I just decided that this is the summer that I get back into dirtjumping.
hi. i'm dave.
All
Explore your creativity!
Drink tea and be healthy!
Be your own geek!
Be unpredictable!
Be thoughtful!
Reflect.
Dream..
Culture Shock
“It’s a funny thing about comin’ home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You’ll realize what’s changed is you.” -Benjamin Button
Two weeks ago I returned from Cuba. It was an amazing trip. Cubans never cease to amaze me with their generousity and kindness, despite so much hardship. The people there are so genuine and trusting. My cuban friends even joked about hitchhiking being their national sport!
This was the first time I’ve returned to Cuba in 5 years, and the way I experienced it was…much different then the last time I was there. Last time I was only 17 years old, and stayed on the tourist path nicely laid out before me. This time, I made an effort to get off the beaten path, making real connections with the locals. I went fishing with a local for hours on the rocky shore. I grabbed some beers and wandered through the local market (talk about a stark difference from even the tourist thrift markets). I played baseball with some locals in the town near where I was staying. I experienced Cuba.
I’m back in Winnipeg now and I’m having trouble slipping back into the way of life here…it just feels less “right”. Although I’m back where I was before my trip, I feel like I’m looking through a different set of eyes…or at least with a different perspective. Friendliness in the streets is few and far between here: Saying hello to a passerby is considered odd…hell even making eye contact makes people feel uncomfortable. In the morning I look at blur of cars buzzing past my bus stop: Most all of them occupied by but a single driver. And then there are all the things we take for granted here…
Our problems are so miniscule here compared to big problems in other places in the world, and we place so much emphasis on them. It just seems so dumb, so…pointless. I can’t help but feel we live in a hopelessly segregated, introverted society.
Will I readjust? …or do I even want to?
Monopoly Vote!
Heh, they’re making a Canadian Monopoly game and are letting people vote on which cities are going to be in it. Cast your vote here! As of the time of this post Winnipeg was down at 23 (and they only will use the top 20!) so we have some catchup to do here on the prairies =P.
Help-Potrait
I was just made aware of a project of which I would like to be a part of next year, and it’s called “Help Portrait”. Help portrait is a movement of photographer who are using their time, equipment, and expertise to give back to those who are less fortunate. The basic premise is to find someone in need, take their portrait, print their portrait, and deliver it to them. I’m 100% behind this cause - why not take a day out of my schedule and use the gear I already have to give others something that means so much to them. A picture really is a fascinating thing that we overlook and take for granted…but to those less fortunate, it’s almost “magical”.
http://vimeo.com/8585737
This year a small group of Winnipeggers participated in this global event and made a big difference. Next year, I’m going to do what I can for this, and you should look into it too. It’s global, so there’s likely already somewhere you can pitch in OR you could start up your own initiative. More details at www.help-portrait.com.
“ In a world where 1% of the population owns 40% of the planet’s wealth… in a world where 34,000 children die every single day from poverty and preventable diseases, and where 50% of the world’s population lives on less than 2 dollars a day…one thing is clear: Something is very wrong.
Peter Joseph
"Days with My Father" - Photojournalism
“…To have left nothing unsaid. To know that we loved each other nakedly, without embarassment. To have felt his pride at my accomplishments. And to have discovered how funny he was.”
