in.

The Glow

The sunrise itself was just OK. With all of the build up i was feeling a little cheated. The sunrises in Hawaii in the pacific, or Thailand in the Andaman have rocked it a little harder. But this man’s face made the worth wait it. I love people. I like trying to capture what they experience. He looked so deeply into the horizon, I wondered if his eyes would pull it closer.

Reverence

Post sunrise, it was time to get to the little town. I wasn’t feeling that inspired by it really. There re two key monuments set out in the ocean devoted to gods & man.

The Monuments

So we hoped the ferry to explore and it was just ok. Maybe we are getting monumented out? But there were two parts of the experience that we fun. Firstly, i am still a celebrity even down in the south. Those of you that know Chuckles, knows he loves the spotlight a bit, and I can tell he is tiring of my glow. But its kinda funny down here vs. up north where it felt aggressive. Down here they actually think i am a WWF fighter, and they treat Chuckles like he is my manager or something, asking him the base questions, and then wanting to shake my hand or take a picture with me. It’s really funny. After a bit of this, you really start to fall into character. Avoiding eye contact with groups, Chuckles intervening in all the pictures. It was kinda hilarious. The best was a group group of school kids formed a line with their hands out, like a wave, and I ran down the entire length. Or another moment was when someone was taking a picture of me, Chuckles was leaned in and they moved the camera to crop him out. Hilarious.

The second fun part of the experience was the actual ferry over. It’s a rusted out bucket which is fine, but the best part is that they make you wear a life preserver. And of course the things re old as heck, crushed, and ineffective at saving your life. But they demand that you put them on and share in the nice bed of germs that cover them. Yummy. We got progressively better at each elg of the ferry (there are 3 stops), allowing less and less of it to touch us,, and also jockeying For the best seats and access to the door. Americanized concepts of courtesy and personal spae have slowly broken down. I think if I wedge my butt against your leg, i can fit. Lets go!

The town from the see view is quite pretty. With the multicolored houses and beaches, it does cue Alamafi coast.

Boats

Crayola

Back on land we went to our favorite watering hole, for a bit of “refreshment”, which strted one of the funnest nights.

“Hermit” Lounge

The nest day was a little “slow”, but we made a plan to get some music in our lives. We hired a taxi and headed into the nearby city of Nagercoil looking for some music.

We found a guitar and decided to go for itl

The Precious

The ride to and fro Nagercoil was chill. We finally got to ride in one of the white 50’s looking cabs, I promise I will take a picture of one soon though. Until then, here is the inside of one.

Wheel

I have t say that I am slowly falling in love with the auto rickshaw. They just seem so cute, and spunky.

The Backside

Ok. I am tired. Post is getting stranger and stranger 🙂 better stop now.

India: Varkala to Kanayakumari

The bands on the move again. After a few days in Varkala, we needed to press onward to get to the east coast of India. Again the trains would be our chariot and the route would mean two overnight stops. One in Kanayakumari where the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Indian ocean all meet. Its supposed to have crazy sunrises and sunsets. Then to Madura, a temple town. And then take a bus to small town India.

Last Varkala Sunset

We have been towing our suits around to every town we have been in, always saying we are going to mail them back to the states but it never happens (the suits are the brown bags below).

Our Gear

We are slowly realizing that nothing in India really happens on time and thats ok. This train was almost an hour late and on top of that the class of service we bought (3rd class AC) wasn’t even offered on the train. So we just hopped in the sleeper class. Which despite its name is one of the lower classes. And of course the train is packed and about 100 degrees and humid. Somehow we managed to miscommunicate and chuckles hikes 5 cars ahead and I stow my bags in a car. Then we had to double back with all of the gear and reconnect. Was taxing on the nerves and the sweat was positively soaking through.

The Car

Eventually the train started to empty out. And again, nothing in India is as printed. Our 2 hour trip was more like 5, but eventually we settled in. As we went deeper into the south, the lushness of the environment increased. There was water everywhere, and the sun was doing amazing things to the colors.

Lush

As the train rolled through Trivandrum, it emptied almost completely. It went from about 100+ in a car (which should have no more than 72) to about 5 of us in our car. I liked how the area looked empty.

Vacancy

We also have to introduce you to Mary. She is our empty Mirinda bottle and held our window open: we tried to be sure she had a good view of all of the action.

Mary

As the trip went on, it started to rain. I liked the way the raindrops clung to the bars.

Poppins

We rolled into Kanayakumari in darkness and with no hotel room to stay at. We did it once before, we can conquer again.

More later

India: Varkala

Varkala!! After striking out in Kochi for a cool place to stay we decided to head to Varkala, a cliffside beach town for a couple of days of R&R. As you can see from the other posts, we have been hard charging through India thus far. Spending a day at a place, seeing a ton, and then moving on. We needed to take a little time and relax. Also with the year coming to a close, we needed to find a place to celebrate!

The plan was to take a train from Kochi to Varkala. It was only 200km away on the map and there was an easy train station in Kochi. But since nothing can be super easy, we had to also anticipate a couple of hurdles. The first is that we didn’t have a place to stay in Varkala! We called all of the places and they were booked full. Not a room available. Reading the online forums and suchs it did seem like there were a lot of places that simply didn’t advertise on the net and weren’t in the lonely planet or other guide books. So we would just figure it out when we get there. The second challenge was that in the entire state of Kerala, the transportation industry (non governmental) were on strike. So that meant no taxis, rickshaws, hired cars, etc. So that meant a walk to the train station in Kochi which wasn’t so bad, just a few km. But in Varkala it was a much longer hike. We were betting that some type of black market would either spring up to help or we would just figure it out there. Chuckles was determined to get there after the seed had been planted, so off we went.

The indian train experience was shaping up to be an adventure. The trip to the station was hot and humid, and once there, it was still confusing. But the staff was helpful and we found our platform. It was packed with folks, but seemed orderly.

Waiting

As we waited for the train to come, we investigated one of the trains sitting parked on the tracks. It was a second class train, a meta, tube with just bars over the window openings to prevent decaptittion, but the loss of an arm or leg was totally game. It was dark, and the heat shimmered off the hot metal. Jeez, i am glad we sprung for the deluxe Sleeper Class. The train pulled in and ignited the mass rush to board. We had no idea where we were going. We just got on. All the cars in front of us said sleep class, but tell me why did it look just like that parked metal oven across the track. Uh oh, this was going to be a long ride. Since there were no seat assignments we could understand, we ended up just standing in the doorway, and of course the toilets were there to keep us company. Standing and braced against the wall we shoved off.

The scenery inspired the senses. The land was green and lush and the air was clear. Kerala really is beautiful. It felt much more like Thailand, cambodia, Vietnam, etc. vs. The dusty bowl of the north.

The guy below had such a strong face.

Pensive Keralan

Not to be outdone, the wafing of the train pulled Chuckles in as well, and we just enjoy a bit of rickety calm as the scenery passed by.

Pensive Chuckles

The interior of the train was basic. The metal shell, cut openings for windows, bars for anti-decapitation, and vinyl boards for chairs. In each area anywhere from 6 – 10 people could be wedged in. The official seating chart said 4.

Lounging Family

Feet & Heels

The car master Kept looking curiously at us as we stood for the ride. Eventually he came over to ask if we wanted our seats. We said we’re cool, but colloquial English expressions are often misinterpreted, so we were whisked to sit down. He cleared some women and children away and we felt awful. But he told us they were his children, and with the seat cleared we took it. That was a good idea. That train ride was not an hour and a half like we were told, but more like 4 hours. It was exhilarating to watch the trains pass. I swear they run closer than we do in the states, forcing debri from the tracks into the train.

Passing Trains

Arriving in Varkala we were stoked to be approached by a rickshaw driver! Either he didn’t get the memo on the strike, or he was willing to take the risk. We were down. It’s the first time in India that the touting was desired. As we crossed the tracks to get to his rickshaw we did pass other drivers. Looks like the strike was planned to try and have the least impact on tourism. Normally in India you do not let the rickshaw driver take you to hotels, as they get a commission and it’s rarely the places you want to stay. But remember we were all tapped on places. So we went along for the ride. The first place was nice, but it was off the beach and we really envisioned one of the magical beach bungalows we had read about. Determined to make the sale, the driver took us to another place, and it delivered! Bamboo hut, outdoor shower, 100ft from the main cliff side and beach and an awesome home base for the next couple of days. We took it, and the price ws reasonable. This is the peak of tourist season for Varkala so we were prepared to pay, but this place rocks for like $24!

We dropped our gear and went to grab some grub. Dinner was delicious. We had some fresh prawns, fried chicken, and a fish cooked in a banana leaf. On the prawn note, when the bill came we learned that the prawns here are made of unobtanium. You know the stuff from Pandora. Yup, it’s crazy expensive. The fish was like $3, the chicken $5, the beers $3 each, but the prawns. Damn, like $5 each!!! and of course we gorged on them because we didn’t know… Lesson learned. The best part of dinner though was the dance troop that came and performed some hip hop moves for us. In the middle of the restaurant, they broke out into a hip hop, so you think you can dance it, it was awesome. Led by the choreographer and obviously the best dancer, the troop weaved karalan, western, and african dance into a smooth progression of movement. While note the crispest show I have seen, it brought down the house. The fire dancer took the prize though when he appeared wielding fire and burning off ever strand of body hair. He set his turbine ablaze and the troop danced around in sync and in circle.

Fire Circle

Post dinner it was a quick nighttime beach visit and bed. The next morning it was up and time to do some laundry for Chuckles. He turned our outdoor oasis into a clothes jungle.

Clothes Jungle

Varkala during the day really is stunning. The cliff hugs the thin strand of beach, and the stairs up and down ensure you go down and spend a while.

Varkala

Down on the beach the familiar tourist hustle begins, with the office for an umbrella. With the sun really heating up and my skin starting to sizzle, it was a deal. The guide books and such make Varkala out to be a hidden gem. A little known wonder. Thats just not the case. This place was packed full of Europeans. With an umbrella and home made lounge chair, I kicked back while Chuckles went to the sea.

Beach View

Safety

We discovered that there were 2 distinct beaches in Varkala, divided by a guard and a string. One for the Indians and the other for tourists. The Indians played and frolicked on theirs like we did ours and of course Chuckles had to cross the divide and made some friends. Apparently at other beaches in India, male gawkers soil the beach scene so this seems to be a type of precaution against that. Though it did feel just weird.

Post beach it was time for beers and food, since it WAS new year’s eve. The sunset was unremarkable for Varkala, but amazing to us.

Sunset
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As the sun dipped and the food and beers flowed, I couldn’t help but have that moment of reflection on my life. Yea it’s cheesy I know. But damn, life is good.<