Back to Kirrawee this week and I have a Television, PVR, Heater and a nice lounge to lay on now. Getting back late each night because of all the training and finding myself falling asleep in front of the Heater and TV. Woke up near the end of The Late Show with David Letterman to this song. Dave liked it that much (as I did - it woke me up nicely) and asked the Guys to play it again after telling a great story - He drove to Kansas City with Song on repeat.
Everybody Needs Love Lyrics
The moonbeams we can dream on And the working day is done And there's stars we can wish upon At the setting of the sun
The sunsets we can cry over Put our troubles on the hunt But more than all these miracles above Good people, we got love
Everybody needs love, love, love Everybody needs love, love, love, love Everybody needs love, love, love Just like they need the sun and moon, and stars up above
And nobody ever found happiness Living their lives all alone I used to go around saying I didn't need nobody To be happy and alone
And one sad day I found myself in trouble Way down without a friend Along came the love of a real good woman Said she'll love me 'til the end
Everybody needs love, love, love Everybody needs love, love, love, love Everybody needs love, love, love Just like they need the sun and moon, and stars up above, mmm
Everybody needs love, love, love Everybody needs love, love, love, love Everybody needs love, love, love Just like they need the sun and moon, and stars up above
Everybody needs love, love, love Everybody needs love, love, love, love Everybody needs love, love, love Just like they need the sun and moon, and stars up above They need love
Everybody, everybody, everybody needs love Everybody needs love, love, love, love, love, love, love Love, love, love, love, love
Love, love, love Love, love, love Love, love, love Love, love, love Love, love, love Love, love, love Love, love, love
Jeff Fenech: [..] Multiple world champion Jeff Fenech was tough, talented and wildly popular. So much so that before his 1987 title fight against Thailand’s Samart Payakarun, Hawke rang to wish him good luck. Perhaps he also offered some tips in the art of memorable speech making, because it was after beating Payakarun into a bloody pulp that Fenech first issued his trademark "I love youse all", following up with the equally catchy: "With 12,000 of the most beautifullest people in the world cheering me on, it’s hard to feel pain." [..]
A great article and one worth reading. Here are some random points ..
Being clear minded should be an important objective going into the Games [Championships]. Once again though, it is critical to feel focused and occupied and to avoid falling into the human tendency to start overanalyzing. It has been suggested that "nothing never happens"; in the absence of a constructive focus our minds sometimes start "over-thinking" or "over-perceiving."
Enjoy the emotional spectrum that is part of life.
Accept and experience feelings, let them go, and channel the energy into growth and effective responses.
Respect the power and positive and negative significance of emotions on your system.
Manage relationships and time so that you do not become emotionally drained at key times in your life, especially when working hard physically and mentally.
Let go of irrational beliefs and perspectives.
Reaffirm your mission, values, and perspective.
Live. Never have to say, "I wish I would have ..."
An athlete should be confident in mental skills going into the Games [Championships]. Responses to stress and boredom should automatically be constructive, and time and relationship skills should be crisp and effective. Creative simulations, quality training sessions, and lead-up competitions can help ensure the rust is off attention and competitive skills during the countdown.
He concludes with the following:
I would say to each of our Olympic athletes: Walk away knowing you gave it your best shot and exulted in the opportunity to test yourself in one of the most prestigious and emotional environments in the world. Accept that you can never totally control your emotions that is part of the challenge of being human. With emotional preparation, practice, and management we can often come closer to our situational potential.
Compete with passion, perspective, and preparation and be all you can be as you pursue your Olympic destiny. I wish you physical prowess, a clear mind, and an unburdened heart. Citius, Altius, Fortius! [The Olympic Motto]
Definitely worth a read. Take from it what you can for your own mental preparation.
PD's Mixed Team Pre-race Team Huddle - 2011 Nationals - Canberra (Fri 01 Apr 2011)
Willy and George - Pre-race Preparation/Rituals - Senior A Mixed 500m Final - Racice /Prague (Sat 29 Aug 2009)
Some Down Time - Chinese New Year - Darling Harbour / Sydney (Sat 06 Feb 2009)
Turning it on - World Club Crews - Penang / Malaysia (Sat 02 Aug 2008)
Jo and I attended a talk (*) by Eric Kim (*) hosted by the University of NSW Photoclub (*).
Eric is a young (just 24 years old) and enthusiastic street photographer and blogger (been following him for a while now), and a great presenter. The talk was well attended with at least 300-400 people attending and Eric was treated like a Rockstar.
Eric Kim - The Flyer - UNSW (Fri 20 Apr 2012)
The 2 hour presentation was split into two parts with a brief break where Eric was more than happy to photographed with anyone and by anyone who had a camera, and there were a few.
Part of of talk included a slide show of some his Projects with some background to the photos. I hoped he would present the flyer photo and for me it was about the hands.I waited for him to do the obvious with his hands. When the obvious moment came, I pressed my shutter release and I heard a couple of other shutters open and close at the same time.
Eric explained the importance of watching for expressions, gestures and hand movements to create an engaging photo. This is often reinforced to me when I watch a speech or media conference and you will only hear the voice of the presenter, and when a gesture is made, most often with the hands, the voice is often overwhelmed by the sounds of the assembled media pack shutters, and the strobe-like effect of the flashes.
Eric Kim - The Hands - UNSW (Fri 20 Apr 2012)
At the end of the talk, the Camera Club's Committee presented Eric with a copy of the Bruce Davidson (*) book titled Subway (*). I flicked through the book after meeting Eric and I would highly recommend it and it is now on my wish list.
Eric Kim - - UNSW (Fri 20 Apr 2012)
While Jo and I waited to meet with Eric after the talk and book presentation, I grabbed a couple of photos of Eric. The one at end of this post I feel is best as I have captured Eric in a moment where he is not performing for the camera.
In some ways I feel I have captured the part of Eric where he struggles with his new found, and well deserved, celebrity status. As he said in reply to a question towards the end of the talk, he found traveling rewarding and at the same time very challenging, mentioning the impact it had on him physically, mentally and spiritually.
Eric, thanks for the great talk and inspiration you provide to 1000's of people across the world. Your success is well deserved and I wish you all the best as you pursue your dreams.
Geoff, Eric and Jo - Jo shows Eric perfect holdout photo technique with the only holdout photo of the night with Eric - UNSW (Fri 20 Apr 2012)
The warrior of the light is terrified when faced with importantdecisions.
"That is too great for you," says one friend. "Go on, be brave," says another. And his doubts only increase.
After some days of anxiety, he withdraws into a corner of his tent, where he usually sits to mediate and pray. He sees himself in the future. He sees the people who will benefit and lose out because of his actions. He does not wish to cause unnecessary suffering, but nor will he abandon the path.
So the warrior allows the decision to appear. If he must say yes, then he shall bravely say it. If he must say no, then he shall say so without fear.
It's strange how one remembers things without being aware on any conscious level of why one remembers or how one remembers. [..]
Perhaps it might be good to reach elsewhere for our ideas on photography, outside the small, incestuous world of photo-theory so that we can add to and enrich our understanding of how images work with added engagement and added interest. Today, cognitive and social psychology might be good places to start. [..]
I can't help but feel that there is also an element of the false memory (more of which in a different post) and wish fulfilment in there as well.
The idea that when we see those happy pictures, we remember them and feel that those happy times will come again.
Trying my hand at portrait photography. Just capturing a face however they want to look at the camera, which by the way, is right in their face.
Carolina was on the front desk at the Apartment we stayed at in Barcelona. She was very helpful and she was kind enough to agree to a few photos. Carolina had a beautiful smile and I think it showed through here. Thanks Carolina.
I have a few more portraits to follow over the next few days. Every day I see two or three people that I wish I had the courage to ask for their photo. I will get there one day.
Jump - YouTube (*) Parliament Hill, London (*) / London (Sun 18 Aug 2013)
Kite Flyer - Parliament Hill, London / London (Sun 18 Aug 2013), Made my random walk on Sunday to Hampstead Heath. I also wanted to see Parliament Hill and the seat from the movie, Notes on a Scandal featuring our Cate, Cate Blanchett, and Judy Dench. Too many people seating on the seats overlooking London, so I sat on Seat facing the other way and was entertained by the Kite Flyers. Makes me realise there so many things to do. I wish I had time to fly kites. I think I figured out movements of the hand controls to manoeuvre the kite. I was mesmerised.
Introducing Joanne Petterson: Your 2013 Auroras Flag Bearer A Tribute to Joanne and all those who have supported her in paddling and life - Love Geoff (*) Gyor / Hungary (Sun 21 Jul 2013)
I would just like to say how honoured and proud I am to be representing you as the Australian Flag Bearer.
I love this sport and am very passionate about it and have been fortunate to witness many opening ceremonies and I still can't believe I have been given this honour to carry the flag.
I have been involved in the Australian squads since 2003 and have been fortunate enough to have been included in many great teams and squads, and have met many wonderful people over the years.
Each Aus Sqaud experience has been memorable for all different reasons and we are now making more memories together which we will reminisce over for years to come.
I have loved this time in Gyor and it was so nice to see how good all the divisions looked on the water and how each of the divisions supported each other.
We have all trained hard and put in a lot of work and we are now ready to face the rest of the world, so what is important now is what goes on in your head.
Some things I have learnt over the years are:
1. Trust and believe in yourself, your team mates, coaches and managers knowing we have done everything required.
2. Work together as a team and a squad on and off the water and support each other.
3. Go hard and don't hold back.
4. Focus on doing your best possible race rather than focusing on the result.
5. Be positive and be brave - you can go harder than you thought was possible and your body will be able to do it.
From my experience, I have seen it time and time again, not just in paddling but in life, keep a positive attitude even when things become tougher than you could possibly imagine, as anything is possible.
I know this to be true and I have witnessed many great moments in this sport and through that have realised as the German crew said to us after a Final at the 2009 World Championships "you made the impossible, possible".
I often remember a comment one of my coaches said as we huddled together in a circle after our last race together at the 2009 World Championships. He said "look around at each of your team mates, this will be the last time this team will race together". So saviour the moment.
I'd like to wish everyone well in Szeged, go hard, be strong both physically and mentally, be brave, but most of all have fun, these are all memories we are making together which will last a lifetime.
If you can dream it, you can do it Jenny's Meditation Room / Kirrawee (Thu 30 Jun 2011)
I often receive very nice emails, particularly around the anniversary of Jenny's passing. Lexie has allowed me to share my return email to her. It tells a nice story ..
From: Geoff Eldridge To: Lexie
7:37am Fri 01 Jul 2011
Hi Lexie. Thanks for your kind message and thoughts. Jo and I really appreciate them and your friendship.
We had a nice day yesterday as we honored Jenny's memory and reflected on her Life.
Sounds like you are having a fantastic time and it was great to have had those moments at Niagara Falls to remember your Dad there and for his parting words to come to you strongly.
Jenny and Jo visited Niagara Falls in 1987 and Jo and I were only talking about this the other day. I can remember Jenny telling me about their visit the first night we went out way back on Fri 30 March 1989. She showed me photos that were rescued from a water logged film camera (it was drenched from their Maidens of the Mist Tour in and around the Falls.
Last week I have moved back to Kirrawee where I lived with Jenny. It has been hard in many ways, but it is something I need to do. The house is exactly the same as it was when I took her to the St George Private Hospital on Tue 16 Jun 2009 (*)).
Yesterday morning as I got up and prepared myself so that I could meet Jo and my Mother at the St George Private Hospital (so we could be at the place and time where she left us (*) - we do this each year), I found flip-book of sayings on the bookshelf. She turned it each day and would put a different saying up. The one she left it on and I take it as her parting message (because we did not have a chance to say our farewells):
"If you can Dream it, you can do it!"
I would like to think that Jo and I have done this since Jenny left us, afterall as we now know, it was her parting wish for us all..
Jenny and Joanne - Maiden of the Mist Tour - Niagara Falls (Jul 1987)
Niagara Falls (Jul 1987)
Jenny and Joanne - Maiden of the Mist Tour - Niagara Falls (Jul 1987)
Jenny - Maiden of the Mist Tour - Niagara Falls (Jul 1987)
Jo - Maiden of the Mist Tour - Niagara Falls (Jul 1987)
We are ashamed to make mistakes - as well we should be, yes? It's our job to get things right, right? So when we make mistakes, our instinct is to shrink into a ball and wish them away. Correcting errors, though necessary is embarrassing.
But the truth about the truth is in itself counterintuitive: Corrections do not diminish credibility. Corrections enhance credibility. Standing up and admitting your errors makes you more believable; it gives your audience faith that you will right your future wrongs.
Bought this book in London and read it while traveling around Europe after the 2009 World Dragon Boat Championships in Prague. Enjoyed reading it and I got a lot out of it. I had had a break from the internet for over 8 years and was looking to see what was new. I understood and could relate to much of the book from my elj.com days.
When looking through the book today to find a section that talked about blogging and tweeting and why people do it (in a moment of self-reflection to try and workout why I post what I do here), I found this page earmarked with the above quote.
Had some interesting conversations and posts recently on the topic of mistakes. For me they often represent the fact that I am out there trying something and giving it a go. Feel a little embarrassed when I make mistakes and other people are involved, but I hope they know I will will right [my] future wrongs. Main thing is to learn from the mistakes.
You see (*) it. And you know that feeling. That feeling that you just want to take a photograph. It comes from seeing and observing something - a curiosity. As Rachel says, it shows itself. I just wish I had the courage to make the photo from that feeling. Most times I just let it go even when I have my camera in my pocket.
But sometimes you push yourself and don't let it go .. an example (*) from just on 10 years ago. Maybe one day I will change and make these moments happen more often.
When you travel you feel you have permission to be a photographer and that's why in part I've pushed myself and come to love travel for 10 years now and I thank Jenny (*) and Joanne (*) for that.
Grief is concentrated in the face. It makes the flesh sodden and unresponsive, dull with blood, like when you are drunk and heat comes off the skin like vapour off water, as if your vitality is evaporating into the air. The muscles go dead around the mouth and eyes. It almost hurts when others smile and your own face remains inert, held down by the drag and weight of the blood. The memory of grief stays in the flesh. The body recalls it, feels its weight, moulds itself automatically to its shape as the loss is remembered, the mask becoming tighter as the memory becomes clearer; not the memory of the dead person, but the memory of grief itself.
Geoff - "an early start for the first day of the rest of my life - 'where do you start?'" - Alexandria - 7am Wed 01 Jul 2009 (picasa)
Took this photo of myself the first morning after Jenny had died. I slept OK, all things considered and was up early - I had no idea what the day would bring. All I knew there was a Funeral to organise and many people to be contacted. No stranger to all of this, so I headed up to my usual Coffee shop (Cafe Sofia) so that I could have a few quiet moments to myself before the onslaught of the day.
Not sure why I took the photo - maybe so that I could remember that moment of numbness, despair and initial grief. I did a similar thing when my younger brother Tim died (see here).
The words above by Jonathan Walker (he reviewed one of my photos that I took in Newtown - see here) seem to match up with what I now see of myself in the photo.
The following gives some context to his writings on Grief - The Art of Grief - and its relationship to his new Novel - Five Wounds. It is complicated, but Grief is a long drawn out and complicated process. I am still trying to work it all out myself.
Five Wounds is a parable as well as a fairy tale. Throughout, it refers to an invisible, suppressed source: ‘The Art of Grief’, an abandoned essay on the deaths of my parents. This essay is never acknowledged directly within the novel, but it will be made available in March or April 2010 as a free download on my website for those who wish to investigate.
[..]
‘The Art of Grief’ is a key, which unlocks hidden meanings in Five Wounds. However, the relationship between the two texts is more complex than that of a riddle to its solution or a joke to its punch line, because Five Wounds has an independent life of its own. Its characters act according to their own natures, and make their own choices. They are not mere ciphers, condemned to act out episodes of my biography in a disguised, pathological form. The characters may be fantastic, but they are real within their own world, even when they unknowingly refer to events beyond its borders.
In this case, then, one text does not solve the other. Rather, Five Wounds places stolen fragments of ‘The Art of Grief’ in a new setting, which transforms their meaning, as the Venetians studded the façade of the church of San Marco with pieces of marble looted from Constantinople. Here, however, the arrangement is reversed. It is not the loot that shines brightly, but the container, within which the quotations are safely hidden away, like bones in a reliquary.
Auroras 2013 Team Captains Announcement - Adam Goodes Talk - Dragon Boat YouTube (*) Bank Street / Pyrmont (Sat 29 Jun 2013)
Adam Goodes (*) talks to the Sydney based Australian Dragon Boat Team Members, the 2013 Auroras.
It was a few weeks before we flew out to Hungary for our final training camp in Gyor (*) and then onto Szeged (*) a few days later, for the World Championships.
It was an amazing moment. To think that Adam would come down to say a few words to us.
You knew it was special at the time. But today, looking at this video, it made me realise how special it was. Thanks Adam. You are a Gentleman, a Champion and represent everything that which we aspire to as people and paddlers.
Following Adam's Talk, Kel announced the 2013 Aurora Divisional Team Leaders and overall Team Captains. As each was named, Adam presented the Sydney based Leaders and Captains with a Plaque which acknowledges each persons achievements in being selected to their position.
Finally, Kel thanked Adam for making time to see us, following which he was presented a plaque to remember his time with us. Needless to say, Adam was more than happy to spend a bit of time speaking to us individually and to make a few photos. See below.
Here is my humble efforts to transcribe what Adam said..
Kel suggested I come down here to see you guys who are going off to represent your country which I think is fantastic.
I do like to give back to community as much as possible and thought this was great opportunity.
You know this is not a sport that I am involved with. A sport which I have never tried before, but
[.. from the crowd .. we have got a spare seat. ]
I would hate to kick somebody out of their spot.
It is a fantastic thing, whether, you know, it's your first time representing Australia or whether you have been doing it for so many years as a Master. It is always the same. You have got that Green and Gold.
I have played for Australia four times, I have captained Australia in 2011 over in Ireland at the International Series there.
I didn't really feel what it was like to be a patriot to my Country until I represnted Australia. To see the Americans and how patriotic they are about the flag and everything.
It's not until you represent Australia and you are going away from Australian shores to do it that you actually feel how proud I am about the Country I come from, the Country I am representing and the people that we are.
Look at how diverse we all are just looking at us right now.
It is fantastic that we can go away and represent Australia and give our best. I think that is what being Australian is all about is giving our best.
You are also doing it for ..
The main reason I wanted to come down here today for you guys is to give you a pat on the back. Wish you good luck.
You know it is a fantastic opportunity to ..
You know I have never been to Hungary before. It is a great opportunity to see a different Country. Embrace their culture. Learn somehting new. But also, let them embrace our culture as well. Let them see what Australian people are like.
Have fun. You know, win, lose or draw, you are over there to enjoy yourself.
Get to know people on a different level. Travel together. I know the boys don't like travelling with me because I am a bit of a snorer.
[.. from the crowd - much laughter ..]
I dont have a problem with it, ..
but enjoy, have fun and go and do us proud.
That is the great thing about representing your Country.
It is what it is all about. Good luck.
[.. from the crowd - applause.]
Here are a few photos from the day. Thanks Adam and of course, Kel, for asking Adam.
Adam - Bank Street / Pyrmont (Sat 29 Jun 2013)
Adam - Bank Street / Pyrmont (Sat 29 Jun 2013)
Adam and Sydney-based Auroras 2013 Leadership Team - Bank Street / Pyrmont (Sat 29 Jun 2013)
Adam and Jo - Bank Street / Pyrmont (Sat 29 Jun 2013)
Adam, Jo and Geoff - Bank Street / Pyrmont (Sat 29 Jun 2013)
A Door (*), A Window (*) - Red and Blue - Paddington / London (Sat 17 Aug 2013)
Elvis Costello (*) talks about musical creation (*):
We were somewhat free from expectations (*) because we didn't tell anybody we were doing it, because we didn't know (*) we were doing it ourselves at first.''
via Pump it up: How hip-hop seduced Elvis Costello (*) by Nick Miller (*).
Back home now. A fantastic trip (*) with many great moments and experiences. Not a natural traveller, but this trip I seemed to handle it all better than I ever have and was fully engaged in the moment, not feeling homesick and not wanting myself to be somewhere else.
Hardly gave my work, paddling or situation in life (my usual preoccupations) a thought. A usual thought was to try and understand a place, event or thing, not to judge or to wish it to be something I am familiar with. It is there for a reason, and if I could just understand it a little, then I might learn something about it, life, or even myself.
I also thought how lucky I was to able to do this, to have these experiences and this outlook on life.
Took over 10,000 photos and have much to look at and ponder over the next few months, in particular, and no doubt, for the rest of my life.
Some photos have been taken so I can remember a place, a moment, or a transientary thing - to give it a life beyond its time.
Some have been taken because something caught my eye - a colour, a combination of colours, lines, shadows or maybe just the quality of the light.
Others I think have been captured for reasons beyond my comprehension, just as Elvis explains above. Most of these photos will never be seen by another person and in some ways this relieves me of any expectation or what others might think, as the above quote so nicely demonstrates.
So if you think some of the photos that appear here are a little beyond comprehension, maybe you should be thankful that you don't see some of the others that will never seen by anyone other than me.
Thanks Elvis and Nick, a great interview which allowed me to learn something about myself, which is what great writing and its sharing is about.
Portrait - Ferry / Trogir to Split (Thu 01 Aug 2013)
Our small ferry that got us back to Split after a lovely day in Trogir was crowded and we had to stand on the back.
The wind had changed direction from the morning trip and we had the most magnificent downwind conditions I have ever seen. Wish I had my OC1 here. We would have been flying.
Lots of opportunities for close up photos in such confined space and this is one I like. Always attracted to red hair and it always catches my eye. I also like her contemplative look - she looked so calm and reassured. The little girl behind and to the right adds something extra to the scene. Very happy with this photo.
Uncomfortableness isn't something to be avoided. Uncomfortableness must be embraced. It is how we achieve what we set out to achieve.[..]
Introducing uncomfortableness into the system, into the process you're going through, isn't going to mess it up. The uncomfortableness in the system quite often is the system. It's the walls of the house you're building, whether that house is a business, a career, your art or an exercise routine. [..]
It is the strain against the muscle when you exercise that builds it. It is the hours you spend studying that earn you your diploma. It is the patience you have with each other that grows a strong marriage. And, ironically, whether it's doing the dishes or running or anything else, expecting that life will be easy and comfortable is the surest path to pain and frustration.
When you are shy, profoudly shy, and I was born with shyness deeply embedded in me, almost every moment of your life is uncomfortable. The only respite coming when you are in a familiar environment by yourself or in the company of those that love and understand you for who you are. Everything seems hard, but I have managed and have survived to live a rewarding and fulfilling life. I have achieved things I never thought possible, some of which is captured here in my humble blog. And maybe that is why I do this, to demonstrate to myself that I am doing something with my Life, in spite of how hard it always seems and feels.
history is an opportunity to learn from the wisdom of others so that we don't have to make their same mistakes;
history is a background that informs our work.
via Our Place in History (*) in Random Thoughts (*) by Brooks Jensen (*).
Brook has a way with words and these caught my attention when looking through his Random Thoughts Archive (*) today. I have a few photos that remind me of history and the photo above is one of the most powerful of the incomprehendible. At least for me anyway. On Hiroshima, I can't put it any better than Beth Nicholls (*) who writes (*):
It doesn’t bear thinking about, and yet it is something we all need to think about it. The Hiroshima Memorial Museum is a painful eye opener that I wish every single one of us could visit. It is hard to think that we were ever at war with Japan, but even so, it is one history lesson we must not forget.”
It is no use waiting about for inspiration. An artist has to work, work when he does not wish to work, and sometimes pursue and flog a dead painting, all the time knowing, it will be discarded. But he knows that by the act of painting, even in despair, he is placing himself in a position where something may turn up. It is the agony of creation. It takes some sort of mad persistence to go on being a painter.
