The boys next door

A few weeks ago, new neighbors moved into the apartment next to mine. We all hit it off right away. The guys that moved in are all musicians and play often in their apartment. I've been really lucky to be able to enjoy time with them. This past week we all got together and enjoyed Hookah. Hookah is a way to smoke tobacco created in India that allows it to get filtrated through water. The best part has been able to socialize and hang out together.

The tales of sock monkey

In one of my classes, I was asked to bring in an object to show different light set-ups. I brought in a sock monkey to use as my model. I thought it would make the project more fun. Little did I know sock monkey would steal the show.Sock monkey looks as if he is on stage, maybe doing stand-up. To me it reminds me of Kermit the frog singing "It's not Easy Being Green." Later with a change of the lights sock monkey was transformed. He looked a bit scary, at least I like to think so. The shadow makes it look a bit more ominous. The shadow is similar to the movie horror film shadows used in Alfred Hitchcock movies and others.

I like that with lights and an object you can create feelings or ideas. A studio is not necessary to create these feelings. They can be found outside just as easily. Focusing on the types of light is becoming more important for me.

Food for thought

Making dinner was a chore for me. I grew up in a family where food was the center of attention. My grandma made a feast for every meal. I never worried about going hungry, or wanting more food. The left overs were always sent with us for lunch. Nothing was ever wasted in my house. Now that I live with just my wife, our meals are considerably smaller, but it took us a long time to cook for two. I never cooked as a child or a young adult. The kitchen was the place for the older women of the household. I was sent with the men to watch football or to watch the children running around the house. My cooking skills are very rudimentary. I barely can make grilled cheese, let alone something more complicated. My wife has been teaching me the basics for the last three years.

Last night I cooked the burgers in the skillet, and fried the french fries on the stove. I am not the best cook but I'm learning to make things. We have designated every Friday as our date night. We spend the night making a new recipe for dinner and watching a movie at home. Spending time in the kitchen is becoming a more enjoyable time for me.

A walk around the corner

I live in an area that most people in Southern California stereotype as a ghetto, but I love the neighborhood I live in. I will agree that there are some unsavory people who live here but for the most part there are some really cool people and places to see if you know where to look. The picture above is of an alley not too far from my house. The alley leads to a little art gallery. The entire length of the alley is painted with all sorts of cartoons and storybook art.
While some parts of my town are animated like the one above, most of it has a more retro feel, like the picture below. This building always captures my attention when I see it. Many architects now design buildings to look flashy, shiny and new. While this building does not look like those, it has a different kind of appeal. The solid structure shows its stability through the years. The Tire Stop has been running for over 30 years. For my generation there are not many places that have not been commercialized and changed into a chain. Small businesses are slowly disappearing, especially in this recession. It is nice to see some things can stand the test of time.

Home is where the heart is

As a kid, my family traveled a lot. It seemed like every memory is scattered with long car drives to different destinations. After each of these trips I would wish that the houses we passed or the next exit sign would be the one to my house, but they never were. With all the time we spend in our cars you would think we should enjoy it, but really the only place we want to be is home. As the old saying goes, "Home is where the heart is." I hope everyone finds that place for them.

Hopes and dreams

Hope. We have all hoped in the last year that the President will pull us out of our recession. I am hoping to graduate and get a job. We all have hopes. This picture is a long exposure. My friend wrote out word hope with a mag light at night. Hope means so much to each individual person. We all live on our hopes and dreams.