Month: August 2012

Changing decades – days 15 to 22

It`s not that I haven´t had any positive thought these days … it`s that I haven`t been able to write about it. I have a lot on my plate right now. Just like a chess player I`ve spent a great deal of time trying to figure out what the next right move is …

Days 15-22 PT: when stuck, you need to move one piece otherwise you will never move in any direction.

Have a very nice Sunday!!

Changing decades – day 13

The grass is always greener on the other side.

I needed some help today and I went to another area to get it. It seems it wasn`t the right moment, judging by the long faces I found. When I asked my question I got a very harsh answer. I let it go, I didn`t want to start an argument over it but I really needed help so I insisted. Once again, I got nothing but one of those killer looks and came back to my desk empty-handed.

Later, the guy from that area came to my desk to apologize? maybe he meant to but instead he made a long list of all the problems they had, injustices, misfortunes and so on, trying to explain? why they had been reluctant to help me, as if I had something to do with what was causing them troubles. And he added that maybe, I was not able to understand the scope of their discontent because my job was easy and I was always happy?

Day 13 PT: I`m on the other side, where the grass is greener … because if I treated my own coworkers the way I was treated today, I would never be on the greener side.

Changing decades – day 12

I take some breaks during the day and I usually go to the smokers room. That`s the place to gossip. You learn that somebody did something good or bad, it doesn`t really matter, and somebody else said something or … whatever. Even if you are not interested in what it´s being said, you have to listen and even if you don`t feel like saying anything about it, you are asked to. But today was one of those days in which you seem to be paying attention but you are not.  You nod, you smile, you say “uh-huh”, “ah” and whatever interjection you see fit but if you were asked to repeat what it was just said you have no clue. Nobody notices it, of course. It`s your secret.

Where was I ? or rather where was my mind while people were talking? I don`t know, just somewhere else …

Day 12 PT: my brain must have learnt how to turn gossip into white noise.

Changing decades – day 11

Two things happened this morning when I woke up: Thing number one, I had a terrible pain somewhere inside my mouth, not sure if it was toothache or gum related, but it was pain. Second thing, my hair got burnt. I go to work and it`s raining heavily and my umbrella got stuck and I got wet. In the office, I learnt that one of the projects I was working on was cancelled. As I was still in pain I went to a dental emergency room to learn that I had an infection and that my teeth are at risk. I didn`t pay the rent and the landlord was looking for me everywhere (not my fault, though) and once at home the lawyer called me to say I had to pay a large sum of money.

Day 11 PT: I`m lucky I wasn`t hit by a truck!

Changing decades – day 9

A while ago a friend of mine asked me some questions about photography. She wanted to know more about it, was thinking about taking up a course and was interested in my opinion. At one point she asked me what sort of pictures I liked best and if I had a favorite subject to photograph. I said that my interests varied from time to time and that I was always willing to try something new as regards technique but as for the subject, I was interested in everything.

She insisted, though. She said that everybody had a favorite subject and I said I didn`t. She reformulated her question and asked what type of pictures I was used to taking but I had no answer.

Today, while I was looking at some old photos, I remembered this conversation and I realized that most of my pictures were taken in the streets, which makes me what? a “street photographer”? I don`t know, I love the “treasures” I find in this city, objects that tell a story, street art, forgotten places, people. This is what I see in my walks. But I also like to share the beauty I see when I travel, and that makes me what? a landscape photographer? I don`t think so. I`m just a person with many interests.

Day 9 PT:

The world is full of unlabeled beauty worth photographing.

Changing decades – day 8

Saturday. It`s raining heavily. I had planned to go take some pictures of a property but there is no way I can go out with the camera. I do my Saturday shopping when the rain seems to stop. Needless to say that I get wet every single time I go out. You cannot predict rain as you cannot predict the future.

I´m somehow forced to be home -home sweet home- that reminds me of all the things that need to get done. And just me to get them done. It´s a little bit overwhelming since “me” doesn`t want to work this particular weekend but “me” is a very demanding boss 😦

I spend a long time in the kitchen processing the vegetables, making some tarts, even trying a new banana tart (which is not my specialty by the way)

chopping up red pepper and onion

I also checked my beloved old camera that once upon a time” shared” a bag with a smashed pear and as result got ruined. I cleaned it up but it was too late for the screen and who knows what else. Thing is that I miss my small city camera as I call it even when I replaced it with another one that is bigger in size and much slower to focus.

my faithful friend

Some time on the www and you know how it is, you look for something and you find something else and by the time you come back to the real world you realize that you`ve read lot of information except the one you were looking for. My original intention was to erase old mails and I ended up trying to make my coffee look like this:

arte-con-cafe-Diapositivas

I also downloaded a free software called “Sketchup” to design projects in 3D. Have you heard of it? I´ve started to see some tutorials and it seems easy to use. Nothing to show you at the moment. Later, when I get better at it, I`ll share with you some ideas.

Finally, dinner with friends was put off because of the rain. Most of my friends don`t have cars (we live in a large city, we don`t actually need them, there is plenty of public transport) so getting a cab in this weather is a real nightmare. Which was a good opportunity to watch some movies.

Day 8 PT: rainy days are a good opportunity to do all those things you never have time to !!!