Wordless Wednesday: Should I Apply?

Taiwan: The Heart of Asia -- So I Took Their Tests

Close to Home This Time

Taiwan Tourism contacted me today and, encouraged me to finish this course.

Somewhere along the line, I had enrolled but, never took the tests.

Awhile back, I was planning a trip to Ishigaki and Iriomote Islands in the south of Okinawa.

Right before, I was ready to pack up and leave, I got hacked.

Credit card and an email account, somehow got compromised. Groan.

Two banks, notified me of suspicious activity. I chopped up the card and ordered a new one.

Well, I was busy and forgot all about Taiwan and the travel professional's school.

All is well now, with the banks and email so, off to the online course, I went.

Taiwan Would Be a Fun Place to Visit

It's just a little over an hour flight time from Naha, Okinawa. I could handle that.

It's been awhile since, the last time, I visited Taiwan and, that was just the big city, Taipei.

Now, that I've learned some culture, history and geography, I want to see all of the island.

They have stuff like, bears, deer, monkeys and wild boar plus, lots of migratory birds.

Mountains over 12,000 feet, big raging rivers, lots of jungles and, a mild climate.

Heck. It would take me hours, to get to Africa, Hawaii, Mexico or Switzerland !

Should I disappear suddenly, for a week or three, you can probably guess, where I'll be.

Travel Agent Academy

This course was an external one, not at the Travel Agent Academy.

But, taking their courses was probably, how I got referred to Taiwan Travel Bureau.

Around the globe, I have been taking travel agent courses, not because I'm a travel agent.

A travel professional, isn't necessarily a travel agent. It's someone involved in the industry.

Writers and photographers, can be travel professionals, too.

Most to my photography and writing, has been about Okinawa. That's my specialty.

But, I like to peek at other countries and, see what they're promoting for the tourism industry.

It gives me ideas, when I see them, promoting whatever is unique, about their location.

Things like, the fastest train, slowest train, tallest mountain and widest river.

Okinawa has the best beer !

Published: Okinawa's Sabani Sailing People -- Photo Essay

 

Before Taking the Shot

 

The man with the red flag appeared to be a very important person.

What I like to do, is ask, before I take any photos.

Things can get pretty hectic, during an event like this and there wasn't any time for chatting.



Once he gave me the Thumbs Up, I was good to go. 

Crawling down the seawall was the only way to get this composition.

I wanted to separate him from the surrounding crowd.

Standing, directly to his right, were two other gentlemen, helping start the sabani race.

One blows a conch shell, the other beats a gong.

There may have been another, firing a starting gun. I wouldn't notice; I too was busy.

Weeks Later I Found a Name

 

 

The man with the red flag is, Ken Uehara.

He is the President of the Itoman Uminchu Art and Craft Center.

And, he is the Commissioner of  NPO  Hamasuki and Chairman of the Itoman Sailing Club.

More About Ken Uehara

My Photo Essay: Okinawa's Sabani Sailing People

 

 

One of these days, I'll be going to see if I can interview that man and visit his museum.

First, I want to finish this class I found, on sailing.

They give you free college classes at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Reading about sailing is alright.

It would be a lot smarter to get your feet and paddle wet before calling yourself a sailor.

Dontcha think ?



TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY: MATADORU

HERE IT IS. RIGHT OUT OF THIS MORNING'S EMAILS:

Dear Mike,
Today I'm really stoked to announce the launch of MatadorU's 2nd program: Travel Photography http://matadoru.com/courses-list/travel-photography. As with our methodology in the Travel Writing Program, this course isn't just "how to take travel photos," but an immersion into the life of a professional Travel Photographer working today. Within the first month, students complete lessons on equipment and technique, then get right into building successful WordPress blogs, creating networks of colleagues, pitching work to editors, strengthening their brands, and powering up their portfolios and blogs so they can get assignments, generate ad revenue, and expand their audience as photographers and new media professionals. We're especially excited about the teachers who will be working directly with students in this program, including Matador's own Lola Akinmade and Paul Sullivan. Their recent assignments as pro photographers have sent them to Morocco, Istanbul, and Iceland to name a few. As well, we have Gail Mooney, whose work has been published in National Geographic and Smithsonian. There is a lot more to explain about the program, including lifetime access to the forums and Market Blog, as well as the direct feedback offered in the Photo Labs. But instead of talking about it all here, I invite you to learn more about the Travel Photography programhttp://matadoru.com/courses-list/travel-photography We look forward to having you join our community. Please contact us with any questions!
Sincerely,
David MillerMatadorU Team

Now, I'm in kind of a rush and just copied, pasted and borrowed the words outa my email 'cuz, ya'll know me; I hate typin' and that Spellchecker and those HTML Codes that are always messin' up my website and blogs. I'm in a hurry and don't feel like fixing LINKS and all that stuff. So, if you want to learn more about the course, CLICK ON THE TITLE TO THIS POST AND "BINGO" IT TAKES YOU RIGHT THERE!