Feeding frenzy

June 28, 2008
In transite siem reap to Sihanoukville, Cambodia

We have a 10 hour bus ride today that will get is from siem reap to the south of Cambodia where the beaches are supposed to rival that of Thailand.
Yesterday at market, a guy on a motorcycle dropped off this large baket in front of a row of 8 fish vendors. Inside of this large basket, big enough to fit a child comfortably, where full of fresh caught fish. The fish were about the size of sardines and the vendors devended upon it with such a frenzy that the basket was empty in less than 5 minutes.

What I am curious about is how does the payment system work? The guy drops off the fish, each vendor grabs what they can and then what? How do they know who got how much and how much do they owe the guy for the fish?

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Pigs on bike

June 26, 2008
Siem reap, Cambodia

We tried to go out to the flooded forest today but the boat ride was gonna be more than what we had budgeted for, so we ended up on a ride around the outskirt of siem reap.

We first saw these piglets in a large round bamboo baket on the back of a motorcycle, then there were larger piglets crammed into the bamboo baskets on the back of the bike, then there were much bigger pigs tied to a bamboo flats, then tied face up on the back of a motorbike.

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20 plus temples and none are alike

June 25, 2008
Siem reap, Cambodia

During the course of yesterday and today we have managed to complete both the small circuit and the grand circuit at Angkor wat. We have seen over 20 plus temples and none of them are alike.

I am truely amazed and in awe.

Think my favorit ones are ta prohm and preah khan. In both incidents its the the combination of man made and the reclimation of that man made splendor that really takes the breath away.

I couldn't stop taking pictures and yet I wonder what I would do with them. Maybe they will become part of the postcard series of art that don and I have been talking about since last summer.

I will post photos for all of these posts when I get back to la.
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Postcar one dollar

June 24, 2008
Siem reap, Cambodia

Kids follow you around just as you enter each monument and try to sell you various things.

This morning at sunrise this one girl viet gave me a bangle for good luck and wanted me to have coffee at her stahall when I am done with the sunrise. She also said that she will leave me be and have some quiet. 13 years old, really sweet and wants to be an English teacher.

Another child who is only 5 years old would say "postcar one dollar" about every 10 seconds to me. She is so cute but doesn't understand enough for me to try to talk to her. I first ask her if she can say anything else. She just look confused. Then I would ask her if she would like a monkey or a chicken and she just look even more confused. She smiled at the offer of an oreo cookied but refused.

In the end, I felt really bad and have her about 12 cents usd so that I could take a photo of her.

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First glimpse of Angkor wat

June 23, 2008
Luang prabang to siem reap

Today we fly from luang prabang to siem reap. Feeling a bit extravagant for flying but we are short on time this trip so it can't be helped.

We went to Angkor wat at 5PM today to get a sneak preview for what we will be seeing for the next few days.

This is one of the few times in which I have forgotten about the market place and am throughly impressed with the ancient monument that is in front of me.

Can't wait for tomorrow.
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travel fatigue

June 22, 2008
Luang Prabang, Laos

Have a bit of travel fatigue today and kinda just want to hop on a plane, go home and hang out with mom for a few days. I don't know if that is going to happen though :(

A group of us (6-7 of us have been travelling together since the boarder crossing at Huay Xai) went to the Pak Ou caves today. Lonely Planet guide said that it was great and it certainly seemed to be one of the main things to do here in Luang Prabang. We did pass by the caves (filled with buddha statues) when we were on the two day boat ride. As it turned out, we really saw all that there was to see passing by on the boat that day and the caves were really not as exciting as it seemed.

I think its too hot and hence causing the travel fatigue. We have decided to skip Vientain and go staright to Siem Rep, Cambodia. Which means that today will be our last day here in Laos.

I have really liked Laos so far. Certainly much better sanitation standards than many parts of China. There are much that I would still like to do here - up North for a bit of trekking and down south to see some different part of the country. But that will have to wait for the next trip!

monkey rat joined us on the boat

June 19, 2008
Luang Prabang, Laos

Day 2 on this slow boat journy down the mekong river.
We made a stop at one of the small villages on the river and a woman came on board with a "rat monkey" tied to a string and she was holding it by its feet.
We actually think its a large river rat, but one of our travel campanions, Jane at first thought it was a monkey - from then on she called it a "monkey rat" and it had no other name than that since.
One of the backpacker girls freaked out about the "monkey rat" and wanted to know what was gonna happen to it. Don told her that it will probably be someone's dinner, he said she got hysterical and cried and wanted the "monkey rat" be freed.
What did she think it was gonna happen to it?

slow boat to Luang Prabang

June 18, 2008
Huay Xai, Laos

Day 1 of a two day boat ride down the Mekong to Lunag Prabang.

60 Backpackers
20 Laoians
12 Sacks of Fresh Produce
2 Bikes
2 Motorbikes
and 1 baskets of ducklings

are all on the same boat meandering down the mekong.

The laundry ran down the road

June 17, 2008
Thailand to Laos

The first day in Chiang rai we had ask the hotel to do some laundry for us. It was returned in less than 5 hours, clean and smelling like snuggles. So yesterday morning we sent out another load of laundry thinking that it would be done by the end of the night. Morning came and our laundry is still not back yet. We were reassured during breakfast that it will be back before our ride to the bus station was leaving. Our ride is now leaving and there is still no laundery. Then we were told that our laundry will meet us at the bus station. Now I am worried. Next thing you know, we have pull along the side of a gas station and eagerly waiting for laundry to appear out of nowhere. Oh but I see it now, our laundry in the green bag walking down the street. Amazed! Our laundery really did meet us enroute!
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And now we will be 3

June 16, 2008
Chang rai, Thailand

The daughter of one of the artist for the workshop will be coming with us to backpack into Laos and Cambodia and I am so very excited to have a new friend to come with us.

These last 3 days here in Chang rai has been interesting but its been so different than how we normally travel and we have seen little of what we would normally see and be interested in.

Can't wait to get on a bus tomorrow and travel as we normally do.
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Thai Salvador dali's house

June 15, 2008
Chang rai, Thailand

We went and visited a famous Thai artist's house today. He owns more than 500 acres on this one property and have houses all around the world.

On this one plot that we visited, there are 50 houses. Or more accurately 50 buildings that are different themed and hold different things in them. None of the structurs are very large and they all have some sort of animal skins or bones in them.

Eccentric would be to say the least!
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my fan base of two

June 12, 2008

Bangkok, Thailand

After much ado with the printing problem I have been having - we finally found a way to print some of the images I have shot over these last few days and have work to present tomorrow at the opening.

There are these two students who I think are assigned to me - to help, learn and observe. Everyday they would try to find me and ask if they could be of any assistance. But I have been unable to "demonstrate" to them what it is that I do. Mostly because I simply wonder around. Its not that interesting to watch me take photos unless you can see what I am seeing. These two boys English are not very good either, which makes communicating to them all the more difficult.

However, today I was able to use the service of this one Thai translator who speaks Mandarin Chinese - I would talk to her in Chinese and try to tell the students about my work and what I do - she would then translate it to them in Thai. She is by far the best translator I have had here. All of the English speaking ones I always uncertain as to whether if they understand what I am saying or not or if they are translating it correctly. I would watch the English - Thai translators face and I just don't get the sense that they understand. Nor do I see a glimmer of understanding in the faces of these two students. So Mandarin to Thai it is then!

Each of these boys presented me with a painting that they made as a gift. In return (since I feel really bad about the lack of entertainment value I have brought to them and also the lack of hands on experience / first hand observation) I gave them each a print. They seemed honored and excited. I sure hope they felt like they benefited from my "education / demonstration."

Art derby and color shirts for days of the week

June 11, 2008
Bangkok, Thailand



Yesterday was my first full day of this international artist exchange. It turns out that this event is actually a really big deal. The opening recption included the former primister and there are 102 artists participating.



I had some trouble first finding a market and the right kind of market and then trouble with the way the printer printed my film. On the panaromic film the printer made 2 seprate prints from that same frame.

I was so confused by it. Looking at each individual prints, it didn't make any sense for me. Its as if I did not take any of those images. But once I taped them together, then I recognized it as my own.



I found out that the Thai have different color shirts for different days of the week. Monday is yellow, Tuesday is pink, Wednesday green, Thursday orange, Friday blue, sat purple and Sunday red. You would see lots of people wearing the same color polo shirts and all coordinated according to the day of the week.

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We wore out the con man

June 10
Bangkok Thailand



First day here in Bangkok for the international artist exchange. We went to the university for a bit, got our bearings and a little bit of infomation as to what is going on and then don and I set off to get lost in the city a little and also to find a market.



When we were outside the wat pho - the reclinging Buddha, a tuk-tuk guy wanted to take us around to all these other Buddha statues around town for 10 bhat each, about 60 cents usd. We knew it was a bit of scam and that he would want us to stop at factories and what not where he gets a percentage of what we purchase or something like it. But we wanted a ride around the city. So we went. As the journey goes on and he would tell us about how we are going to stop at the expo where you can buy silk and cashmere and what not, we keep on telling him no that we are not going to buy anything. He would say its ok- just look 10-15 mins - then we answer - but we don't want to buy anything.



Eventually we got stuck in traffic and he said that he won't charge us anything but we should get out.



Our persistent no to the request of shopping worn him out! I almost felt bad for him in the end since he really got nothing for having driven is around for over and hour around the city.



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crossing the pacific again

June 7, 2008
Los Angeles, CA

Today is packed full of events. A family funeral at 10am, a friend's wedding at 3pm and then a flight to Thailand at 11pm. It will involve over 3 outfit changes and over a hundred miles traveled even before I get on the plane tonight.
Thia really means that this is the last blog I will write from the US. Next time I post, I will be in Thailand and I hope that our travels in search of the holy grail will be far more interesting.

Before I go, I would like to share this with you. Last week when we were in NYC, we went to the MOMA to see Olafur Eliasson's exhibit. I was rather crazy about what he did back at the Tate Modern a few years back so my hope were high. There were a thing or two that were interesting -- think my favorite - also the one that proved his idea of challenging perception and reality is the monochromatic lights that lines the hall ways. Everything else, I was amused but couldn't help but feel that there was a science fair / circus trick element to it. They were all so simple - I know that I have either seen it before or I have made similar things for Theatrical Applications back in the days. Maybe that is the point - not that its a challenge of our perceptions but how EASILY our perceptions can be altered. Any thoughts on that?

opening opening opening

June 4, 2008
Los Angeles, CA

Back in LA - came back on Sunday. The EnFoco opening went really well! I was really happy with how my very first art opening worked out. We had a great turn out and everyone were very excited about my work.
Before the opening has started, Marisol, the program director at EnFoco has brought her kids from the Bronx River Art Project and wanted all the artists speak to them about our work. Now, I get a little nervous when I have to speak in front of a crowd and then I tend to talk really fast as I get more nervous. I also didn't really know what to say to the kids either. Suprisingly I found them to be really receptive and really interested in the project and the stories that I could tell them that went along with the images.
I think maybe one of the best thing about the opening is that I got to meet all the other participating artist and I have exchanged a few emails with them already and I think I will really enjoy talking and exchanging ideas with them as we all grow in our careers.
The picture above is of Kesha Bruce, she is an amazing artist who lives and works in France. I am excited that she is my new friend. :)