The Good Life Travel Blog

Photos: My Scholarship entry - The Dragon's Dilemma

traveltransmissions — Thu, 4 Jul 2013 19:50:00 GMT

A photographer helps his audience explore the amazing world we live in as he captures the beauty, triumphs and struggles happening through the lens. He learns to shape his eye to find those moments where colors shine brightest and awareness might expand. My hopes and dreams are growing towards the illustrious art of shifting awareness through visual storytelling. I use my camera to chronicle peoples’ struggle to improve their lives on mental, spiritual and physical levels. My two years in China and Southeast Asia were spent seeking out the faces and lives changed by a new era of growth and prosperity. The opportunity to sculpt my nascent photographic skills in the presence of Jason’s expertise is an opening I can’t afford to miss. Since we say hard work is good for the soul, I’m thrilled for the adventure of working and thriving with a professional team, and can honestly say that I welcome the long hours and other challenges that may arise as the early steps on my journey of broadening humanity’s collective vision.

Understanding a Culture through Food - In Search of Balut

traveltransmissions — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:16:04 GMT

The bus rolled with a jerking uneasiness that only escalated my debilitating cravings for food. The smoky green fields ceased their race towards the volcanoes as they met the concrete jungle.

Manila has a nasty reputation as a city colored by the darker shades of humanity, but traveling’s taught me that the more colorful cultures tend to create the most exciting and savory dishes.

My host has the pudgy, round, effeminate features that Filipinas are known for. She’s a master caterer who I’ve decided is the proper guide on my zealous quest for local delicacies.

She knows the place, and the market seems to fit the bill: barbeque carts, stray dogs, and warm, billowing smoke carrying the rapturing smells of authentic grub. My stomach’s reaching the peak of a howling crescendo, but she assures me that she knows the remedy.

We’ve come to the right place. The municipality of Pateros is famous for its production of balut, a fertilized duck embryo that found its place on Filipino palates after Chinese traders brought it from the north.

After 15 days of gestation, the fertilized eggs are ready to sell. They’ve just popped up from the buckets of sand that conceal their warmth, and I'm surprised by what I see.

Through my lens, a fetal duck seems oddly out of place against a backdrop of hot sauce and vinegar, but my queasiness is consoled with the reminder that “it’s more fun in the Philippines!” The locals are ever-happy to see a foreigner try their food, and a small crowd has formed to watch.

With retreat no longer an option, the gauntlet opens and receives the fare. The texture’s from a shockingly different world, but the new infusion of tastes collaborate to charm my former hunger problem. The congregation seems pleased with my reaction and return to their business.

I’ve tried everything from scorpions to chicken brains during my year in China, but I missed the chance to sample the original version of fertilized eggs. Now I’ll have at least one clear goal for my return trip to the Middle Kingdom.

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

traveltransmissions — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 11:17:58 GMT

Photos often feature a single moment in time, but exceptional photography unveils a continuum between past, present & future.

After learning about the relativity of ‘wealth’ while traveling, my time in university, teaching English in China & buying a camera felt like amazing privileges. Traveling is rewarded in the stories heard, particularly those of the Global South, which inevitably center around self-improvement.

In a new country, I try to understand their political & economic development. What have they achieved & what do they hope to achieve? My interest in human transformation led me to study anthropology where I learned how & when it's appropriate to participate in social/economic change.

Photography is exciting for the simultaneous development in front of the lens & behind the viewfinder. A camera is an intersection of change between a photographer’s personal transformation & the unfolding human saga in the larger world.

My camera is always with me while traveling, but I feel as if we’ve just become acquainted. I love using it to share the diversity & strife that we collectively create. Travel photography is the best way to educate & inspire action in myself & others.