Pulled Over While Walking

The funniest thing happened to me yesterday! Well, it was kinda funny but pointless and it made me a little upset. While I walked from my house toward an internet cafe, the Japanese Police (JP's) pulled up next to me, got out of their car and proceeded to ask me various questions such as where I was going and if I came from the opposite direction that I was walking in. I was thinking, "No, I'm facing/walking this way!" From there, they asked for my ID, where I worked, if I mind emptying my pockets and opening my camera bag. I asked them what all that was about and they replied, "Nothing, we're just on patrol, checking everyone." Yeah right! Perhaps the truth is that I fit the description of a thug, someone who had job stolen something... Who knows what they were after but since I had nothing to hide, I was in full cooperation, even joked around a bit with them.

In the end, the JP's apologized, gave me back my stuff and sent me on my way. Still, that small episode immediately reminded me of an altercation that occurred roughly 10 years ago when I was in the military. Again I was stopped while walking, only this time one of the two officers came right out and said, "We're looking for a black man." His partner must have saw the look on my face because he jumped in and explained that the person they were looking for had jumped a taxi cab without paying the hefty fare. I cooperated back then as well but would like to let it be known here and now... It wasn't me!

Bangkok

Before venturing off to Thailand for the first time, I had heard various stories of the place from numerous US military service members who had travelled to the country primarily under orders, although no one had to twist their arms, to participate in bilateral/multilateral training excercises. Word of this exciting Asian location led me to do a little research online. Of course, there are many images of children begging in the streets as well as the active night life that can be found almost anywhere you look. However, taking the time to make the treck was a rewarding experience, one that allowed me to take in some of the sights, sounds and smells for myself. I couldn't wait to get back home and share just a few of my pictures with others.You won't see examples of the aforementioned children or night life images in my posting, instead the intent is to shed some light on what I found to be interesting aspects to life in Southeast Asia. To be fair, perhaps I should rephrase that to say life on a long strip of just one section of a major city in Southeast Asia. Surely there is more to Thailand, even more to Bangkok than this photo grouping reveals. Still, I have included a few my favorites from that trip.

I was surprised to see so many vendors selling all sorts of items along Bangkok's busy streets. Items are available for purchase at all hours of the day or night -- even live puppies and rabbits! This guy saw me taking a few shots and decided to pose for me.

This, like the opening image, was taken at a corner shrine. Apparently as part of the worship, people can purchase caged birds and set them free. I'm not sure how much that service costs but just as I was about to leave, I saw this guy making his purchase. I found a good spot and waited for him to open the cage.

I decided walk back to the hotel one night and found this security guard knocked out. I'm pretty sure he was merely asleep but you never know... I took several pictures of him, from different angles but this one is probably the best. Notice that he had his shoes and hat off, with his hands behind his back. It made for a photo opportunity that I couldn't resist.

The "skytrain" was my main mode of transportation during the 2 week stay in Bangkok. The guards were there to ensure that no one got out of hand or crossed the yellow line before the train arrived. More to come...

Spring Season in Okinawa

Although football has since taken the top spot, baseball was once known as America’s favorite past time. While it still ranks as one of the top three sports in the US, East Asian countries have also taken a keen interest in the sport. Chinese, South Korean and Japanese national teams almost always have a strong showing during the Summer Olympics, and in 2006, the Japanese team took home the title in the first ever World Baseball Classics (S. Korea placed third). The sport is played year round in several countries, representing various skill levels, from children’s league through major league.

While Okinawa does not have any professional teams, it does play host to several professional teams that make the southern trek during the off-season. Spring training in Okinawa is very popular mainly due to the island’s warm temperature and its close proximity to mainland Japan. This past weekend the Chunichi Dragons played a practice game against the LG Twins, a professional baseball team from Korea. The game ended 2-1 in favor of the Dragons but was called in the 8th inning so the teams could begin other drills.

Another interesting aspect of spring training is watching people as they patiently wait for autographs from their favorite players. I like to blend into the crowd and snap away at the shutter, capturing various facial expressions. Maybe I'll post a few more in a seperate entry. By the way, I will soon be vacationing in Thailand for 10 days so you may see some posts from there as well. Wish me luck!

Children at Play

The following photo was taken during a festival in Chatan, Okinawa last June. The photo shows a little girl and I'm assuming her older brother enjoying their time with soap and water (bubbles! ;-). The two seemed to be oblivious to the other goings on, such as the open air concert as well as my presence approximately ten feet away. I shot several frames of these two and since they pretty much remained in one spot, I had plenty of time to adjust and try different compositions.

This second photo was taken during the same festival. This young boy who had a good time posing for the camera. I noticed the two boys playing and pointed the camera in their direction. Tough guy with the toy sword took over from there and got creative. His partner in the background only had a slinky so I guess he didn't feel like participating. Too bad but hopefully he has his own toy sword by now...

It seems that whenever there are kids around having a good time, I always try to reach for my camera. Such was the case for this last photo during the 10,000 person eisa festival in Naha. This little girl was obviously tired and probably ready for McDonalds but it made for a good photo opportunity.

Thanks

Thank you for visiting my blog. This is my first attempt at such a craft so wish me luck as I will do my best to post regularly. I am currently studying Japanese so I will try to write bilingual posts as much as possible. Please forgive my mistakes in either language.

このサイトで日本語でも書けるので良かったです。これ私の初めてのブログ。今、日本語を勉強してるのでバイリンガルメセージも書きたいと思います。変や間違い日本語を使ったらごめんなさい。では、宜しくおねがいします。