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About Ramblings of a Hopeless Khowaga

Welcome to my Web site. My name is Chris, and I’ll be your host. I live in Austin, Texas, with my partner, Ray, and our child dog, Mocha. You can read more about me, learn 100 random things about me, and if you’re wondering what the heck a khowaga is, click here. Feel free to browse, read, and leave comments!

Tag: ‘hawaii’



Triptychs

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

I’ve been wanting to do something with the photos that I’ve shot for a while (hey, guess what you’re getting for Christmas, everyone?), and ran across these neat frames at IKEA (which I think is Swedish for “evil store that sucks you in and compels you to purchase items).  They’re a triptych of photos mounted about an inch behind frosted glass that separates out the three pictures:

67337_PE181005_S2

They were on clearance.  The catch, naturally, is that there was your typical IKEA art in them (stock photo of stones or trees.  Woo).  So, Ray and I decided to swap out the artwork with some of mine (OK, he suggested it and I readily agreed, because I like taking photos and he likes taking stuff apart).

So, we wound up with these pictures instead:

Wood inlay on the main doors, YeÅŸil Cami, Bursa. Tiling CRW_5356_RJ

I wound up having to take these to get them developed after it turned out that our laser printer doesn’t do the best job (not surprised, really, but figured I’d give it a shot).  These are photos that I shot of the door to the Green Mosque in Bursa, Turkey; stone work on a wall just off of Insadong-Gil in Seoul, Korea; and the door to the Mosque of Sultan Qalawun in Cairo, Egypt.  I set them all in black and white using Matt Kloskowski’s “A More Natural Black and White” preset in Adobe Lightroom.

We picked up a second one with a beechwood frame when we were at IKEA over the weekend.  Our bedroom, where I envision it going, is in shades of blue and beige, so I tried to find photos that matched the color scheme:

Ruins and Ocean, Tulum Postcard perfect AK Trip 246

… and those would be Tulum, Mexico; the Puna Coast of the Big Island, Hawaii; and Zanzibar.

I’m trying to get more into presenting my photography a little more, rather than just shooting it and collecting comments on Flickr, which seem to be few and far between.

I’m also trying to gauge what I need to shoot on my upcoming trip — it’s going to be a whirlwind in Turkey, and I’m hoping I still have enough energy to be adventurous in Egypt afterwards.  I have ideas — hopefully they’ll pan out!

So … whaddya think?

The Downside of Having One’s Office in a Highly Trafficked Area

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

<timid knock on the door>
Me: “Hi.  Can I help you with something?”
Student: “Um, hi.  Um, I’m trying to enroll in a summer language course, and I need the approval of one of my language professors in order to register?”
Me: “Yes, I believe that’s correct.”

<silence>

Me: “What can I help you with?”
Student: “Well, Professor X’s* office hours are now, and he’s not in his office.”
Me: “Professor X is at a conference this week.”
Student: “So … he’s not going to be in his office today?”
Me: “No, cos the conference is in Hawaii, so I’m pretty sure he won’t make it.  You can e-mail him, though.”
Student: “Well, I tried that, but I kind of need this taken care of urgently because the deadline is approaching?”
Me: “Have you talked to Professor Y?”
Student: “I e-mailed her, but she never gets back to me.”
Me: “She’s on leave this semester, but she’s around.  I don’t know if she went to the same conference, though.”
Student: “Someone said I could see Z about this?”
Me: “Yes!  I saw her this morning.  I know she’s here.”
Student: “Do you know when her office hours are?”

<I pick up phone and call the front desk … the same front desk the student walked right by to get to my office.>

Front Desk Diva: “Hello, <Name of Department>”
Me:
“Hey, it’s me.  Do you know when Z’s office hours are?”
Front Desk Diva:
“Um, Tuesday and Thursday, 11 to 12:30.”
Me: “Thanks!” <hangs up>

Me: “Z’s office hours are today and Thursday, 11 to 12:30.”
Student: “I have class then.”

<blinks.>

Me: “I’m sorry?”
Student: “I have class then.  During her office hours.”
Me: “Have you tried e-mailing her?  Or stopping by another time?”
Student: “No.”
Me: “Give that a shot.”
Student: “OK.  And if that doesn’t work, should I come back to you?”
Me: “If that doesn’t work, I’d talk to your adviser.”

I know people who would have told the student outright that this wasn’t their job and sent her on their merry way, but I like trying to be helpful.  On the other hand, this sort of makes me understand why they do it.  Sigh.

*Yes, this is the same Professor X as always, Christine.

Contradicting myself

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

I found this meme on Matt‘s blog.  I am feeling uninspired today, so I have stolen it.  Bwa ha! And yes, that kind of contradicts my post yesterday. My blog. Shut up.

The rules are these: bold the items you’ve done; don’t bold items you haven’t done.  Sticking to my principles, I shall not tag anyone for the meme, but let me know if you do it!

1.Started your own blog. Um … hello?

2. Slept under the stars.  If tents count, yeah.

3. Played in a band. I was a band geek in middle school.

4. Visited Hawaii. Yes!  I want to go back.

5. Watched a meteor shower .  Saw one fall over the pyramids.  That was cool.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity. I give to charity, but never that much. I’m too nervous about money.

7. Been to Disney World / Land. Been to Disney World a couple of times. Never as an adult, though.

8. Climbed a mountain. I climbed Mt. Sinai in the dark. Won’t do it again.

9. Held a praying mantis.

10. Sang a solo. I was in musical theater in high school. Interestingly enough, this was before I knew I was gay.

11. Bungee jumped.

12. Visited Paris. Unless Charles deGaulle Airport counts, no.

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. I don’t think so? I know there have been storms while we’ve been at sea, but can’t recall watching the lightning.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.

15. Adopted a child. Does Mocha count?

16. Had food poisoning.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. Every time I’ve been there, it’s been closed.

18. Grown your own vegetables. Yep. Sometimes I even remember to harvest them before they rot, too.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.

20. Slept on an overnight train. I slept on the train from Aswan to Cairo. On the way from Cairo to Luxor I was awake most of the night because I had never traveled through Middle Egypt and wanted to see all the places I hadn’t ever been. Considering it was an overnight train, this was perhaps not the easiest thing to do.

21. Had a pillow fight. In college. Broke my little finger.

22. Hitch hiked.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. “Wow, Chris must be sick. I heard him getting on a plane.”

24. Built a snow fort. Um, yeah.

25. Held a lamb.

26. Gone skinny dipping. Interestingly, I don’t think I have.

27. Run a Marathon.

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.

29. Seen a total eclipse. Not a total one, but near total.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset. Yep.

31. Hit a home run. Not officially–I had a friend who was into softball as a kid, and we played a lot, but always in the vacant lot. Who can say if they were homers?

32. Been on a cruise. With Ray to the Yucatan twice, and on the Nile.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. Once you’ve seen it, there’s no real reason to go back.

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. I’ve been to Greece and met the extended family but have not yet made it to the place where either grandparent was born.

35. Been to Amish community. Northeast Ohio.

36. Taught yourself a new language. I taught myself Swedish. Everything else I had to take a class for.

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. Is that even possible?

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.

39. Gone rock climbing. I did one of those walls in a gym once. Does that count?

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David.

41. Sung karaoke.

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt. When I was a kid. I’d love to go back to Yellowstone.

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant. I’ve bought strange people meals before …

44. Visited Africa. Egypt, Morocco, Tanzania. And I’ve changed planes in Nairobi.

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance.

47. Had your portrait painted.

48. Gone deep sea fishing.

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I saw it when landing in Paris once – does that count? Probably not.

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling. Snorkeling, in the Red Sea, very briefly. I’m not coordinated enough.

52. Kissed in the rain. Have I … ? I … oh, sweetie? Next time it rains, we need to cross this off the list.

53. Played in the mud. Aren’t four year olds genetically designed to be attracted to mud?

54. Gone to a drive-in theater.

55. Been in a movie.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China.

57. Started a business.

58. Taken a martial arts class.

59. Visited Russia.

60. Served at a soup kitchen.

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.

62. Gone whale watching.

63. Gotten flowers for no reason.

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma. Not allowed to (5 year ban after malaria medication. Well, that and the other thing.)

65. Gone sky diving. Um, no.

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.

67. Bounced a check. Fortunately, the bank has always been good enough to cover it for me, usually for a massive fee.

68. Flown in a helicopter.

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial. I’ve taken a nap there, too, waiting for the Fourth of July fireworks.

71. Eaten Caviar. Tastes like cold fish jelly.

72. Pieced a quilt.

73. Stood in Times Square. Years ago. I’d like to go back to New York City … when I can afford it.

74. Toured the Everglades. It gets old after a while.

75. Been fired from a job.

76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London. Been many times, but I’ve never actually been there to see the Changing of the Guard.

77. Broken a bone. See #21.

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.

80. Published a book.

81. Visited the Vatican.

82. Bought a brand new car. Two, in fact.

83. Walked in Jerusalem. Got heatstroke in Jerusalem, too.

84. Had your picture in the newspaper.

85. Read the entire Bible. At this point, I probably have. Not all the way through in one sitting, tho.

86. Visited the White House.

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.

88. Had chickenpox. I was in kindergarten. I think I still have a scar on my right leg from it.

89. Saved someone’s life.

90. Sat on a jury.

91. Met someone famous.

92. Joined a book club. Ran a book club for a little while, in fact.

93. Lost a loved one.

94. Had a baby. I’ve had a cow.

95. Seen the Alamo in person. Not that impressive.

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake. Seems like it would sting.

97. Been involved in a lawsuit.

98. Owned a cell phone.

99. Been stung by a bee. I have a completely unnatural fear of stinging insects.

Suck it, iStockPhoto

Friday, November 28th, 2008

I’m still a little bitter that iStockPhoto has found me … what was the term?  Below “our minimum standards of quality”?  Hence, I feel I’ve been redeemed ever since one of my photos was solicited for a book on modern architecture, and then I got the following message today:

I am delighted to let you know that your two submitted photos have been selected for inclusion in the newly released fifth edition of our Schmap Hawaii Guide:

Kohala Coast/Kohala
www.schmap.com/hawaii/introduction_neighborhoods/p=2091D04/i=2091D04_23.jpg

Hulihe’e Palace
www.schmap.com/hawaii/sights_historic/p=271466/i=271466_8.jpg

So … I’m getting published in architecture books and travel guides, but iStockPhoto finds me lacking.  Y’know what?  I’m thinking maybe the problem here ain’t me.

So, on my own behalf, dear iStockPhoto editors: suck it.  Suck it hard.

Hee.

Anniversary

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

I´m still in Mexico–today I´m in Xalapa, whose charms are … not readily apparent.  The people are nice, but we got a couple of enthusiastic responses when we mentioned that we were coming to Xalapa, and so far?  We just don´t get it.

At the south end of the island

Today is Ray´s and my anniversary–eight years!  It´s a bit weird being out of town–between all the people that I´m meeting with and their schedules, these were the only dates this trip could happen.  I have, however, already made dinner reservations for Friday night after, Hurricane Ike permitting, I get home. 

Happy anniversary, sweetie!  I wuv oo!

 

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