Good Training - Bad Training - Vern Gambetta (Tue 02 Mar 2011)

A brilliant post today by Vern Gambetta. It is great to live what he writes. Got off the water last night to read this morning ..

Good Training – Bad Training

Good training is elegant in it’s simplicity.

Everything is planned.

The execution is crisp, clear and focused.

There is no fluff.

The emphasis is on the need to do exercises, drills and movements that produce results and meet the objectives of the workout.

Everything is manageable, measureable, and motivational.

Manageable in that it can be done efficiently in the time available.

Good training will effectively use the personal and facilities available.

Good training is measurable in that results are recorded, what can be timed and counted is counted.

The results are evaluated to gauge progress and adjust volume and intensities.

It is motivational in that the athlete and coaches see the results and are driven to go forward in pursuit of the training and competition objects.

They know what they are doing will produce results in the competitive arena. It is not entertainment.

Each workout has a clearly defined specific goal and objective.

Each workout is in context with the workout that preceded it and the one that will follow.

Last but not least the training session is coached.

This clearly implies that the coach is active in the process, providing clear concise instructions, correcting when necessary and praising when warranted.

Evaluate your training or that of your colleagues in this context, it will be very clear if it is good training or bad training.

Good training works, it produces results where it matters, in the competitive arena.

Good Training - Bad Training - Vern Gambetta (Tue 02 Mar 2011)

On Mastery Motivation - Drew Ginn (Fri 7 Jun 2013)

Water - St Agnes / Cornwall (09 Sep 2009)
Drew Ginn (*) writes On Mastery Motivation (*):

Deep down I always wanted a greater connection and loved to explore. This happened in many areas.

Exploring thought process, movement patterns, biases, relationships, failure and obvious exploring success.

I really stuffed up more than I care to remember. Many mistake were made and the surprise is that I kept at it when many others gave up, left, changed their plans.

I stayed the course, and in one sense it was just the course, which probably was unclear to others yet, I knew I was seeking a better way, greater, intending (*) and learning (*).

Mastery (*) then is key I think as its takes the performance from simply doing and achieving or not to becoming more aware, intending (*), taking action, making mistakes (*) and making it count, and reviews (*).

Mastery (*) dare I say it is a journey and never the destination.

It’s the joy in striving for perfection, the working towards the best, to be the best and yet the result is not just best but a newer version or a reshaping of things.

Strange how I can see all that striving was the best part and when I watch other not full enjoying the striving I find myself wondering how I can assist in the unearthing of the mind shift from result to mastery seeking.

Sure I get the need to get the results and after having a few results fall my way its easier to state these words.

What I realise is that some time ago just learning (*) become the many motive

via A Wanderers Update (*) by Drew Ginn (*).

People ask me why I keep paddling? Why put myself through it all, over and over again. I've been fortunate and have experienced it all - the highs and the lows. Maybe it is like Alex with his photography (*), but maybe it is what Drew writes about so well here?

Live, Work, Create. - Ramercy / New York (Wed 17 Aug 2011)

Live, Work, Create. - Ramercy / New York (Wed 17 Aug 2011)
Knew I photographed this for a reason. It seems to say what might motivate me to post here. Also makes me think of creative people such as Steve Jobs who sadly passed away from pancreatic cancer yesterday.

Like many from his generation (he was about 5.5 yearrs older than me), I have lived through and watched the development, release and have used the products from the very beginning of personal computing.

I now type this on one of his innovations, an iPad sitting on a train on my daily commute - who would ever thought that all those years ago when I was still at school. Well, Steve did and through hard work he motivated a company which was fortunate enough to be the first to convert a dream into a reality for us - the masses.

His passing has touched many, including those who were not hugh fans of the Apple worshipping and hysteria that Steve was so good at creating at product releases and conferences.

It is always sad when someone passes away so young, but this was his destiny, just as Jenny had her own destiny and for all of us for that matter.

I feel some empathy towards Steve's Family and it is all in front of them, though I don't believe that Steve's passing was unexpected. Hopefully, they had their chances to say goodbye (*).

No matter what people thought of him, he was a great innovator, leader, businessman and he was never afraid of taking a risk or failure.

Lots of online tributes have popped all over the web.

Found a commencement speech (*) Steve made back in 2005 (*) at Stanford University. The last few paragraphs are very touching and worth remembering here for me ..

You can tell he has confronted his own mortality.

Maybe this is what I would like to remember from Steve’s Speech ..

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.

Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking.

Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition.

They somehow already know what you truly want to become.

Everything else is secondary.

Steve Jobs, 14 Jun 2005, Stanford Commencement Speech.

Thanks Steve, your legacy has allowed me to ..

Live, Work, Create

On Perceptions (7 years on) - Drew Ginn (Thu 03 Apr 2014)

Untitled - Amsterdam (Tue 20 Aug 2014)
Drew Ginn (*) writes On Perceptions (*):

Simply results (*) and perceptions (*) of performances (*) stick.. Good or bad ones last and seem to require more contrasting ones to change.

via twitter (*) by Drew Ginn (*).

I know exactly about this - one perceived bad performance (*), without understanding (*) the why (*), will never be recovered from. The good ones are never noticed (*) or acknowledged (*) or are dismissed as luck (*) or a fluke (*).

Just some of my experiences over the years. But, that is what makes it character building and one the reasons I keep doing what I do. Failure (*) drives success (*), if you are tenacious (*) and can forgive (*). The journey continues no matter what ...

Asian Games - Dragon Boat - Men's 250m - Heat 2 (Sat 20 Nov 2010)

Asian Games - Dragon Boat - Men's 250m - Heat 2 (Sat 20 Nov 2010)
Another Dragon Boat video has just popped up on Youtube from the Asian Games, this time from the 250m event held on Sat 20 Nov 2010.

A clean sweep for Indonesia Men, taking out the 250m in 48.681s, ahead of Myanmar (Burma) in 49.401s and China in 49.467s. Again amazing times. Boat length being a significant factor. More on this later.

Full Results here: Grand Final, Minor Final, Repercharge 2Repercharge 1, Heat 2 and Heat 1.

Great to have some footage of the event. Also to see how these crew paddle. Plenty to look at and learn from here.

On Seeing - The Story of Telling (Fri 13 May 2014)

Eyes - Barcelona (Tue 06 Aug 2013)
The Story of Telling (*) writes On Seeing (*):

What if we stopped trying to be seen and learned (*) how to see (*) instead?

via Shifting The Focus From Results To Relationships (*) by The Story of Telling (*).

Love finding a random piece hiding away from the passing traffic.

One Stroke by Drew Ginn (29 Apr 2008)

Gondala/One Stroke - Venice - Sep 2009 (picasa)
One Stroke by Drew Ginn (29 Apr 2008):

[..] So what is it to be engaged fully in that one stroke?

After the fact it is difficult to isolate the experience of one stroke from the others. It is challenging to gain clarity on exactly one stroke because it happens in a flow of many more. [..] the dilemma is not just identifying the one, but ensuring it is pure and uncontaminated by the past one’s and future one’s.

The joy of performing the one stroke and immersing in it is challenged by the accumulated nature of the cyclic or repeated experiences. [..]

[W]hat is it to be fully engaged in one stroke[?] Knife-edge comes to mind. [..] the sense of being on a knife-edge is a great description. Less so from the perspective of balance or even match up, it has an essence that finds a cord within that is about effort, ease, maintenance and fatigue.

In fact to see it clearer I notice that the one, perfect one that I see is one of edgy contrast.

It is in a position of precarious, pointedness with a subtle oscillation between more than one element and more then one stroke including the past, present and future.

The elements involve self, team-mates, equipment, water, movement, harmony, mismatch, load, flow, hardness, relaxation, sequences, positions, focuses, emphasis, location, energy, strain, surge, comparison, connection, separation, isolation, effort, ease, understanding, knowledge, risk, exposure, confidence, doubt, poise, purpose, clarity, mistakes, errors, forgiveness, acceptance, love, joy, fear, ambiguity, tension, dynamics, leverage, struggle, difference, compliments, coaching, thoughts, distractions, intentions, actions, results, exchange, change, habits, confusion, satisfaction, uncertainty [..]

One stroke is so hard to describe, I know it when I feel it and some times I know it when I see it. Maybe the one is not perfect but we make it so because we like the idea of it being better than it really was.

The experience of rowing fascinates me because it has so many things it relates too. What I do know is that when I am engaged things change. The world looks and feels different and it gives me hope. Giving in to it, but not letting it get the better of you is critical. That may sound strange but there is something about being part of the boat, the movement, the other person, and the surroundings that makes so much sense of everything. [..]

Accessing the moment is not just about rowing, but I find it palatable to articular the action of rowing in a way that means something. One stroke at a time is a cliché and like one shot at a time it has meaning if you connect with it in some way. [..]

One stroke then is like every other stroke and they in turn they are like the days of life we live. It is just an experience how I choose to judge it or them is my choice. Years ago I watch a video the Searle Brothers made about their 1992 Olympic Games success in the coxed pair. In the video Greg spoke of a simple activity they did which involved calling out better or worse as a measure for each stroke they rowed. The idea I guess was to have more, better strokes and as such you develop accountability and improvement.

One stroke means different things and the reasons are varied. What enables full engagement in one stroke or in the moment is also varied. [..] One stroke unfolds and expands. Its meaning is huge and the vastness of experience is inspiring. Being at one in one is the art to rowing I suppose which really isn’t anything new, but repeated. So you see, like me, a cliché can mean so much which it does. [..]

Another Favourite Blog Post from Drew Ginn. A truly amazing description of rowing[/paddling] and as is usual with Drew's writings I can relate to in many ways.

I always find the strokes from the start to transition are the easiest to remember. Darren calls them the "glory strokes" and in many ways they set the boat up for the rest of the effort. Get it right and you are on the way. Get it wrong and you are on the back foot trying to recover. Can also remember some lift calls in various efforts over the years.

Love the description of 'Knife-Edge' and 'Edgy Contrast'. I often feel that when the effort is such that things seem to be edgy, that is where we need to be. Always wary of that that perfect feeling.

The Warrior and the Good Fight

The warrior rarely knows the result of a battle when the battle is over.

The activity of fighting will have generated an enormous amount of energy around him and there is always a moment when victory and defeat are both equally possible. Time will tell who won and who lost, but he knows that, from that moment on, he can do nothing more: the fate of that battle lies in God's hands.

At such moments, the warrior of light is not concerned with results. He examines his heart and asks: 'Did I fight the Good Fight?' If the answer is 'yes', he can rest. If the answer is 'no', he takes up his sword and begins training all over again.

From the Manual of Warrior of Light by Paulo Coelho - (more here).

'..Time will tell who won and who lost..' - Premier Open 200m Final - Kawana - Sun 26 Apr 2010 (picasa)
Makes me think of 200m Dragon Boat Racing. At club level, it's all over in 45-46 seconds and at World Championship level, for the top countries (i.e. the Philippines and China), it is closer to 39-40 seconds. Always finish a 200m race not really knowing the result, though more often than not I always have a strong feeling we have done it.

The 200m is a great leveler where placing margins are in the 1/100's of a second. I enjoy the flurry of 200m racing where it is important to put all the training into action, and to not hesitate or make mistakes. There is no time to think, you just have to do what you have trained yourselves to do.

Somehow we have squirmed through the National Finals where we have competed - 2006 (Nagambie/Vic after a dramatic final rerun), 2007 (Sydney/NSW), 2008 (we did not go to Perth), 2009 (Kawana/Qld) and 2010 (Adelaide/SA).

Keep on paddling.

Grand Masters Crew Leader Speech - Australian Auroras Team Dinner - Tampa / USA (Mon 01 Aug 2011)

On behalf of the Grand Dragon's I would like to congratulate everyone here on their achievements in reaching this point in their Climb to Tampa 2011.

We are just about to summit and the reality of our training and efforts over the last nine months will soon become crystal clear. This time next week, Tampa 2011 and your efforts will come the most recent addition to the history of Australian Dragon Boating at International Events, in this case the 2011 IDBF World Championships here in Tampa.

In talking about Dragon Boat History, on behalf of us all I would like to acknowledge all of those people, teams and squads that have become before us. They have shown us the way forward and they have demonstrated that anything is possible.

I would like us to reflect briefly on previous Australian Squad Members who have left this world and who inspire us from above. They are:

• Margaret Cantwell - IDBF Worlds (Berlin 2005)


• Jon Taylor - IDBF Worlds (Berlin 2005)


• Jenny Petterson - IDBF Worlds (Shanghai 2004, Berlin 2005, Sydney 2007) and Asian Games (Macau 2006)


• Maurice Cowan - IDBF Worlds (Shanghai 2004, Berlin 2005)

On your behalf, I would also like to acknowledge and thank your "supporters in paddling" - your coaches, managers and team mates.

In particular I acknowledge and thank your "supporters in life" - your understanding families and friends who have no doubt made many sacrifices to see you here representing your country at the highest level in your sport.

As we sit here now, I would like you to think back that very moment you decided and were inspired to become part of the 2011 Auroras Squad. As you reflect over the time from that decision to now, you should be truly proud in your achievement and transformation as a paddler and a person.

At this moment, I would also like you to think of those people in your life or who have been a part of your life and are not on this world now. I would like to remind you of the pride they must have to see you here now and to be racing in the Green and Gold on the water over the next five days.

Today as I watched the Aurora Teams from all Divisions go through their last training drills, I was truly moved by what I witnessed. On the water, I saw a squad unified in technique, drive and purpose. Off the water, I saw teams united in arms and I felt truly proud to be Australian, in a way I have only felt a few other times.

For those who have put in place this National Selection System, there should be a hugh sense of satisfaction in the results that has been achieved as we sit here now. Dragon Boating in Australia continues to move forward from the top via the AusDBF decision making process and from the ranks, through the coaches, managers and paddlers.

Change and the willingness to try new things is always a tricky and difficult process - Who moved my Cheese (*) - (that one is for you Nicola who was there for me when I had my own fears). It is hard to move away from our comfort zones even if the we are willing to change, for you see change is a step into the unknown - a "leap of faith" some would say - and this is always a risky business.

In the end acceptance, willingness and a committment to change is the only way to improve.

To achieve longevity and success in any sport requiries an acceptance of change and adaptability. So for those who have experienced campaigns past, I congratulate you. You are role models.

For those, who this is your first campaign, I also congratulate you on accepting the change and challenges in sitting here today.

I will leave you with a quote from Cadel Evans, winner the of the 2011 Tour de France, Sunday week ago. He said in an interview the day before the now famous Stage 19, which included the famous Alp de Huez Mountain Stage:

"All you have to do is stay calm and go as hard as possible from the start to the finish. It's quite simple, [..] You are only riding a bike from point A to point B."

But as we all know through our own sport and experiences over the last nine months, there is more to it than that. He expands:

"but in terms of technique there is so much in terms of peddling and breathing, and there is the corners. Just concentrating on riding out beyond limit is very taxing."

In closing, just like Cadel, I want you to realise that you are an elite sports person. You represent your country with "Pride, Power, Intensity and Passion". You are at the top of your sport at this very moment in time.

I wish you all the best as you put in place everything that you have learnt in this campaign, in your paddling career and your life, to achieve your personal and team bests, because afterall that is all we can ask of ourselves.

2011 Inspire Award - Pacific Dragons (Sat 16 Jul 2011)

Geoff, Lisa, Nicola and Joanne - 2011 Inspire Award Winners - Lisa and Nicola (Sat 16 Jul 2011)
Lisa, Jenny and Nicola - PD's Women Post Final Win Celebration - CNY 2008 - Darling Harbour / Sydney (Thu 06 Nov 2004)

Jo and I thank Pacific Dragons for Jenny's Memory to be remembered through the annual presentation of the Inspire Award (*).

Jo and I were honoured to present the 2011 Inspire Award (*) to Nicola Frowen and Lisa Green at the Pacific Dragons AGM held on Sat 16 Jul 2011.

My nomination for this award follows. As you will read, in many ways this award was a personal thank you to both Lisa and Nicola for the contribution they have made to helping me find my place in a new world.

From: Geoff
Date: 17 June 2011 1:21:04 PM AEST
To: "geoffeldridge@yahoo.com.au"
Subject: Inspire Award (*) Nomination ..

My nomination is for two people - Nicola Frowen and Lisa Green.

Why two people? I have thought about the nomination long and hard. For me, it came down to Lisa and Nicola, but when I started to write “why” for each of them, I found was virtually writing the same thing. As you will come to see, if you have not already realised – they are twins and that has meaning and implication.

Nicola and Lisa are actively involved in the running of the club, both from an administrative and paddling perspective. Both are long term committee members filling important roles, ensuring the short-term vitality and long term viability of the club. They are goal driven and process oriented, and constantly and consistently achieve results, through hard-work, effort and persistence. They are both adaptable and willing, and they will take on ad hoc and often difficult tasks at short notice. They are always approachable and fulfil the responsibilities in a collaborative and friendly way.

Lisa and Nicola have made vital contributions to the club as coaches and managers. Lisa and Nicola as OC6 Coaches – taking many club sessions and coaching the 2011 Takapuna Team. Nicola and Lisa have both helped with the Single Craft sessions. On the Dragon Boat side of things Nicola, with Lisa’s support managed the 2011 Macua bound PD’s Dragon Boat – they performed all the administrative tasks –before, during and after; arranged flights, accommodation, sponsorship, uniforms, etc. In my view we would not have left our shores, if it was not for Nicola and Lisa. The hardest thing about becoming World Champions in Macau, was not crossing the line first, it was actually getting there. Without Nicola’s drive, particularly, our world champion memories would still be just dreams. We cannot thank you enough.

As paddlers, they have excelled this year. Be it, in the Dragon Boat, OC6 or OC1, they have trained with dedication and purpose. This has resulted in PB’s in many areas and rankings in the top echelons of the various crews and craft. In this area they are twins again – often ranking within metres or seconds of each other in the various trials that are conducted for crew selections. In individual events, they are often on each other’s tail in the last metres of an OC1 race. They do all of this in a quiet, humble and modest way. I have seen them have draw confidence from their achievements and they have used them to keep improving – the best is yet to come for both.

It is easy to be inspired by their achievements as Club members. However, from a personal perspective, they have become role models to me – I see them as strong and independent people, and they have helped guide and inspire me as I try to find my place in the world without Jenny. Along with Joanne, both Lisa and Nicola have supported, guided and inspired me – they all already know this. I know Jenny would be touched by the time they have taken to listen to me, the advice they have given and the inspiration they have provided when I have questioned myself during times when I was completely lost in grief and the shock of Jenny’s passing.

When one becomes as actively involved in the clubs running, events and happenings (as Nicola and Lisa have), there are bound to be times that are difficult, and there have been a few such times. I know that they have each supported the other during such times and for that I admire them. For you see, being “twins” means they are best friends and I admire them for that and the “love” they have for each other.

I would like to think that Jenny would support me in my nomination and that the 2011 Inspire Award would be a worthy acknowledgement of Nicola’s and Lisa’s part in making Pacific Dragons what is today (and in the future), but also for helping me find meaning and direction in my life.

Lisa and Nicola - Great Wall / China (Thu 05 Aug 2010)
Jenny and Joanne - Great Wall / China (Thu 06 Nov 2004)

On Numbers and Performance - Vernon Gambetta (Thu 23 Oct 2014)

The Numbers - GPS Results for an Outrigging Training Session - (Thu 23 Oct 2014)
Functional Path Training (*) writes on Numbers (*) and Performance (*):

Numbers need context. Numbers are one dimensional, human performance is multidimensional. We must focus on the human element, the athlete; they are not integers in an equation.

via It’s Still Just A Number (*) by Vernon Gambetta (*).

The numbers always tell a story if you know how to look at them.

The trained eye can see more than the numbers. They see the elements that create them - the environment, human performance and emotion they reflect. I've learnt so much from the numbers and I know how to read them for the sport I have been participating for almost ten years now - an example (*).

I've also seen how the environment, physical and mental reflect their way into performance and as a result, the numbers. I guess it's called experience. You can sit back and let experiences pass you by without even noticing. But if you stop and reflect on the experience, you will remember the how's and the why's of the result. They feed back into future experiences and you will improve.

I do know what Vern talks about though. The numbers are a guide and should not be the be and end all. You have to be there to see how the human element influenced the performance, which are reflected in the numbers. It's the context Vernon talks about.

Asian Games - Dragon Boat - Women's 500m - Final (Fri 19 Nov 2010)

Asian Games - Dragon Boat - Women's 500m - Final (Fri 19 Nov 2010)
Full Results (here): Grand Final, Minor Final, Repecharge, Heat 2 and Heat 1

IDBF World DB Champs Sydney 2007 Premier Open 500m Final

Premier Open 500m Final - Sydney - Sun 23 Sep 2007 (picasa)
The very moment the USA Team cross the line in an amazingly fast time of 1m48.748s. Love the fact the sweep/steerer is in mid-air - a decisive moment in photography - sometimes you just get lucky. Full results here.

We have some great memories of the event ..

Identity by Mark Dobson

Identity is the way you see yourself and what you feel your role on the planet is.

When our identity is clear it results in our destiny.

Mark Dobson

Stumbled across this last week. Really interesting to me and quite relevant. Definitely made me think a lot about what has happened (an inkling here and here) and what could be (just as vague an inkling here). In some ways I have lived this and know it to be true, how else can it all be explained? Anyway, hope you find it just as interesting.

In some ways the Indentity/Destiny quote above is similar to a recent quote from Seth Godin:

The experiences you create are the moments that define you.


Identity (page 1 of 20) by Mark Dobson
This is a chapter out of a presently unreleased book on the Thought Behind Elite Level Performance, by Mark Dobson. The chapter explores how the way you see yourself impacts your performance. It offers strategies and insights on how to adjust your identity with a series of workshop questions at the end. It uses all sporting examples but is easy to relate any life.

Asian Games - Dragon Boat - Men's 1000m - Heat 1 (18 Nov 2010)

Asian Games - Dragon Boat - Men's 1000m - Heat 1 (Thu 18 Nov 2010)
The winning time by Indonesia in the Grand Final was 3min 32.016s (ie 00:03:32.016) with the following splits:

00:00:51.156 (at 250m)
00:01:44.660 (at 500m)
00:02:39.037 (at 750m)
00:03:32.016 (at 1000m)

From the video it is pretty easy to see the reason for the amazing times - up to 15 to 20 sec faster than those recorded at IDBF World Championship events. The boats are significantly longer than the IDBF Specification Boats mandated for IDBF Events. Boat Speed is a function of water line length. These boats (the dragon heads are typical of that used by the manufacturer of the Swift Dragon Boat) are long and sleek. When we raced at the Asian Dragon Boat Championships in Wujin back in Apr/May 2010, the Dragon Boats were Swift's and they had an extra seat bench, making it 11 benches, rather than the traditional 10. Looking at it a bit more, I think the boats are same as used in Wujin (see photo below). The rest of the Dragon Boat world can take heart that they are still competitive. Just need to compare times with those teams that normally compete at IDBF World Championships (ie China, Singapore, Iran, etc).

Complete Results for the 1000m Men: Grand Final, Minor Final, Repercharge, Heat 2 and Heat 1.

Fantastic that the times are recorded with splits. Will give me the opportunity to look at pacing strategies - what worked and what did not, etc. Stay tuned ..

500m Mixed 20's - Asian Dragon Boat Championships - Wujin / China - Sat 01 May 2010 (picasa)

An Introduction to Dragon Boat - A Touch with Guangzhou (2010 Asian Games)

An Introduction to Dragon Boat - A Touch with Guangzhou (2010 Asian Games)
Dragon Boating was a new sport introduced into the 2010 Asian Games currently being held in Guangzhou (Results here). This promotional video introduces Dragon Boating to the wider sporting community and covers mainly the traditional cultural side that still exists in China today.

For anyone who has raced a dragon boat and wondered about the traditions, this is a must see video.

More than a Portrait Photo - Jinni Art Supply Shop / Shanghai (Thu 18 Nov 2004)

Portrait - Jinni Art Supply Shop / Shanghai (Thu 18 Nov 2004)
Selina Ou (*) on photography ..

Photography was something I just always wanted to do. The camera enables me to express how I see the world because sometimes words, for me, don't explain enough.

So here is an attempt to describe what this photo means to me in words. Here goes ..

I was sitting outside this shop, while Jenny and Joanne were inside deciding what to buy. We would return numerous times afterwards to buy a few more things - rice paper, paints, horse hair brushes of various widths, and much much more. I was sitting there with half a dozen Chinese men, waiting patiently like all good husbands do, and I was fiddling with my new camera. He came up to me to look at the camera.

As he seemed interested I worked up the courage to gesture to him to take his photo. I made the photo above and then showed him the results. He was very excited to see himself In the review screen of my Canon 300D and he was all smiles, which he certainly was not for his photo.

I then gave him the camera and showed him how to take a photo. I reciprocated his gesture to allow me to photograph him and he then photographed me - I will put it here soon.

Even though we did not talk the same langusge, there was lots of hand gesturing and smiles. I should do this more often when travelling, or just photographing for that matter. I must admit that I had been inspired to engage with people more while i travelled, by a young up and coming photographer by the name of Selina Ou (*) - more on her and this later.

This was the day of my 44th Birthday.

Doing - Iterations / Jeffery Saddoris (Sun 24 Jun 2018)

abstract - Greenfield Park / Sydney (Sun 10 Jun 2018)

Jeffery Saddoris on Doing:

We need to rethink the word perfect and replace it with purposeful or deliberate - purposeful practice - deliberate practice. Perfect suggests there are no mistakes and it is in the mistakes that provide the opportunity to learn. Practicing deliberately on the other hand means looking beyond simply going through the motions of a particular task or skill, and instead breaking it down into where and more importantly why we are not getting the results we want or expect.

In the same way watching is the flip side of doing, failure is the catalyst to practice. Failure shows us where the holes are - whether that is a hole in a swing, a hole in our game or a hole in our thinking. But it does not happen in a vacuum and it is not binary. Failure is the evidence of doing. And failure just like success is an opportunity for reflection in order to fine tune where to direct our next efforts. When we embrace the missteps we are given the opportunity to see what worked and what did not work in the doing and as a result we can build a more purposeful or deliberate practice moving forward.

via The catalyst to practice (listen to from here) by Jeffery Saddoris.

On Belief - Vern Gambetta (Tue 11 Nov 2008)

Joanne and Geoff - 2012 Pacific Dragons Auroras
Day 2 / 500m / 10th Asian Dragon Boat Championships
Centum / Busan (Sat 08 Sep 2012)
Vern Gambetta (*) writes (*) on Belief:

Belief - If you don’t believe in yourself who will?

Think you are the best and you are on your way.

Confidence, believe in yourself, your preparation and in your support system.

Sat 08 Sep 2012, the light shone (*) on the 2012 Auroras.

Congratulations to all 2012 Auroras representing Australia at the 10th Asian Dragon Boat Championships in Busan, South Korea. I hope your experience and the amazing results achieved will give you confidence and strength to continue on with your endeavours in paddling and life.

A hugh thank you to Joanne who keeps me pointing in the right direction when the going gets tough. Joanne you are a legend.

500m Mixed 12 - Bronze Podium - Centum / Busan (Sat 08 Sep 2012)
500m Mixed 20 - Bronze Podium - Centum / Busan (Sat 08 Sep 2012)
500m Open 12 - Bronze Podium - Centum / Busan (Sat 08 Sep 2012)
500m Women 20 - Bronze Podium - Centum / Busan (Sat 08 Sep 2012)

On Photography, Context and Meaning - Jorg Colberg / (Sun 15 Dec 2013)

Untitled - Oxford Street / London (Sat 17 Aug 2013)
Jorg Colberg (*) writes On Photography (*), Context (*) and Meaning (*):

Photographs need to be seen with context in mind. Many photographs are created with a very specific context in mind [..] But context can also be an anchor that prevents access. [..] [some] speak directly to us; many of them escape their context and talk of the human condition [..] these photographs show what happens when a master photographer sets up her or his camera: The results will stand the test of time and, inevitably, they will want to break out of whatever context they might have found themselves originally in.

via A few thoughts on Lewis Hine (*) by Jorg Colberg (*).

Hands (Detail) - Oxford Street / London (Sat 17 Aug 2013)