The Green Buoy

I think is going to be my last post here.

It seems that I haven't been keeping up as well as I had hoped...

BUT!

That's not a bad thing. I've just finished a band shoot and I should have a few more lined up soon ;) Opportunities have come my way and I've been seeing them through with great results so I think I should do less of the blogging thing and more of the Flickr thing ;)

So for those of you who stumbled upon this page can still take a look at some of my work. Although I don't update that daily, I'm always finding time to put something up... at some point.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/113986292@N02

Please take a look. Some of my best work is up there.

If you want to email me to talk shop or anything else for that matter, you can e-mail me here:

gansj_@hotmail.com

Thanks for reading up and following me.

Thanks for seeing me through.

Maybe I'll come back at a later date, whether or not I stay in South Korea, and put up the odd post.

I'll see you soon.

The Last

There has to be something said about the catharsis you feel at the end of a tough year. It's like the last part of "Bully" entitled 'The Endless Summer'. You come to the realization that the bears are really cockroaches and wolves are really sheep. And the reality hits you like a ton of bricks.

 The world isn't such a bad place, it just has horrible people. I understand that karma is not a real thing by any means but I got through and the gigantic circle that I made this out to be is a dot in the grand scheme of things. I'm in a better place, with better people and with REAL teachers who actually have something to say about teaching, not complaining about how much they hate children.

I've seen horrible people do incredibly awful things. Betray friendships, lie to coverup, use people to achieve things they didn't deserve...

These are the people on the side of the highway... Just leave them there

Anyway...

For those who got through, you're the last of a dying breed.

The ones who don't need to pat themselves on the back for doing something decent.

The ones who got through this "last chance" push just to make to the end.

The ones who were good simply for being good

The ones who didn't run away.

I'm glad to be among the best at my new school and I urge all of you who have had a difficult year to push on. This is a wonderful place. Not just South Korea, but this state of being. Don't give up on it.

Or you'll be lifting boxes for the rest of your life.

The Places You'll Go

Throughout my time in Thailand, I thought very long and very hard about want was important in my career as a teacher, my interests in photography, writing and film, and what the hell I wanted to do for the rest of my days.

 I've met some of the greatest people over the course of my time in Bangkok, Surat Thani, Koh Pa Ngan and Kanchaniburi. Every single person had a story they tell and every person came from a different place and every person had a place they are headed for... And trust me, there were many.

 For me, it was figuring out that simply cutting off people that hold you back is unbelievably invaluable.

Just -- cut -- them -- out

I thought I left this skill back in Canada.

 I know the world is open and there's time.

Oh... The places you'll go.


PS. I have a flickr account ---> http://www.flickr.com/photos/113986292@N02/

Check it out.

One Piece

 Okay... So it's been two months since my last entry and I'm very sorry about that... But that doesn't mean I'm out.

I came back from a trip to Thailand with some (Eee-hem) good pictures. These ones in particular are digital, but most of the work was done on film so I'll post those up later once I get them all sorted. Please enjoy responsibly.

Swords at Play

Dennis is a Kumdo master who teaches... Kumdo...

Anyway, he holds classes in the apartment building that I live in and he was gracious enough to allow me into one of his classes.

This time around, I brought two cameras with me, one with black and white film and the other, colour. The odd thing about the black and white film is that the store I bought it from sold rolls individually (as opposed to the traditional packaged kind...) so I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I developed them. They seem to have a little more contrast than normal but I'm pretty happy how they turned out.

So there are two sets here of the same class... Enjoy.

 

What's the Farthest You Can Walk Into a Forest?

So as of Sept 1 (well... For me it's technically August 20th), I've officially hit the halfway point of my year in Korea.

So far, it's been complicated and easy at the same time. Maneuvering through daily Korean life can be a pain at times especially when you're trying to explain for the millionth time that the damn negatives need to be on a friggin' DVD... 


And breathe...

The honest truth is that despite Korea being incredibly good to me, it's been quite the roller coaster. I've made my fair share of mistakes and stupid decisions. But I've gotten through some tough spots and tried things I've never done before.

I've met people who have been very good and awful to me. There have been people who have given up their time to see me through what I sometimes think is this never ending veil of tears.

Although this may sound like a first world problem, I've hit tough fork in the road that leads into the rest of my life.

As we move into the fall, I can't help but think about putting what you can into the hours you've got. I'd have to say that everything that has happened to me so far (I can't write everything here), I'm feeling pretty good.

When it shines, it shines but when it rains, it pours so I hope at this stage of the game, I can look forward to clear skies and weather the storms in this little boat of mine.