Holding

I have just read a blog in which a couple decided to do an experiment in which they had to hold their hands for 8 straight hours without letting go once. Now that sounds a bit extreme but it's a no easy challenge. I once did a similar thing for a movie promotion I was in and it's a very interesting experience. It's a trivial thing to do, to hold hands or to hold somebody close, yet we don't tend to do this with anybody. Occasionally we'll do it with strangers because we want to show that there's some kind of support or unity for a cause, but when you do it with somebody you know, there's much more meaning to this simple act. We don't give it much thought really but there's a lot of meaning to just holding hands as a couple. Apart from reflecting intimacy and closeness with each other, there's connectivity and support. You show that you're at ease with that person and that you accept them as they are, even if there may be some traits you dislike. There's even more to just holding hands that we don't realize, maybe it's over thinking the whole situation but we tend to have a certain preference as to the way we hold hands and which hands we use. If both people involved are right handed or left handed, one of them will have their "useful" hand engaged and then you get into who's the dominant person in the relationship and other issues. I had never thought about too much about this. Who knew that a simple act as holding hands had so much meaning? So maybe next time, when I'm in this situation I'll be more aware of what's going on in the background... Or maybe not, and I'll just enjoy the company and warmth of the person I have next to me.

Wellington, New Zealand

Need I say more about beautiful sunny Wellington? I have been thinking long and hard about what identifies Wellington, what makes it unique, what makes it so special. Other cities rely on their architecture or monuments and as soon as you see them, you can identify the city immediately. The mere mention of the Eiffel Tower and you'll be thinking of Paris, people riding bicycles with baguettes in their baskets and little cafes on the sidewalks. Big Ben will evoke images of black taxis and the Thames River, 5 o'clock tea and maybe a rainy foggy day in afternoon. The Chrysler building brings the iconic yellow taxi stuck in traffic amongst other 50 yellow taxis and the Statue of Liberty in the foreground perhaps. The list is long and I could go on forever... Golden Gate Bridge, Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Tower of Pisa, etc.

So what could I use to illustrate Wellington that makes it so iconic? The Beehive perhaps? The cable car? The Brooklyn turbine? Maybe... all of these are options but it's not something that stays with you forever. You may come to the coolest little capital in the world and enjoy the vibe of the city, the excellent coffee options you have at arms length, the relaxed atmosphere... but does that really identify Welly?

And then it hit me, like a storm on a clear sunny day! Why the weather of course!! That is one thing that will always be talked about. No matter if you've been living here all your life or you've been here for a day, the weather is something that will always be discussed at some point. There's no escaping it, it makes Welly what it is and the way people go about their everyday activities.

Tip: Umbrellas not recommended

Latest sketch

 

This is week two of being self employed and it has been a bit difficult to get into a proper schedule. However, this week has been much better than the previous one, I'm a bit more focused and trying to stick to "work hours". The problem is, since I don't have to leave home in order to get work done, I find myself leading a very relaxed schedule.

In any case, waking up every day and feeling less stressed is an improvement that I embrace effusively. I'm also making an effort to improve my drawing skills and this is the first sketch that I've done, hopefully in a month's time I'll be able to see a difference. Not trying to run here but I assume I will have more time to do things that I really like.

We'll see how it goes!

Yosemite National Park

 

Playing hide and seek with Alexa amongst the towering trees was quite fun. The weather was really fantastic too, it would be cool in the mornings and evenings but as soon as the sun would bathe the valley, the whole place would warm up quite quickly. It was the end of winter and snow could still be seen in patches here and there. There was a huge area with snow around the far end of the park closer to Half Dome and at times you would come across some ice on the tracks but other than that, it was all good!

Apparently the park was quite empty too... hard to believe when you see so many people filling up the cafeteria and the restaurant. You would encounter about 20 people on any given track on average and if this is the empty season, you can start to imagine what it's like during summer.

No bear encounters to worry about although they do stress out the point of not leaving anything in your car. Videos are shown all the time where bears completely destroy cars just to get an apple or even a piece of gum. Cars get totalled as if they were cans of soda pop.

 

Sun was setting when this picture was taken. You can start to see the sun's rays bouncing off the stone walls giving that orange tint to them. This particular water fall is the tallest in the US of A and apparently it's the fifth tallest in the world. Most of the mist that came of from the waterfall turned into snow and you can appreciate a big patch of snow before the waterfall continues it's path onto the lower part of the waterfall.

  

 

Mirror Lake can be seen in the picture above and you can see how it is still frozen. I didn't realize that we had already arrived to the lake because the water level was quite low. Once the snow and ice start melting and the waterfalls come back to life, the lake will rise once again and I'm sure it will be hard to miss. Still, it was a really nice place to be and just take in the scenery. So peaceful.

The lake is located at the bottom of the flat part of Half Dome. I only saw 3 climbers whilst we were there. One guy was just practicing bouldering and two other guys were packing their gear into their car. I assume that during the warmer months you can see climbers taking the walls.

Ooops! Somehow the roles were reversed here, I'm the one who's always taking pictures of Alexa and no one is taking picture of me. I guess it was bound to happen someday.

We'll definitely have to go back again at some point and visit all the other things that Yosemite has to offer. Traveling with my girl makes things much more memorable! ;)

San Francisco

More images to come...

On top

Last year Alexa came to NZ to visit and we had a whirlwind of a trip stopping at some of the major points of interest in the N Island. We didn't have enough time to see or do as much as we would've liked but she still was able to go back to LA with a good idea of what NZ is like... Gorgeous!

This year I went to California and we traveled around as well although not as much. Still, we made a stop in Carmel, San Francisco and Yosemite. Nice and interesting places, and Yosemite is stunning as well.... If I had to choose between what I've seen so far of California and NZ, there would be no doubt about my choice of NZ being on top. NZ rocks!!!!! Now if only Alexa could be here... I love you GG! ;)

By the way, that picture was taken on top of the hill that overlooks the city, the wind turbine is right next to us but not included in the shot.

Alexa Tattoo

Angry Teddy Bear making a sneak appearance as a tattoo. Love the way it looks! Love my model Alexa too :)

Update: Team Paul Callaghan

Mark Hunter wearing "Team Paul Callaghan" apparel.

Things are going well with our fundraising and I would like to thank everybody who has contributed in one way or another. The t-shirts and hoodies sold through Team Paul Callaghan have been a huge success, and some members of the team have seen supporters wearing them around town. That's really awesome!

Our goal of reaching $20,000 has been met and we're now on our way to $25,000. Will we be able to reach the new goal? With your support there may be a good chance of doing so.

I would like to remind you guys that all proceeds from the sales of the Team Paul Callaghan go directly to the Relay for Life event organized by the Cancer Society of New Zealand. If you guys have already contributed, spread the word around with your friends and family members.

Don't forget that you can make a direct donation as well in case you want to miss out on the cool swag. Just head to the Relay for Life page and help us support a good cause.

Cheers!

Team Paul Callaghan

I suppose many of you are familiar with the name of Paul Callaghan or Sir Prof Paul Callaghan as he was known in the later years. He always got a kick out of being named Sir, but he only accepted the honor because he thought that it would give him more street cred and in that way he would be able to reach more people when he addressed his thoughts and visions about NZ science, NZ economy, the rebuilding of Christchurch, the conservation of the flora and fauna of NZ and so many other things that concern or should concern all kiwis.

Paul passed away last year after battling cancer and a group of friends and family have gotten together to honor his memory and share the wonderful experiences he brought to our lives. It is for this reason that we have decided to organize a team in the Relay for Life event that the Cancer Society of New Zealand leads each year. Paul took place in this event a couple of times, showing his support for this cause and even participated in the opening lap as a cancer survivor.

This year we have designed some cool t-shirts to support this noble cause and we ask you to show your support by purchasing these designs. Not only will you be helping the team reach our goal of raising NZ$20,000 but you'll also be helping out all of those people that benefit from the work of the Cancer Society. So come on, chip in, and be part of Team Paul Callaghan by visiting the Team Paul Callaghan store!

If you'd like to know more about the man himself, I invite you to visit his blog. If that is not enough for you to get an idea of who he was and what he did for New Zealand, simply search his name on the internet and choose from the myriad of entries that dedicate some lines to his work.

Thanks for taking your time to read this.

Kiss

Sometimes a kiss says it all, there's no need for words.

Light & Shadow

This is probably my favorite picture from the shoot I did with Alexa. I like the composition of the shot and the way that she stares directly into the light. Her gaze directs you towards the light but because there isn't too much detail, your eye goes back towards her and a dynamic tension is created. At least my eyes always tend to fall upon her ;) Getting nice pictures is easier when you have someone to inspire you!