Tag Archives: people

We’re the People – Sydney jogger

30 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by in People, We're the People

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

, ,

 

jogger-sydney-harbour

Lunch time jogger Sydney Harbour

This morning, early, I heard the weatherman say Sydney would be having the warmest two September days in succession for 150 years! I harkened back to a winter day in July, when we stopped in Sydney on our way back from overseas. We found an inviting bench near Circular Quay and did some people watching at lunch time. There were dozens and dozens of joggers, this being one. All the times we have been here in the middle of the day, it has been like this. I wonder what someone transported from 60 years ago, into this situation, would think?? Some of the joggers might be tourists, but I wonder if people who have long commutes find it easier to fit their exercise in at lunch time than before or after their work day? I admire their commitment, regardless.

My morning walks are done as a moving meditation and contemplation time, as well as to keep my lower back in check. Usually, they are a time to soak in the serene arid land beauty and listen to a bit of music. Lately, they have become occasions for photography too. But this morning, two rogue Spurwing Plovers chased me! I stared them down and clapped loudly, which sent them in another direction, eventually. But they had a few jolly good dives at me first! Goodness knows what the neighbours thought!!

Plovers aside, those of us who walk or jog as a diversion lead privileged lives indeed.

Have a great week.

~Ardys

 (This is part of a series of photos based                                                                     on an original post titled ‘We’re the People‘)

We’re the People – Alice Springs – Beach Volleyball

16 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by in Alice Springs, People, We're the People

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

Pick a Saturday morning in Alice Springs, or any town in Australia, and you will find a ‘sausage sizzle’ going on somewhere! As far as I know this is a tradition unique to Australia. When I grew up in the USA in the 60’s our fund raising activities of choice were the ‘car wash’ or a ‘bake sale’. Bake sales are popular here too, but the sausage sizzle is king. I can’t eat anything they serve at one of these, but I loved that this group was so happy to be spending their Saturday morning outside of K-Mart, raising money for something I didn’t even know was going on here in Alice– Indoor Beach Volleyball! Not only is it going on, this is their 10th year!!!

I do lead a sheltered life.

I donated to their funds and wouldn’t accept any food but I asked them for a photo and said I’d promote their activity. They loved the idea. The game they play is apparently a mix of beach volleyball and indoor hard court volleyball. Their season commenced on 25th August and runs through until 5th December and is played at 11 Kennett Court, when they are at home. They travel interstate for games as well.

I say, thumbs up for the Desert Sands group, doing something wholesome, but tongs up for the Aussie sausage sizzle, and all the funds it has raised over the years!

indoor-beach-volleyball

Desert Sands Indoor Beach Volleyball Team

 (This is part of a series of photos based                                                                     on an original post titled ‘We’re the People‘)

We’re the People – Granada, Spain

07 Sunday Sep 2014

Posted by in People, Travel, We're the People

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

granada-passion-easter

Penance Procession, Granada

This may seem a strange photo to show when talking about ‘people’ as it almost seems devoid of them. However, if you look closely you will see dozens of feet showing at the bottom of the skirt of the “Pasos”, or float, carrying the statue. One of these floats is carried by each brotherhood in the city. It was Holy Week, the week preceding Easter, four years ago. I wish I could tell you how clever we were to plan to be there at that moment to see this stunning week of processions, but the truth is, it was an absolute fluke. The first evening we arrived at our hotel, we took a little walk before dinner and noticed something appeared to be about to happen in the pedestrian area of the city. In a short while hundreds had gathered and then in the distance we heard the somber music.

We have since learned that the people carrying the Pasos, practice for months ahead of the event. The weight is considerable and it takes great skill and strength to work in unison to move the heavy float from church to Cathedral. At some points the doorways are too low, so the penitents must kneel on pads and move forward to get the statue through.

The first sight we saw, preceding the Pasos, was that of the other penitents, wearing traditional cloaks and hoods. Having grown up in the years of the Ku Klux Klan and their much feared white hoods of similar design, it was a confronting sight. When I look at these photos I am reminded how educational and transformative travel can be.

Granada-procession-holyweek

Traditional robes and hoods

and regardless of the robes, how much children are the same, everywhere!!

granada-penance-holyweek

children in procession

(This is part of a series of photos based                                                                      on an original post titled ‘We’re the People‘)

Have a great week.

–Ardys

We’re the People – Alice Springs

29 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by in People, We're the People

≈ 19 Comments

Tags

, , ,

fairy-alice-springs

Grocery store fairy

We are the people. Even the little people. Especially the little people. I have been dwelling in a parallel universe this week–the Past. It is for good reason I have gone so far afield from my usual space. I have been assembling an album for our daughter, of photos, poems, mementos from as far back as four generations before her. A nearly overwhelming task.

In between assembling pages I have done the usual domestic chores of washing, ironing, cleaning, cooking and grocery shopping. One of the highlights of my week was this tiny person skipping up the isle at the grocery store… in her fairy costume. Not wanting to seem like a stalker, I held some distance between us as the little fairy gazed at some strategically placed items on the shelves, would you believe it— at just her height!! (Thank you Walt Disney.)

She reminded me of the fairy and princess costumes our own daughter wore out in public at that age; the age before we stop believing we might actually be a fairy. I love that it is still winter here, and, to keep warm, she had the appropriate leggings and tights on underneath the fairy dress. Her mother’s influence no doubt, because fairies do not feel the cold. I love that with all the troubles going on in the world, somewhere a little fairy has gotten her wings and is learning to fly.

Have a great weekend.

–Ardys

We’re the People – Alice Springs

22 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by in Inspiration, People, photography, We're the People

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

When I was a young girl, Dad taught me to do a good job of sweeping grass clippings from the foot path. He used this phrase ‘Always do this little test, make your good better, and your better best‘. He was teaching integrity and work ethic. He taught it to many of the young men who worked for him over the decades, as well as his children. Our Mother was, and still is, a role model of integrity.

That is how I know it when I see it.

people-delivery-alice-springs

Delivery man

I was going for my usual walk one morning this week when I saw the man depicted putting advertising flyers into letter boxes at a nearby complex of units. I couldn’t help but notice the precision with which he was working. Notice how nicely all the flyers are tucked into the slots. The flyers were neatly folded and organised in the bottom of his delivery wagon, too. He was so mindful about his job I couldn’t help but admire him, even though I dislike the ‘junk mail’ as much as many people do. Here was someone, no doubt making small money, but doing the job with integrity.

So, when I look at this photo I see, the smallness of the task need not reflect smallness in the person. I shot the photo from a lower angle so that we could all look up to him.

And when I got home from that very same walk, there in my letterbox was the following notice…IMG_2036

I wonder how many will do the job with this man’s integrity?

(This is part of a series of photos based                                                                      on an original post titled ‘We’re the People‘)

We’re the People – Istanbul

15 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by in Travel, We're the People

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

mosque-blue-istanbul

Alone in a crowd

Hasan was our tour guide in Turkey. He was a lovely, open man. He was of Syrian and Arab derivation but born just inside the border of Turkey. I can’t imagine a better tour guide. In fact, he told us more than I could possibly process and remember! Here we are in the Blue Mosque and I have edited this photo to emphasise what he was demonstrating to us. In response to a question, he went through all the motions that a woman would go through when praying in the Mosque. There we stood, among hundreds of people, without our shoes and with our heads covered (women) and were riveted on his demonstration. He even went down on the floor and did the entire sequence of movements. This photo speaks to me of his willingness to share everything he possibly could with us, so that we might understand as much as possible about Turkey.

Masallah,* Hasan.

 

(*Arabic for Blessing someone, or something that happens)

This is part of a series of photos based on an original post titled ‘We’re the People‘

We’re the People – Budapest

08 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by in photography, We're the People

≈ 19 Comments

Tags

, ,

There are amazing sights to be seen when travelling, but none more amazing than the people. Architecture can be looked up in a book or on the internet, but watching people is the biggest thrill for me. I try to be respectful of personal space, and usually ask, if I’m in doubt, whether a person minds having their photo taken. Sometimes I’m told ‘no’ so I back off. Not everyone wants their image ‘captured’.

I spend a lot of time in solitary pursuits when at home. People are often a mystery to me. But looking back over photos of our recent travels, it is the photos with people that I value the most. I thought I would publish a series called ‘We’re the People’, named for the post I wrote a couple of weeks ago of the same name. Mostly I won’t know much about the strangers in the photos, but I’d like to share my thoughts with you.

I took this photo fairly early on a humid, warm morning in Budapest. We were happy to find a beautiful tree-shaded street. The two young men appeared to be workers, dressed in the traditional blue workers outfits, and one carrying his case of tools to their job for that morning. I liked the juxtaposition of the workers against all the neatly folded umbrellas of the cafés, ready for the tourists, and locals, who would be relaxing beneath them. Someone has to work, right?

budapest-workers

Going to work in Budapest

–all the best, Ardys

a bald man in Budapest

27 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by in People, Travel

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

, , ,

My last couple of posts have been on the serious side, so let’s have some fun! The starting point of our recent travels was Budapest. We had spent a couple of days there a few years ago and enjoyed it, but knew we still had some exploring to do, so we decided to go back for a few more days at the front of our trip to the Black Sea area. No doubt I will tumble forth with facts and photos in subsequent posts, but today I will tell you a short story.

Our second evening in Budapest, we decided to look for a restaurant that had been described to us as, near St. Stephens cathedral. It was the perfect place to try a bit of several classic Hungarian dishes, in small servings. Great idea, don’t know why more places don’t pursue this idea.

The meal was fun, but what happened on our way to eat was the highlight!

As we were walking toward the cathedral, the sun was getting low in the sky and perfectly highlighting it. I got my camera out to take a few photos.

Budapest-St Stephens

St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Budapest

Far in the distance there appeared a bright orange apparition. It got closer. I took another photo.

Budapest-orange-apparition

The orange apparition approaches

As the orange figure approached, we were somewhat transfixed on it. What was it? Then we quickly decided the only thing we had seen that looked remotely similar were photos of Spider Man.

As Spidey-man got within earshot, one of his three comrades called out to us… (in a thick French accent) “Can he (pointing to indicate ‘spidey’) kiss your head?” pointing to indicate my HUSBAND! It was a very absurd request, but my husband who has a good sense of humour, said yes! Orange spidey-man was very tall, and he bent down to kiss the top of my husband’s head!!

Budapest-orange man

Kissing the bald man

We all laughed and I took a photo and they were going to just keep moving, apparently without further explanation!! We couldn’t let that happen! I quickly asked them if there was significance to the orange costume, and that kiss! Again, Mr-Thick-French accent told us, “Our friend is getting married and we are celebrating his upcoming marriage and he must do whatever we dare him to do tonight!”*

So the mates had dared him to kiss a bald man’s head!! I hope all the dares turned out so well for all parties involved, as did this one. We are still laughing.

 

*(we call it a ‘buck’s night’ in Australia, a ‘bachelor’s party’ in the USA, I believe)

We’re the People

19 Saturday Jul 2014

Posted by in Life, People, Travel, We're the People

≈ 21 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

As I warned you a few weeks ago, we have been traveling. Upon return, a few days ago, I had no idea where I would begin to write about our experiences. And then, sadly, I woke to the news of Malaysian Airlines passenger plane that had been shot down over Ukraine. My thoughts brought into focus several threads of our travel experiences that I wanted to share with you.

Croatia-memorial-1989

Croatian Memorial for mass grave from war of Independence 1989

Budapest-Liberty-Monument

Budapest citadel, scars of 1956 war of Independence from Russia

All during our travels from Hungary to Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and finally to Turkey, we saw signs of war. Not only scars of distant wars, but the still healing wounds of recent battles; bombed out buildings, memorials to brave patriots, graves of entire families. It was sobering, as well as educational. Local guides in each of these places tried their best to tell an accurate version of their country’s story. We tried to make sense of it. But the complexity is mind boggling.

At the end of the tour we took a side trip three hundred kilometres west of Istanbul, to Gallipoli. Over 40,000 lives were lost there in WWI. Next year is the 100th anniversary of that battle. Strangely, it was one of the things that galvanised Australia into the country of today. The events there have not been glorified, but have been lovingly and respectfully acknowledged by the Turks as well as the invading forces. In some places the trenches between the Turks and the Aussie Diggers and New Zealand troops were only 30 feet apart. Some of those trenches still remain.

Gallipoli-first-landing

Site of first landing, Gallipoli, Turkey

When we first arrived at the viewing point just before Anzac Cove, the bus stopped and we got off. This was the mistaken landing, the point the troops were sent to, incorrectly. The beauty of the coastline belied the horrors that happened there. As my feet touched the ground it was as if the pressure sent fluid straight to my eyes, welling to the brims. What I can only describe as the presence of many souls, surrounded me and I wept for my adopted land and all those who perished on that inhospitable and impossible terrain.

Gallipoli-Anzac-Cove

Anzac Cove, Gallipoli

Gallipoli-trenches

preserved trenches-Gallipoli

A couple of years ago we also visited Russia. We were fortunate to have a guest speaker on the cruise. She was a professor at a Russian University and through her wonderful talks she passionately expressed, wars are not a direct result of the people’s desires, but the so-called leaders, often not even elected by the people. That insight was shared again and again on our recent trip. When pushed to desperation, the people will rise up against the politicians/leaders/insurgents. But based on what we have seen, and the people we have spoken to, if the general population had a viable choice, there would be no wars.

On our return flight, I found an old classic movie I had never seen before—The Grapes of Wrath (1940). I’m not a particular fan of old movies but something about the timing and my state of mind caused me to select it. It was good. For those uninitiated, it is a story of the terrible ‘dust bowl’ days (1930’s) in the USA and how people were driven from their land and forced West to look for work and begin life again. Thematically, it reminded me of some of the countries we had just seen; people starting again, through no choice of their own, and with nothing.

The final lines in the movie stayed with me, an echo of many of the voices we have heard all over the world:

Ma Joad (matriarch of the story, talking to her husband, Pa):

Rich fellas come up an’ they die, an’ their kids ain’t no good an’ they die out. But we keep a’comin’. We’re the people that live. They can’t wipe us out; they can’t lick us. We’ll go on forever, Pa, ’cause we’re the people’.

Turkey-scarf-seller

one of ‘the people’ of Turkey

In the coming weeks when we are listening to the various versions of the Malaysian Airline tragedy, let us all remember to keep cool heads and encourage our leaders to keep cool heads. Those who do these things are the minority, not ‘the people’. There are myriad options, other than war and bombs. Whoever shot that missile and killed 298 people, were desperate rebels, which in no way justifies their actions, and they should be accountable. But let us remember, those who pick up the pieces and rebuild and go on forever, are the people. It is just so, everywhere.

Gallipoli-Lone-Pine

Lone Pine, Gallipoli

learning… and understanding

06 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by in Creativity, Life, People

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him… a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create — so that
 without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating.-Pearl S. Buck

Thirty eight years ago, I read this quotation for the first time.  It was on the wall in the design studio of a man who couldn’t offer me a job. Instead he offered me a desk and the opportunity to learn from him.  He later told me he had made that same offer to a number of people over the years, fresh graduates from art school, like myself, and others.  At that stage, I was the only one to ever accept.  Perhaps others were not in a position to accept, or perhaps they couldn’t imagine what they could learn in that situation, I don’t know.

I went to his studio every day, as if it was a paying job. I would assist him if there was some small task to which I could contribute, or I would tag along with him where appropriate, and soak up what I could from the situation. In between those times I was busy reworking my portfolio to give it a more professional edge. At that point in my life I was certain I wanted a career in design, probably advertising, and this man owned his own agency.  Among other things, he taught me the importance of typefaces and text to a layout and an advertising message. I continued to follow up job leads whenever I found one.  It was no easier back then for a Fine Arts graduate to find work than it is now.

After a couple of months, I got my big break, but it was not exactly how I thought it might happen.  I had made an appointment at a local TV station to have a chat with the art director and show him my portfolio.  I wasn’t particularly thinking he had a job opening and I knew nothing about TV art, but it was something to consider.  In the middle of the chat with the art director there came a phone call… for ME!

My girlfriend who worked at the adjoining radio station (I had told her I was coming) was on the other end of the line and she wanted to see me in the lobby, urgently! I quickly packed up my folio and thanked the art director and made haste to the lobby. It turned out that the new creative manager of the TV station was about to sack the current art director with whom I had been chatting!  But further, he wanted to meet me and interview me for the job right then and there!  It was almost too much to take in.  I took the interview (what, are you kidding?).  Among the questions, he picked up a card with a heading on it, just text, and asked me ‘What typeface is this?’ A pause from me as I analysed it “Helvetica” I replied. I was hired on the spot, based on that answer which I had learned while hanging out with the artist in his studio.

We just never know where our decisions will lead us… or how they will lead us.

When I told the mentoring artist about my job and asked him how I could ever repay him for helping me, he simply said “Just do the same for someone else some day.”  I have never forgotten that lesson.  And yes, I did get to pay it forward.selfportrait

Every time I think of the opening quotation, it takes me back to those very early days when I had no job, and no idea how the world worked. But I knew when something felt right to me. The quotation is still one of the better things I have read that describes the creative person.

I will finish with another quote, which only recently came to my attention, but which rings very true. I believe it is paraphrased and refers to psychologist, Carl Jung’s work,

The first part of one’s life is about learning, the second part is about understanding.

Here’s to to both parts. X