My new normal is to conduct home and hobby projects working from a planned list and a designated timeline. I like to be able to adjust my pace to make the process fun and relaxing, and yet, not to waste the time away.
Most of my intensive travel was done while I was still working and thought photography is a luxury hobby. Still having a bucket list of travel destinations and still patiently waiting for the pandemic to be lessened, I am going through the old travel pictures. Most of my intensive travel was done while I was still working and way before my photography journey. Still having a bucket list of travel destinations and still patiently waiting for the pandemic to be lessened, I can at least go through the old travel pictures.
She was working in a vineyard in Tuscany, Italy. Every morning as I enjoyed my breakfast, I spotted her red jacket and noticed that she was one of the industrious workers whose bucket seemed always full. One day I walked up to her asking for a shot, she returned with a smile. This smile has always been in my mind. I wish her well.
After visiting numerous castles, mansions and churches in Europe, I found my ‘fiddler-on-the-roof’ in front of a Spanish palace. His self-content and nostalgic music are infectious and impactful. A few years later I ran into the texture with the music notes and this image has since become one of my favorites. I can still feel and hear up to this day.
That was at least 15 years ago. I ran into my colleague in Hong Kong while we were both traveling for work. We decided to utilize the weekend time and travel to Guilin, South West China where layers of winding rice patties are the unique landscape for the region. Farming residents then grew their own food with natural fertilizers, but we were still skeptical about the food quality in the restaurant. While there was no better choice, we took some stomach medicine and walked into a local restaurant. Surprise and not, the food is naturally and organically delicious. I can still remember the freshly stir-fried crunchy cabbage we had.
She was trimming freshly harvested chili and placed them on the bamboo plate. With two chatty people walking by, she did not even raise her head. No disturbance is the message. Our chat paused and footsteps were gradually quiet down… Simple yet colorful, Silent yet busy, Secluded yet a workforce on its own.
