Texas Photoshoot

T E X A S

P H O T O G E N - X   2 0 1 4

Thank you models:  Kassie, Sarah, Cass and Rachel.

Your Biggest Enemy.

We all have dreams.  But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determinaton, dedication, self-discipline and effort.

Heaving my body off the top bunk at the break of day (or when the alarm jams a tune into my ear canals) to go for a morning run is like trying to fly a kite with no wind.  

It simply won't work.  Should I have determination, I could try running to create the wind, but alas! determination and running are the two problems here.  

So the proverbial kite remains flightless and comfortably tucked away.

The enemy shouts: "You can't"

or whispers, "Take the easy way out."

Wind, with it's powerful current brings both destruction and cooling breezes.  It can uproot trees and it can produce elecricity.  It creates monster waves yet is gentle enough to guide a delicate kite through the air.  The wind shouts, "I'm too scary for you!" or calmly whispers "Feel fresh and renewed". . .

We all have dreams. 

What is telling you "no"?

It's yourself.  

YOUR BIGGEST ENEMY IS YOURSELF.

If there's no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm.  I am the one who says it's to early to get up.  I am the one who says my body is too sore to run.  I say junkfood tastes better.  I say my dream is too big.  My obstacles are too hard.

Surely as skipping out on workouts won't help you win a race and eating junkfood will make you fat, the kite who succumbs to the fear of the wind will never leave the ground.

Should you choose to be determined, dedicated and self-disciplined, anything is possible.  The force of the wind or the greatness of a dream cannot be stopped when you've made up your mind.  We can do far more than we're capable of if we just try.

If you don't silence the enemy within, you will never fly.

Photo courtesy of Google.ca

#selfdisciplineandselfcontrol

#halfmarathontraining

Being An Elf

There they were.
Hordes of children.
They excitedly bounced around in anticipation.

Santa Claus was coming to town.

I watched the bulging line up grow steadily longer, laden with snot-nosed children being held back by parents whose look said, "I've had enough of this shopping mall" and thought to myself 'how did this become what Christmas is all about?'

Coming from track and seeing extreme poverty where children are in need of basic essentials to watching children line up to show Santa their lists or torn out pieces from the Sears catelogue and telling him of their need to have an Ipad, a PSP or lego mania while complaining that their candy cane broke.
Parents spend a lot of money for one photo.  That money could feed a child in an orphange for a week had it been elsewhere.

It was a struggle for me to find the balance in all of this and to not become furious at the wealth of our nation.  How has the birth of Jesus morphed into this display of consumerism and selfishness centred around this fictional character?  Every comercial I heard on the radio was geared around buying this or that for someone at Christmas.  It made me sick to think about the people I met this past year who will get nothing for Christmas.  We contentedly stuff our faces with endless amounts of food and then join a gym to work it off, but there are people around the world who will be lucky to have a meal on Christmas day.

I don't mean to write this blog to critisize and condemn my fellow Canadians.  I am writing this because after having my eyes opened to different parts of the world, I had feelings arise within me that I had never experienced any other Christmas and I wonder if anybody has ever felt the same.  We take the best story in all of history and turn it into some cheap counterfeit in order to make money while other nations are starving to know the true story of Christmas that can literally change their world.

It made me sad.  Just thought I'd let you know that for me - being an elf wasn't all it was cracked out to be.

"Home" for a while.

home

hōm/

noun

1. 1.

   the place where one lives permanently, esp. as a member of a family or household.

   "I was nineteen when I left home and went to college"

   synonyms:

   residence, place of residence, house, apartment, flat, bungalow,cottage; More
2. 2.

   an institution for people needing professional care or supervision.

   "an old people's home"

   synonyms:

   institution, nursing home, retirement home, rest home;

What makes home feel like home to you?

For me, home is wherever I sleep at night.
At least that is what it's become over the past year.

Home was a hostel, a squeeky bed in a dorm room,  a mat on a floor or someone's couch.

But, with much reflection upon arriving back in Canada, my view on the word "home" became different.  I can remember staying in places where we weren't treated nicely by the other people there.  In those instances we would say something like, "Let's go back to the hostel." or "I'm going to the house."  On the contrary, if we stayed in a place where we were welcomed, accepted and loved we would say, "Let's go home." or "I'm glad to be home.".  My subconscience figured it out before I did.  Home is where there are people who care, where you can relax, be yourself and close your eyes at night without a doubt that you are loved.

Home is where the heart is.
With that being said, I'm happy to be home.

My arrival in Canada came with a jolt... I don't just mean the bouncy airplane landing or the luggage hassle afterward, I mean the COLD air that froze my lungs and turned my South African tan into a wind-whipped red and my uncovered appendages blue.  The warm welcoming from my best friend was heart warming (haha) and distracted me from the frigid temperatures.  

It has been hectic since that day.  But before life in Canada went into full-swing, I made sure to give myself one day of reflection upon my last year spent travelling the world.  I tried to come up with an answer to that notorious question,

"So, how was your trip?"

Had it been a week long vacation, the answer would be no problem.
Try summing up an entire year.  
Just try it.
Struggles, near-death circumstances, tireless amounts of work, drama, life-changing experiences.  Eleven different countries and cultures.  Thousands of people.  Hundreds of projects.  Planes, trains, automobiles, bicycles, tuc-tucs, sungtaos, boats and scooters.  Sleepless nights, foreign food, bucket showers, hand-washing laundry, parasites, thieves, bed bugs and public transport.
We taught seminars at universities, we swung on vines in the amazon jungle, we rode elephants, we played soccer in muddy fields with naked children (that sounds bad), we survived riots, we made movies, we lived in the red light district, we went in places no one else dared to go.

So, how do I sum up this year?  What do I say to people who see me in passing for the first time this year?

They ask me,
"So, how was your trip?"

I reply,
"It was good, thanks for asking."

What can I really say?

For those who have been following my journey since the beginning, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  Your prayers and support has been keeping me strong this past year.

Now I am in Canada, sleeping in my parents attic and working, working, working.  I have an exciting new job taking Santa Photos at the White Oaks Mall in London.  I also work at Park View Retirement Home on my 'off' days.


It is exciting to share stories and personal growth experiences with people at home, most of which aren't even posted on this blog.  I will make time to those who want to hear it.  I also want to hear about your year, and what home means to you.  I love you all.

 My nieces and nephew grew up so fast.

 Jason, the photographer for my first night in Brantford.

 Steve.  My ever-so-handsome brother.

Phil and his offspring.

POST COMMENTS BELOW.

Behind The Curtain Documentary

"You can do whatever you like.  Anything is possible."

What do you think of when you hear of Amsterdam?

Freedom. Do whatever you want.

Tolerance. It doesn't matter.

It doesn't hurt anyone.

Everything is ok.

Let's just party.

But what if you're wrong.

Find out what really happens.

Behind the curtain.

Follow this link to the documentary:

Behind The Curtain

Don't pretend that your actions don't matter.

Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, these ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.
  -Robert F. Kennedy

Muizenberg

CapeTown, South Africa has been one of those countries where it truly feels like home, second only to New Zealand.

 We are staying in Muizenburg, a small surf town on the coast of Cape Peninsula, just a 25 minute drive from the city.  Muizenburg is a vibrant place, mixed with black, coloured, white, Indian and Asian people along with a variety of tourists, missionaries, hipsters, surfers, hobos and security guards. 

Mountains stretch along the coastline creating one of the most stunning horizon lines I have ever seen, especially when looking at it from the water as I bob on a surf board waiting to catch a wave.

My new shoes - special thanks to Saucony - climbing up the Muizenberg mountain.

Skate and surf competition at the infamous Surfers Corner.  An attempt for the world record of 'most surfers riding a wave' was made on this day as well.

A train runs along the shoreline, stopping at all the neighbouring towns and goes all the way to Simonstown, where you can visit penguins.  I often run along the beach in the mornings or to Kalk Bay, and up Boyes Drive which runs along Muizenberg Mountain and offers a spectacular view of the ocean and the towns down below.  I am priviledged to be staying amongst some of CapeTown's finest artists and coolest surf crew.  If schooling and work didn't take up most of my time, I would be painting and surfing and climbing mountains everyday and having a braai (BBQ) with them every night.

Meet Martin.

His talent and friendly personality has brought him around the world leaving creative masterpieces on walls, canvases, wood and most any other paintable surface.  

He's prepping for a big expo coming up in December.  Marti is passionate about art, and for good reason - he's good at it!

An idea called "low-brow" amoung local artists, including Marti is making art accessable to everyone - not just the elite, deep-pocketed art connoisseur.  

Everyone can enjoy art, no matter your budget and go home with something - even if it's just a postcard.

Visit his  Onine Portfolio

Masiphumelele

 The apartheid laws, a huge part in the history of this nation, forced segregation between the races of its citizens and created barriers and unjust land laws between them.  The majority of the black South Africans were made to live in Townships and were disadvantaged by almost every standard including income, education and housing.


 Although Nelson Mandella and the "freedom charter" have done wonders in reconciling the nation, many blacks still live in these townships.  I had the privilege of visiting a township called Masiphumelele and was taken aback by how many people lived in such a tight place but had a plethora of joy and laughter streaming into the streets.  Masi is amazing - it's alive - you can feel the heart and soul of the people as soon as you step foot there but the history of Masi's residents is one of pain and suffering by the hands of their fellow citizens.

The townships can get hectic with gang related activities, drugs and crime.  Youth there are particularly at risk for adopting bad behaviours and getting themselves into trouble.  This is where guys like Apish Tshepsha can make a real difference and help to change the cycle.

Meet Apish. (left)

Apish is a certified surf instructor and life coach through a program called Waves For Change.  

 When Waves for Change opened in Masiphumelele in 2011, surfing had never existed in the township.  The goal in the program is to use surfing to create jobs, connect with young adults in need of assistance and to bring new skills to a community where 60% of it's population is unemployed.

Apish mentors 28 young adults from his community and uses surfing to connect with kids from vulnerable backgrounds.

I loved spending time on the waves with these kids and getting to know them.  I only wish there was more time!

Creating local solutions to national problems - by riding waves!  STOKED!!

-taken from Waves for Chage facebook page. 

Chillin at Bailey's Surf Shack

This is Bailey.  Baxter is in the background.

David, Sarah, Rachel, David and Bailey

Little grom heading out for a surf. 

What a great place to be!!

Special thanks go to 
1 - Jonathan and Layne Grime - for their special visit, and teamwork skills  
2  - Steven Schallert - for teaching and sharing your heart  
3 - Mathu Thomason and his crew for lessons on leadership and bringing refreshment and love to us!

-Christmas soon-