Detours of a south east asian prairie girl

I can’t wait to see this adaptation of Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass. See previous post. See the superb hi-res trailer on Apple or in low-res below:

And I can’t wait to see Nicole Kidman play evil, for a change!

* not that evil is strictly delineated – it’s all shades of grey and you see the shape of varying interests – which is why I love the trilogy so much.

And she said, when I met you, you had such short hair. Now you’re all long hair and feminine and well, every girl needs a diamond.

I never thought that the pain of growing my hair long (oh, the pain and annoyance!) would result in this.

Thank you.

May I ask, what do you think makes you feel safe? What makes you feel secure and safe in life, in practice, in this world? Money? Health? Power?

See, for me, it’s my … passport. No joke. My passport. Why?

Well, my passport gives me freedom. And it identifies me as a bona-fide Canadian. I spent the first 15 years of my life as a stateless being, possessing only a red plastic laminated card saying that I am a resident of a certain South East Asian country, but a citizen of none. So I value my blue official Canadian passport very much indeed.

Things happen in life and my passport allows the following to happen:

…..

So, my passport expires next year. Quite a few months away, but off I go today to get new passport pictures taken. Glasses off, open eyes wide, strictly no smile, wait 15 minutes and lo and behold, there’s the top quarter of me. All good? NOPE. There lies the top quarter of me, in full resplendent sharpness. Yup, that means the moles, the pimples, the eye shadows and peasant-rough skin.

Now, I’ve never been a girly-girl, never wore makeup ever. But a mug shot cures any adversion to makeup. Somebody pass me the foundation! The mask! Oh dear god, lipstick!

Bring back the toque. A fashion faux-pas as it is and ever was, bring too, back the practical fleece. It is fall in the Northern Hemisphere. For the quietude that comes with this glorious part of the year and the stunning spectacle of hidden pigments from withered leaves, my life recomposes itself from the hectic rushes of summertime.

Bring back the art films and the beautiful dramatic blockbusters. The symphony and the opera. And for the love of food, let’s have spices sweet and savoury, nuts and gourds and the brawn of slow-cooked roasts and wine-steeped stews.

cin cin.

In another life, I would be a lens designer for Voigtlander. Sexy optics.

Zhen opens the fridge. A sliver of morning light peeps into the kitchen through the patio door. She knows what to get. Breakfast for two. She looks back into her room and sees the person who means everything to her. Still asleep, curled under the white down blanket. It is a cold fall morning. Cold enough for the cat to be under the covers as well.

She puts a small pot on to boil. Two fry pans. From the fridge, she pulls out the fixings. Potatoes, already cooked. Baby greens. Pancetta and parmesan. Barely past sleep, it will be an easy breakfast to put together. It will do.

Pancetta into one of the fry pans, to be crisped up over low heat. She chops up some chives and takes a fork to the potatoes, mashing them up vigorously. Adds a bit of roasted garlic from the night before. A smattering of bright green chives. Quickly making patties from them, she throws some olive oil into the other fry pan and lays them down. They will get a nice crust.

The cat decides to come over. Perhaps the stove heat is warming up the kitchen. She sits on the counter and watches. Nice kitten, nice companion.

The pancetta sizzles. Quick flip with the potato cakes. Everything will happen fast now.

She tosses some vinegar into the simmering water. Dips her wooden spoon in to make a little whirlpool and gently pours in an egg. And another one.

She smiles to herself. A bit hot now. Hungry. In a couple of hours, they will be riding towards the west side. Her trusty Bike Friday will actually see the road on a long day trip. Past the sails at False Creek, past Jericho. They will ride past the sweeping sands at Spanish Banks and up the hill towards the university. But she’s getting ahead of herself.

Zhen takes the pancetta out and wipes the pan. Sprinkles the parmesan in and watches it bubble.

Potato cakes on the plates, a dollop of grainy mustard, the crispy pancetta, baby greens, a squeeze of fresh lemon and dash of olive oil. The soft egg on top. Small season of salt and pepper. Looks nice. Then the parmesan crisps. Just enough nutrition for a day of riding.

The cat inches forward, perhaps to get a tiny bite of the bacon. She chuckles. Grabs the tray of food and tea and heads towards the bedroom. The sliver of morning light has turned pink, almost. Another day will begin soon. Zhen smiles. Life should be this calm.

– Anniversary Song – Cowboy Junkies -

Manual photoshoots – exposure control – light angles – colours unprocessed. These and many other things I have learnt recently from my photography class. Hmm, didn’t think before that our brain filters out a lot of things from what our eyes can actually see. By using manual controls on my DSLR and a manual auto white balance, I am actually capturing light that I wasn’t supposed to see. Trippy!

Homework this week, shooting the same scene at different times of the day with different qualities of light. And I know exactly what scene I want to shoot for this.

In similar news, a few pictures from the past have been uploaded to Flickr. As photos are uploaded, you can see them updated in the “Digital prairieox” widget in the sidebar of this blog. A click will bring you to my Flickr page. Not a Pro account yet with unlimited sets, so the organization is a bit general, but it’s a start. Would appreciate feedback and comments as I go along this little path of learning.

Grace Park rocks. And this is what it’s all about (she knows her drinks!):

And a bit more fun behind the Vancouver sound stage: