A Few Words for This Wednesday - Sorta A Gripe

 This Cure Doesn't Work for Everybody

A while ago I could publish hundreds or thousands of words with no difficulty.

Articles, stories, reviews, and travel adventures just rolled onto paper with no effort.

Call it laziness, craziness, or whatever you like. Writing just doesn't get me excited anymore.

New Year's Day I  bought some notebooks to see any writing motivation would come along.

Two spiral-springy book things sat resting on a shelf next to the computer.

Some research was done (for a few months) and, finally, I decided to kick the writer's block.

There must be 100 methods writers can use to get their inspiration for writing fired up.

This one sounded like something which might work for me.

Every morning (for the month of March) I forced myself to write 500 words a day.

Most of the time, it was after looking at the news and social networks, early in the morning.

The house is quiet at 4 AM and I can sip my coffee without any distractions.

About halfway through my 500 milliliters of iced coffee, I'd get inspired and write.

"500 words," It really doesn't take lots of effort to write that piece.  In a few seconds, I was done.

If you have trouble writing, you might want to try this guy's method. It's not for me.

So, I'm thinking of giving myself another month of rest. Maybe, try something new in March!

Late Night Interviews and Watashi - Bad Mix

A Gal Walks Into a Bar

Friday night found me, starting off in a noisy Brazilian bar um, drinking beer.

In came an Okinawan friend of mine, with some young lady, I had never met before.

Some soft conversation (which I couldn't hear) took place and, he left her with me.

From the little bit, I could figure out, she was a freelance writer, wanting to do an interview.

Fluent in Japanese (because, that's where she's from) I tried finding this on my iPhone:

It was an interview, the Ryukyu Shimpo newspaper had done on me.

All in Japanese, I figured it would make things go much smoother and, I wouldn't need to talk.

But, whenever I get to drinking things like this, fail to appear on my cell-phone.

Today, I dug this up, out of my files and, am posting it, just for the heck of it.

The gal doing interviews, got someone else, to talk to and, I went back to drinking.

Along came a Brazilian friend and two gals and, we drank, talked and, generally had fun.

Pretty soon, along came the wife, who had been merrymaking in another bar.

Everyone got introduced and, off we went, to do a bit of barhopping.

At the next two stops, the "interview gal" showed up again but, I never got interviewed.

It's probably best, to talk to me, when the sun is still in the sky, not in a bar.

It was good to hear, from the wife, that this gal, was very polite and sincere.

In my case, I want to make sure, I don't get questioned, by someone with an axe to grind.

They have Pro-USA and Anti-USA folks, funded by groups, to interrogate Americans.

Politics, is something I avoid whether it's national or international. They are all funded.

The last time I saw the gal, she asked me if, I'd be out Saturday night, for an interview.

Maybe, I don't know.

Online Profile

It seems like a good idea, to create an iPhone accessible profile, for writers.

The gal, wanting an interview, couldn't access much about me on her smartphone.

And, I couldn't figure out how to show her, much about, where I've been published, either.

Tonight, I shot a photo of this old, Intelligent Travel article, I had done.

It just shows a bit from the National Geographic Intelligent Travel Blog.

Webmasters come and go and sometimes, links get broken, as happened to the article above.

Luckily, I shot and framed the headline of that article and, still have the story.

It can be tweaked, touched-up and, sold somewhere else, as an original story.

Some background, about this site, has been posted on this blog.

Tonight, I'll make a quick stop, at a few watering holes and, see if, that gal is still out there.

If, not maybe, I'll have a few beers and, tell everyone, I'm sorry I missed her !

Trying to Shake Off One of those Evil Days

Writer's Block Is One Thing

Supposedly, it may happen to anyone, involved in the writing business.

Recurring spells are a regular thing, with me mostly because, I hate writing.

No blog was posted yesterday. I did plenty of preparation for today's post and, was worn out.

Pouring rain this morning got my day off, to a crumby start. It would get better, I thought.

On the way to the office, I usually manage to get a few people smiling and it lifts my spirits.

Maybe, I left for work too early. No one was walking in the rain but, me.

On top of the disorganized pile of papers on my desk, I placed a blank paper and a pen.

That would remind me, something had to be done today, bright and early.

The brain wasn't ready for scribbling yet so, I did some calisthenics and weight training.

Then, decided to walk down the street and get a bento for breakfast.

Things Went Downhill

It was raining cats and dogs and a strong wind blew but, that didn't bother me.

A huge umbrella, large enough for three of me, wind resistant and, I was good to go.

It's a few minutes walk so, I lit a smoke to enjoy, along the way.

That bento has enough food in it to feed me for an entire day, breakfast through supper.

Besides the rice, there's carrots, potatoes, yakisoba, spicy chicken and pork tonkatsu.

Plus, eggs, sausage and goya champuru and, some tofu. It usually costs around four bucks.

I set it on the counter next to the wrong gal.  I even helped her put the lid on.

Most of the young ladies charge me 400 yen, no matter how much food I took.

Well, the ugly girl, weighed my meal and told me, it would be 450 yen. So, I gave her 500 yen.

She handed me my food, wrapped up in a plastic bag and, thanked me.

Being, I was trying to stay in a good mood, I didn't say anything about the 50 yen I, didn't get.

Maybe, she was just having a lousy, rainy day, too.  No need to make it worse.

But, I hope she slips and falls in a big puddle, on her way home. Hah !

Back in the shop, that blank paper was staring at me so, I set my hot meal on it for a photo.

Of course, I moved it and had some breakfast, while it was piping hot.

Some eggs, yakisoba, spicy chicken, goya and rice, are a good way to start the day.

My brain still wasn't ready for writing. I decided to go outside for a cigarette.

There's a corrugated roof in the alleyway. That's a good place to smoke and stay dry.

The sound of rain, beating on that roof is relaxing. I started to forget about the fat girl.

Back inside the office, I figured the meal was cool enough, to place in the fridge.

Then, decided I'd rather do some more physical stuff than, sit down and start writing.

Remember, when you were a kid and, went to the beach with your family ?

When, you got done eating, parents would tell you, you have to wait an hour, before swimming.

That's a myth, I believe. Look at Jaws. The guy was always in the water, swimming.

He'd eat people and, keep right on swimming. You, don't need to wait one hour !

So, I wasn't going to wait before, going back to my exercises and weightlifting.

It was so invigorating, I bet I spent four hours doing physical training today.

Every time I went and looked at my desk, that stupid blank page was there. I wasn't ready.

It was starting too look like a Butsu-metsu (bad luck) day.

So, this afternoon I rolled out my sleeping bag and, took a nap.

It was getting late in the afternoon and, I hadn't written one word, yet.

With creativity at an all time low, I remembered these junk toys, I keep in the shop.

They come in plastic bubbles, on top of coffee cans at convenience stores.

They aren't for me. I buy them, in case any kids come by my office.

Maybe, spreading them around on that page, would give me some ideas.

The thought had occurred to me, "That girl's hair, should be black."

There's a can of black spray paint out behind my shop but, nah.

During rainy season, it would take a few hours to dry or, I'd make a mess.

The story, I'm supposed to be doing, is about how Okinawans first came to the islands.

With all the research, I've done, 1,500 words could easily be written. I'm just not ready.

Start Simple with a Rough Draft

Writer's block is something you have to deal with. It's like having some sort of brain cramp.

Rearranging things a little bit, helped me formulate the story, to where it might work.

Of course, when it gets typed, spellcheck and punctuation, will be utilized.

I'll try to get some photos or sketches to give readers a better understanding of my creation. 

Er maybe, just take another week off from writing.

Good and Bad Days in Japan

First Official Work Day 2016 in Japan

Holidays Are Over

 

 

The schools re-opened and most people, throughout the country, went back to work today.

Some of them, throw a party at work, to celebrate having a job, I guess.

Well, I try to work everyday but, it was raining so, I couldn't do what I really love.

Nobody, I know, enjoys walking around with a camera in freezing rain.

 Pretending, I was doing something official, I took a few bags of garbage out of the office.

Then, I cut up some wall calendars, to use as writing paper.   

Did you know, you can get four pages out of each month of the year ?

There's no sense, in throwing perfectly good stuff away, when it can be reused.

In case, I never told you; I happen to hate writing.  It's a real chore, that's a pain in the neck !

Outside Is Where I Belong

 

Stuck in an office, makes people like me, miserable so, I had to think of something.

With the blank side of the calendar pages, attached to a clipboard, I got out.

There's a picnic table out behind my office and, it kept me out of the rain.

It's lots more fun, scribbling the old fashioned way than, typing on a keyboard.

Every now and then, I'd get up to stretch and, sniff the fresh air.

My iced coffee stayed cold plus, nobody saw me smoking cigarettes.  What a day !

If writer's block started sneaking up on me, I just shrugged it off.

Go look at all the green stuff in that rock garden for a minute or, two.

For some strange reason, it's relaxing, being out in the fresh air even, when it rains.

Before you know it, I had four pages of writing done.  They'll get typed someday.

There might be 1,000 words on those scraps of paper.  Who knows?

The word counter, will figure all that out, when I get around typing it into a document.

The Picture ?

 

Maybe, I'll print and frame, a great big one, to take home and hang in the kitchen.

Next time, one of those grandchildren complains about homework, I'll let them have it.

"Get used to it little suckers.  Grandpa has to do homework, too."

Note Taking in the Field

Write It Down

 

 

Keyboards, digital notepads, laptop computers and smart phones, can't replace this.

 A pen or pencil, scratching the details onto a piece of paper.

At a cultural event, I noticed Haruka Nakama, writing in her notebook.

This was too good to pass up so, I asked if, I could photograph her notes and, she agreed.

She was documenting Abushibare, an occasion which takes place only once a year.

Things move along rather quickly at these affairs.

It was impressive, the detailed sketches and notes, she had made.

Understanding Japanese, isn't required, to see what her notes reveal.

The placement of each item used in the rituals and, sequence of events was documented.

She left room to write down any questions, she may have, to ask guests at the ceremony.

It's something, I have been meaning to write about and, now, have a photo for demonstration.

Five Good Reasons to Take Hand Written Notes

 

 

1. Outdoors, touch screens and LCDs are sometimes difficult to view. 

2.  Notepads and pens fit in pockets.

3. No battery packs or charging systems are required.

4. Hand writing notes is more effective than typing them on a keyboard.

5. Communicating in remote locations or, with elderly is easier, using a pen and paper.

Many people are frightened by high-tech gadgetry !

For further reading, you may like:

Taking Good Notes: Tricks and Tools

Related Post: Special Box in Okinawa Known as Binshii

No Birds Shot in the Wild Today -- So Here's Some Statues

After yesterday's hike up castle ruin walls, I stayed in today.

 Hours were spent doing what they used to call writing.

Remember the old days when that meant pushing around a pen on a big piece of paper ?

Now, it's more like pecking away on a keyboard.

People should see the way I do this stuff.

Type with only the two index fingers and bang those keys really hard.

It's to make sure the ink, sticks on the digital paper alright.

Five or six letters get on there before I realize, I made a mistake.

Then, instead of doing the Delete thing, I tap the backspace button.

And, I hit that, real hard, too.

I figure, if you put the ink on there with a lot of force, you have to get it off the same way.

Lots of times, I complain about those guys who invented computers.

The Apple and Windows Dudes, I suspect may have been Communists.

Nobody would believe how much I have cussed them out over the years.

I could open a recycle shop with all the bent keyboards and computers, lying around here.

By the day's end, my neck and shoulders are all knotted up.

And, my eyes are sore from squinting.

The only good thing about writing, is the end of the day.

It gives you an excuse to go get a massage, howl at the moon or, drink beer.

The moon isn't visible tonight and massages tickle me so, I'll go for a drink.

By the time anybody sees those kuina birds, I'll be outta here !



10 Tips for a Simple Travel Photo Essay

 

 

Writing One Can be Easy

 

 

 

 

It's no secret.  Any editor who has worked with me knows.

I hate writing !

With ten photos of a cave, recently visited, I'll show you how I getterdun. 

Think Like a Tour Guide

You want to give people an idea what they are getting themselves into with your photos.

 

Take Shots of Any Signs at the Attraction

This will come in handy when it's time to caption your images.

 

Get Many Photos of the Surrounding Terrain

 

Show the viewers whether or, not, the place is stroller/wheelchair friendly.

Take Photos of Everything Along the Way

 

 

There's nothing wrong with having a few hundred images to choose from.

A photo essay, usually only requires ten or twelve, captioned images.

You never know.  Maybe, you'll end up doing ten photo essays about the same location.

 

Wide Angle Shots Work Well

 

It gives a traveler a sense of the place they will encounter.

Close-up Images Are Also Good

 

 

We have to duck our heads a bit, taking the stone stairs down that hole.



 

The Exit is Just as Important as the Entrance

 

Think of showing a 360 degree view of the attraction with your camera.

 

 

Trails and Walkways in the Area

 

 

This is the view cave dwellers had, just outside their back door.



 

Geographical Location

 

 

Take some photos to help you describe where in the world the site is located.

The trail, leading out the back door, takes you right to the East China Sea.

Show What's Inside

 

 

Some photos of the interior are just as important as exterior shots of the attraction.

Don't forget to take plenty of them, too.

 I didn't think it would be necessary to show you, at this time.  It was just a regular cave.

However, I did spot some sort of unusual art in there !





Directions to this cave may be found at Map It Okinawa

Finding the Caves on Okinawa Island

There Must Be Hundreds of Them

Spelunking or, cave exploration, isn't really something I'd put in my resume.

That's something other people do.  I just do photography and some travel writing.

We spotted this one while driving around as Typhoon Danas was coming.

Already soaking wet from visiting Manzamo, this place was relatively dry and, out of the wind.

Sort of an archway of a cave, it felt pretty comfortable.

What a relief !

There are many different types of caves in the Ryukyu Island Chain.

This one had a few clues that indicated, it may be a sacred site.

An incense burner, tells you that someone worships there. 

So, before I do any poking around, it's best to learn more about the place.

A coin or, coins in the area, weren't placed there for me to buy coffee.

 

Vegetation, laid there recently, was some sort of offering.

Some Caves Are Tourist Attractions -- Not This One

 

 

In the past, I have written about a few of the tourist caves.

Everyone and anyone, is welcome to visit them.

There are adventure tours and, even underwater caves a traveler could visit.

Caves with a religious background are a different story.

Some caves, are burial grounds.

Others,  have important cultural significance.

Ceremonies, take place, where men or, women are the only ones allowed to enter.

It is best, when in doubt, to check with local authorities, before entering any cave.

So, I printed a photo of this one and, asked around.

Explaining, that I do cultural photography and writing, got positive results.

If they thought I was looking for a place to throw a cave party, I wouldn't have gotten far.

Some friends were made today and I came back with plenty of information.

Annual ceremonies are conducted in this cave and others.

Finding these caves, is an adventure, for me and, lots of fun.

Getting the whole story, is work.

We have Halloween coming soon and I still haven't got a good ghost story for you.

But, I'll keep looking.

A Wet Puppy Kinda Day (Photo)

When the weather turns to crap on my island paradise my attitude takes a turn, too.

Well, the day before yesterday was one of those days. Freezing cold rain, the wind blowing down from North Korea or one of those other countries that don't like me and it made me mean.

When Siberian Huskies don't want to go out for a morning walk, humans should stay in bed.

But, being who I am, I went out. I wore three jackets on top of a flannel shirt.

An umbrella was out of the question; the wind would destroy it or I'd go flying.

So, me and my old bones walked and creaked over to the office.

About 10AM the store across the street opens and I ran over to buy some coffee.

There was a woman sitting on a beer crate in the corner. I got my coffee and paid the cashier.

The gal sitting on the crate, all bundled up in winter clothes asks me if I want a "Kawaii Puppy".

Kawaii, means "cute" in Japanese.

As politely as I could, in my limited Japanese vocabulary, I said "Hell no, I have too many kawaii puppies of my own, already"!

Well, apparently, I didn't hear her right. She just wanted to show me her kawaii puppy.

She had the little guy stuffed in her pocket.

So, I said "Kawaii" and grabbed my coffee and ran back across the street in the freezing rain.

Before I sat down it hit me. It was a crappy wet puppy kinda day outside.

The gal had stuffed her puppy in her pocket to keep it warm and dry.

She knew I liked dogs because everybody in the village (who doesn't know my name) calls me "The old man with the dogs".

The poor gal was just trying to be friendly and probably thought I was a grouch.

And I was. That wasn't the way I'd have talked on a sunny day.

So, I grabbed my cell phone and ran back across the street to ask if I could see the kawaii puppy one more time.

I patted him on the head and said "Good Boy" and asked if I could take his picture.

So, there you have it. This is what a warm and dry kawaii puppy looks like when somebody cares enough about them to stuff them in a pocket on a wet puppy kinda day.

VISIT MY WEBSITE TO VIEW THE PHOTO OF THE DAY.

Photojournalism: The Ups and Downs

It starts off with the fun part, going somewhere and taking pictures. That's the only thing about doing the Photojournalism job I really enjoy. A big upper, for me.

I'm throwing this wagon wheel photo in here because it's part of the ups and downs of photojournalism, too.

You go round and round in this business while you're having those ups and downs. And every once in awhile you get smacked, right on the head with one of those wooden spokes. It's good. It keeps you on your toes.

Those wagon wheels are on the front of the Gold Hall Cafe, a really cool place to visit, in my hometown.

Well, I shot photos at this place and at two other locations over a period of about a year. All three locations have caves. So, I decided I'd do a cave article.

Then comes the research end of the photojournalism business. If you're going to tell a story with your pictures you want to do it right.

On a blog, you might get away with some mistakes or half-baked truths. I see it everyday and people get away with it, more than likely, because nobody really reads the stuff !

To get my photos and writings published, I try to use what I consider the "Gold Standard". That'd be something you see published in a magazine like National Geographic. They hold the "Gold Standard" as far as I'm concerned. People called fact checkers do stuff, like, check the facts.

You don't ever want to get caught submitting your photojournalistic stuff to some place that has fact checkers who may catch you telling a lie. Lie on your own blog, if you want to, it's one of your options. Freedom of speech, I guess you could call it.

After I get my photos ready and do all the research the really hard part of the job comes next.
That would be the writing and the typing, the part of photojournalism I do worst. But, I do the best I can at it. I type with one finger, one from each hand if I'm in a hurry and not smoking or drinking coffee. So, usually, any mistakes I make typing aren't from typing too fast. Most times I catch a typo and backspace before the digital ink dries. Sometimes the Spell Check Dude catches my mistakes. Other times I ignore him because he doesn't understand half the language I use anyway.

This Cave Article, I was submitting to CNNGO. They have published my photos and writing before. I know, they use the "Gold Standard" and they fact check and all. You know who owns CNN?  Ted Turner owns the whole operation.  So, I wanted to make sure I give them nothing but the truth. You don't want to get caught making mistakes around the Turner Network, for sure.

Now, if he walked in the room right now, I probably wouldn't recognize the guy.  But, Tina Turner, I'd know her, anywhere. She could really sing and dance and was pretty shapely for an old lady.
I kinda got the idea for my Laugh and Dance bit from watching her back when they had rental videos. Has anybody seen her lately?  I always thought she was a superstar. Hope she didn't get fat.

OK, back on track, now. Everything was researched, typed, photos processed and the editor at CNNGO says "It a go".

I got a deadline. I'm feeling an up coming on. It's a great feeling. This photojournalism isn't so bad once you start seeing the hard work all coming together and getting published.

After you submit everything, though, you have to be patient. You will wait awhile before it's time to celebrate.  Fact checkers are going to check the facts, editors may want to edit and there might even be a whole pile of more important stuff that has to get published before yours does. You wait.

Today my wait was over. My Okinawa Caves Story hit print at CNNGO.  That's the big "UP" and you just can't beat it.  There's no better feeling a Photojournalist can get.  WU HU HU !

The first thing you do is get a big head.  I run around and tell everybody, "Look it's UP"!
My head was too big. It must have gotten too much air, or oxygen. The wagon wheels were spinning too fast. I was about to get smacked in the head with a wooden spoke.  And I did.

There was a mistake in the publication.  That's a big DOWN.  There was a typo in a contact phone number.  That stupid Spell Check Dude didn't catch it.  I had to contact the editor.  I made the mistake and sent in a bogus phone number.  This could be the end of my photojournalism career.  They could have Tina Turner come over here and dance on my deflated head in her high heels. You can't get much more down than that. That was just minutes after that Big-UP-High !

Well, between contacting the editor, sending emails, internet going up and down right along with my ego and verifying telephone numbers and contact information all day long, it's done. Everything is corrected and even newer links added to the article. Time for me to do some laughing and dancing, again.

Now, I wonder if all photojournalists have ups and downs like I do, or is it just something Irish ?

Happy Halloween !

By the time I get this typed it should be close enough, anyway. It's been a pretty hectic week around this corner of the world and looks like business will be picking up, even more, next week. This photo was taken the last night of the Obon holiday and really has little to do with Halloween, except maybe the colors, spooky face and the fact that all the racket the Eisa Dancers in the streets are making is to send their ancestoral spirits off for another year.

The photo did get published and that's a major accomplishment for a poor old country boy like me. To me, The Brave New Traveler Magazine is the National Geographic of the Matador Network, where, I've been lucky enough to get published a couple of times. Between articles pending print, articles I'm working on and blogs I do regularly, on other people's sites, my poor cameras are collecting alot of dust. So, this weekend, providing Mother Nature cooperates, I'll be out doing a couple of Gigabytes of shooting. Might even catch some spooky ones for ya.

Happy Halloween !

Making a Pig of Yourself at the YuiYui Rest Stop

Drive north on HWY58 from anywhere in central Okinawa heading to the un-congested beaches and mountain scenery and coming or going you’ll want to get out of your car and take a stretch. The YuiYui reststop with cartoon-like symbols of birds and a statue of a brightly colored bird lifting weights on the ocean side of the road will lure you in. Not your typical tourist trap, with souvenirs, toilets, over-priced maps and dining, this roadside stop has as museum, and best of all, it’s free! There are displays of the wildlife native to the yanbaru (north country) wilderness, ancient farm implements, pottery, baskets and various items considered antique in Japan that still play a role in the cultures of Okinawa, today. Expecting to find the food on the expensive side, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that you can stuff yourself with a lunch for less than 2,000 yen.

Ran outa time to hunt Wild Boar, rainy season, then Summer heat, grandkids on vacation, 3 trips up North to investigate a Shinugu Matsuri (Festival) story, sorry; I let my Blog followers, Website viewers, friends, family and dogs DOWN, but that’s the way it is when you wait ‘til you’re over 60 and decide you have to pick up a camera and try to get published in National Geographic before you croak!

The good news is: On the way back from a drive to the northern territory with (soon to be world-famous writer) Rachel Sensei and a back seat full of (2) rambunctious boys, we made a pit stop at the YuiYui Rest Area. Being Rachel was nice enough to drive, translate and keep the kids at bay whenever I was using my camera, I figured the least I could do was spring for lunch.
It was already past 1:30PM and everyone was starving. I imagined it’d cost around $40 to feed the 4 of us at a tourist trap, but what the hell; I hadn’t offered to put gas in the car, yet and thought, “Maybe if we stuff ourselves everybody but the driver would sleep and be quiet the rest of the way home”.
Taking a few shots of the scenery outside for some future travel guides was a good idea, too. So, I snapped a few to maybe help people recognize the place in case they can’t read the Japanese for YuiYui. It really is a convenient stop for anyone heading to or from Okuma Beach or Hiji Falls and places north, like Hedo Point. Just look for the giant Kuina Bird or the other character pictured here, lifting weights.
We all had different meals, Goya Champuru, Soba, Pork Tonkatsu and, I forget what else. The waitress even asked if we spoke Japanese, so, I think she would’ve helped us in English, if need be.
Anyway, I expected the tab to be up in the 5,000 yen range, but it turned-out to be 2000 and some change. I know the meal I had would’ve run 1400 yen in any restaurant down south, but it was only 800 yen, there!
And, GET THIS!...I found some wild boar hanging out in the museum and shot them, too!
One of these days, I’ll get the real deal for you, but I’m starting to think it’s going to take some external lighting hooked to a motion detector, or one heck of a good external flash because the darn pigs have only been active in the pineapple fields at night. The pineapples are almost all harvested, but sweet potatoes are on their menu, too. One of these days, I’ll get one for you.
The latest news is, I decided Mondays will be my webpage day. Look for something new every week. I’ll Blog, change the music and maybe even post my favorite shot of the week, just to keep you coming back. Tell all your friends and relatives to have a look, too: Ryukyu Life and let me know what you think of it.
To be continued…..