Fotos

I have always been drawn to the art of photography. Perhaps it is because I don't really draw much (besides the occasional palm tree in the margain of my notes) but I would like to have some sort of art skill and since I do have a camera, I figure that I can at least practice. I also think it is because I have some very creative friends who have taught me to look at the world through different lenses. I once spent many, many hours (days...weeeeeks) roaming around the Dominican Republic with my Swedish friend, Patrik. He was in the DR making videos for Young Life about ministry and life in the DR. I don't think he once looked around without looking for the "perfect" shot. While it was frustrating some days (like the day where I just wanted to be home and didn't want to pull over to the side of the mountain road (again) so he could take yet another shot of brightly hanging laundry) spending time with him helped me to examine my surroundings differently.

I have taken some pictures while I have been here, but there are about a thousand and one more that I wish I had taken. Like the one of the 3 year-old boy wearing one rollerblade and one plastic rollerskate (the kind you put over your shoe) trying to make his way down the streets of Zanzibar; or the group of Massai having having a 'tribal council' meeting on the side of the mountain at sunset. Most of the time I either don't have my camera or it just seems too intrusive to take a picture. Many of the pictures I wish I had are pictures of people just doing their everyday life sort of things and I am just not bold enough to take a picture.

Sometimes I wonder if I would feel bolder if I had a more "professional" looking (a.k.a. bulkier) camera. You know, so I could try to fool people into thinking that I was taking pictures for some sort of "official" purchase and not have them think that I was just another tourist trying to get a good shot. And while I think some of it stems from cultural sensitivity, I think another part stems from pride: not wanting to appear like just another tourist. I have watched enough Alias in my life to hold on to the hope that someday a real-life Marshal is going to create something that will enable us to somehow store pictures in our eyes. Like a microchip that fits like a contact lens and when you want to capture a picture all you have to do is wink. You might run into the problem that others think you are hitting on them, but you'd definitely be able to sneakily get some great pictures.

Since that probably isn't going to happen anytime soon, perhaps I should just work on getting over my pride.

Anyway, I have been trying to upload some pictures from Zanzibar and our recent "camping" trip to online galleries, but it isn't working. In the mean time...here are a few pictures of what I have seen and done lately...

Dhows at Sunset in Zanzibar


Storefront in Stone Town (Zanzibar)


Where I spent about 5 hours on Saturday


Sundowners with Paul & Elizabeth on Sunset Hill