Image of a Japanese man I encountered while exiting the Tokyo subway train station. It was still early in the day and he was drinking some type of hard alcohol straight from the bottle. As the rain fell, from under his umbrella he stared blankly at the top of a nearby high rise tower. I got the distinct impression from the look on his face that he was completely burnt out, drained to the point of breaking. I tried to be respectful while capturing the picture which is why it’s slightly out of focus. It was a strange greeting as I stepped out into the streets of Tokyo city that day.
Lately I’ve been struggling. My struggles are not serious; I’m not struggling to find food or my freedom, it’s nothing as grandiose as that. My struggles are of a more simple nature, though no less complicated or meaningful as far as I’m concerned. The bbc had an article about some indigenous people living almost undisturbed deep in the south American jungle. Very few people had ever come in contact with them. It quoted a doctor who was working to defend their lands from development without them having to come into contact with the developed world (us). His words really connected with me when he explained to the interviewer “in some ways these people are some of the truly last free people on earth”.
So it was while considering his words and contemplating my own struggles that I was reminded of a scene I saw in Korea and of another in Japan. I was sick and feeling a little under the weather. I stepped out of my hotel looking for something I could eat that would be quick and easy so that I could crawl back into bed as soon as possible. I found a Mcdonalds ‘restaurant’ around the corner and I walked in around lunch time. The front of the restaurant was busy with the counter surrounded by several groups of customers; teenagers, couples, workers and at least one foreigner. Continue reading →
During one of my first day treks in Seoul I found myself walking along the Han river. I was in search of the bridges featured in the excellent South Korean movie “The host”. It was while I was walking along the Han river pathway that I saw from a distance a large piece of graffiti, which you can see to the right. This piece although not particular interesting to my eye was &*^%@# huge. As I got closer to the area it was clear that there was no way to get into the entrance of the storm drain without going around a small fence. Continue reading 
