Brother

Cesky Raj, 2006

I called my brother in New York where he was staying for a week with my sister. He was there for a much needed break. Before leaving Budapest, he went through an audit at the same time he hosted a regional finance meeting. He was on his last day of vacation before going back to Europe. I wanted to catch him before he left.

He informed me that the audit went well. There were a few more things that he needed to fix but overall, operations are beginning to run smoothly. It took close to three years before he was able to turn things around in Prague-his first assignment. This time, it took him eight months.

My brother left for Europe in 2003. On a stop over in London, he had a panic attack. Luckily, his friend Mae was there for moral support. Things happened quickly. In two months, he packed his life and moved abroad after being in Philadelphia for five years. He didn't even have time to read up about the Czech Republic. He went in cold turkey.

The first two years were very difficult. Apart from the language barrier and living alone, he had trouble deciphering the Czech's way of life and work. After a few failed attempts at getting his team on his side, he finally succeeded. My brother has this unique ability to manage people using humor and empathy without losing his sights on the tasks and goals at hand. He has mastered the fine balance of being firm and having fun.

On his spare time, he taught an Accounting course in a nearby university and recruited promising students to work at the hotel. He trained, developed and improved his staff's skill sets that he was able to promote four of them to overseas assignments both in the US and Europe. By doing so, he has improved their lives. He has earned the trust and respect of both his staff and his colleagues.

Just recently, he gave his current staff a raise. After the audit, he invited them for a barbecue at his place and announced the good news. "They deserved it," he said. " They really pulled together and worked hard for it."

On his farewell bash after accepting his assignment to Budapest, his GM (General Manager) organized an Asian fête at the ballroom and invited all the employees of the hotel. He was given a standing ovation and each department gave him a gift. His GM put together a slide show recapping his time in Prague. He was very touched. He admitted it was difficult to say goodbye.

I am so proud of him.

This morning, my phone rang at 5:00 am. I unplugged the phone on the night table last night so I had to bolt out of bed and run down to the other room to pick up the call. It was my brother letting me know he was back in Budapest. He said he was going through Season 1 of Brothers and Sisters and while watching the show, he was beginning to miss his family. He wished we could be like the Walker family where we could call each other up and spend time together. I couldn't agree more. Both my sister and I are fans of the show and we love it for the same reason. I stayed with him on the phone, half asleep, as we reminisced about the past and talked about our plans to see each other next year.

I-880

One evening, I decided not to rush through my usual walk under this bridge from the Lake Merritt BART to Third Street in Oakland. This is what I captured.

Aug 28-Sept 1: Debra McClinton's work at Gallery 291

© Debra McClinton

Debra McClinton Opening Reception
August 28, 2008 (6-9pm)
Please join us for an Opening Reception on Thursday, August 28th from 6-9pm at Gallery 291.

From August 28 to September 1, Gallery 291 will exhibit select photographs by Debra McClinton. The images span Debra's career, including several that have never been published.

We invite you to join us and celebrate the work of this unique and dearly missed artist.

Where

Gallery 291 (291 Geary at Powell).

When

August 28, 2008 (6-9pm)

Who

For more information, please call the gallery (415-291-9001).

Has it been that long?

Today marks the 25th anniversary of Ninoy Aquino's assassination at the Manila International Airport. It was a pivotal moment in the history of the Philippines. Filipinos from all walks of life came together to voice their dissent against President Ferdinand Marcos. Three years later, his regime was overthrown through a peaceful revolution popularly known as People Power.

Rodney Smith in New York Magazine

©Rodney Smith

Rodney Smith has always been a favorite photographer of mine. His work is featured in the fall issue of New York Magazine. A collection of his classic black and white images can also be found at the John Cleary Gallery website.

Plain and simple...

Source via SwissMiss
Poster by Frank Chimero

Indecision

The residency will be ending in two weeks. I cannot believe it is almost over. Pouring through several prints last night, I had difficulty making the final decisions on which prints to accept or reject. Was I over analyzing and nit picking on every little detail? I know that my judgment is somewhat clouded because I have been working on these images very closely for the past two months. T was there with her laptop patiently waiting to log information on the spreadsheet while I drowned with indecision. When it was over, I was mentally exhausted. This morning, doubt and stress began to creep in. T read it on my face. It was one of those moments when every bad thought and insecurity cascaded in my mind. I am glad T has a way of snapping me out of it. She always knows how to confront matters with reason.It was enough to get me through the next five hours at the digital media lab.

Inspiration: Notebooks

Mary Ellen Mark


Paolo Pellegrin

Source: Moleskinecity

Where we're from

Some of my images are featured on Where we're From, an online exhibit curated by Lindley Warren of weprojects.org.

Where we're From is a project focusing on where it is that the selected photographers have grown up, lived, or are currently living. The project allows viewers an inside look at places that the artists have felt at home; letting people take a closer look at the lives of the photographers through their images and words.

Photoeye.com

One of my primary resources for photography books online recently overhauled their website: Photoeye.com. They added new sections such as an online magazine, a blog and a comprehensive photography listings guide (residencies, galleries, workshops, grants, etc.). The Publisher's Showcase section is a good place to start your research on potential publishers for your book ideas/projects.

Choices

The phone rang very early this morning. I was still asleep. I groggily turned to grab the handset on the bedside table. It was my sister. She just wanted to vent. She got off the phone with a man with whom she had to break some bad news. She declined the option she once considered. The man refused to listen to her reasoning. In fact, she belittled her saying he wasted his time and that she was making the wrong choice. She was taken aback by his reaction. He even raised his voice at her. By the end of the phone call, she was close to tears but somehow managed to control her emotions.

"It's all good." I said. "At least, he showed his true colors--Imagine if you actually had to report to this guy? No amount of money in the world is worth the stress."

She agreed with me. She had always wanted this option for years but the timing was not right. Her daughter had two more years to go at her school and she didn't feel right pulling her out now. She had also given her commitment to work with another person and felt strongly about keeping her word. It was a difficult decision but it felt right for her. She thought about this thoroughly and felt bad turning the other option down.

"Look, if he can't understand what matters to you , he will only cause you grief. The answer is clear: it is a definite no. At least, when you look back, you won't have any regrets. I think that's an important thing. If it is really meant to be, there will be other options out there for you."

Coincidentally, T shared with me a quote from John Maeda's blog a few days ago. It was from the book, The Tao of Warren Buffett:

In looking for someone to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. But the most important is integrity, because if they don’t have that, the other two qualities, intelligence and energy, are going to kill you.

I shared the quote to my sister and it made her tearful. She said, "Integrity has gotten me this far in life. It is not worth giving it up for this one." I completely agree with her. "And, if that yelling guy cannot see this quality in you, then it is his loss not yours."

By the end of our conversation, she felt much better.

Elizabeth Fleming: Traces and Allegories

©Elizabeth Fleming

I love this series by Elizabeth Fleming. She urges the viewer to look beyond her subjects and to explore different meanings and interpretations. Her play on focus and her choice of monochromatic tones further deepens this experience.

I also read her blog, Tethered where she shares her works in progress and her thoughts and experiences both as an artist and as a mother.

(Thank you, Elizabeth for showcasing my work on your blog)

Scout Tufankjian: Barack Obama campaign

Today, Michael David Murphy of 2point 8 featured Scout Tufankjian's work on the Barack Obama campaign. It was wonderful to experience so many funny and heartfelt moments by Barack, Michelle and their 2 daughters, Malia and Sasha through Scout's sensitive eye. Her refreshing angles and surprising points of view made me look through each and every photograph in her website. I encourage you to take a look.

Attaya

©Stella Kalaw

Everywhere we traveled in Mali and Senegal, the locals invited us for tea or attaya- a concentrated infusion of Chinese gunpowder green tea leaves and sugar. We gathered around a portable charcoal burning stove situated in front of the person concocting the drink. The boiling brew was contained in a petite blue enamel kettle that rested on top of the hot coals . Right beside the stove was a tray with two shot glasses. The tea is poured back and forth between the glasses to create the froth on the beverage. The process was an art form. In fact, we had witnessed a village chief from Dogon pour from at least a foot high from the glass, looking straight at us without spilling. The heavy textured tea was overwhelmingly sweet. As it lingered in my mouth, the bitter flavor from the tea leaves left a quaint after taste.

There were three stages to this ritual and this was apparently the weakest brew. The locals drank them like water while I could only manage to take a few small sips at a time. Nonetheless, we did it in the spirit of camaraderie and to experience a slice of the West African way of life.