Yes - this marks the return to my blog. Do I hear a chorus of white-clad angels sing "Halleluja"? Oh, wait - that's a bunch of little red horned devils with tiny pitchforks dancing the conga instead...

I know I've neglected the blog (and with it my writing prowess), but one of those pesky New Year's resolutions has been to be better about it all, and get back into the swing again. So what better way to start off the New Year with a sweet, sweet, story, fresh off the BBC:

Child elopers' Africa plan foiled

Two German children - aged five and six - have been stopped by police from eloping to Africa to tie the knot in the sun, reports say.

The budding lovebirds, identified as Mika and Anna-Lena, packed bathing costumes, sunglasses and a lilo and headed for the airport.

They even had the presence of mind to invite along an official witness - Anna-Lena's seven-year-old sister.

The three got as far as Hanover railway station before police intervened.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Long time no updating this blog, bla, bla, bla. Let's just say that life sometimes is strange and busy. And sometimes, it's strangely busy.

Just the other day, for example, I've finally finished processing and editing my pics from Burning Man 2008. I've finished this task a full 6 weeks after returning from the Burn. Need I really say more?

I'm not sure I'm going to have the bandwidth to actually write about this year's event like I have in the past - maybe on some dark and stormy winter night. Who knows. Or maybe I'll throw out bites as they pop into my head.

In the meantime however, here are a few choice shots:



Thunderdome! Two men enter - one man leaves. F**k, yeah

Temple Basura Sagrada during one of the many dust storms

El Wire People

If you want to make your way through the entire gallery, you can mosey on over here.

Self-editorial note: It's true. The shots from this year are just not as good as those from years past. I dunno. I blame it on being too busy having *fun* - instead of constantly dragging the camera around. And also on the insanely sandy playa conditions which made it difficult to bike around. Plus the numerous dust storms. And the honest lack of really great art out on the playa this year. Yeah. That's it.

So - you're been warned. Proceed at your own risk.

Her name is Pearl. She is roughly 3 feet tall on a slim, wiry frame, weighs 48 pounds, and is covered in soft, supple fur. And pearls. And real Swarovski crystals. And ... el-wire.

And no - she is not some spoiled new pet of mine.

She is ... my hot cruiser wheels for Burning Man 2008.








I created her as an ode to the 1950's, Bettie Page, and all things glam - a time when in a post-war country, the 'American Dream' (Burning Man's theme this year) was still alive.

The 50's represent to me an era of hope, of freshness, of renewal, after the drab of war. With it came an unprecedented upswing in people's moods, the economy, and an almost obsessive need to display wealth through that shiny new car or that prim little house in the suburbs - all signifying victory over Hitler and his Third Reich. After all - America was a Superpower now.

Much of it was also expressed in the fashion the women wore: silky glamorous gowns and lavish furs, worn even on casual occasions. Big heavy pearls and diamonds were draped around their necks and wrists - much of them fake ... but who really cared?







So since I don't weld or build anything grand, my artistic contribution to Burning Man is turning out to be a themed bike every year. And I've actually found the bikes bring great pleasure to onlookers too. This one is special though - I spent considerable time and funds hunting down the perfect fur, the extra-big pearls, the huge fake diamonds (thank you, eBay!), and then attaching it all.

It turned out so nice however, that in many ways, a small part of me is almost sorry it's going to get all playa-dusted and destroyed in the next few weeks...

Oh, well. I guess it will be an opportunity to start thinking about *next year's* bike ...

Only 51 days until the Man burns again.

And still so much to do! Design and build a new shower, fine-tune the Desert Tent, "fur" the cruiser bike.

I wonder if this guy has already decided on a design for his back hair again ...

For hubby's birthday yesterday, I took him to the one restaurant in Bend I had previously resisted going to - Deep.

The brain child of another one of Bend's most successful food enterprises, Merenda, owner and chef Jodie Denton created Deep with a heavy Japanese flavor. I'd heard legends about how expensive the place was and maybe got scared off a bit by that in the past, but decided yesterday that I wasn't going to care. After all, it was a special occasion.

Yet, I was pleasantly surprised in all aspects. At first seated at a cramped little table, soon a cheerful waiter came by to whisk us off to different, much more comfortable seating. He seemed very pleased with himself when he saw that he had improved our dining experience before we had even lifted a fork.

Given that it was Thursday night at 8pm (and it wasn't snowing, for once) the locals were out in force on the town and the restaurant was packed. I kinda expected slow service and a long wait for my food. Again, my expectations were exceeded. Our waiter was quick, attentive, and not 5 minutes after we had placed our lengthy order, did the first dish show up - followed by a steady and seemingly precisely-timed flow of nicely arranged plates.

Here's what we ordered:

- Awase Miso Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms: I tend to judge a Japanese restaurant by the quality of their miso, and this one was indeed excellent. A tad light on the tofu maybe, but instead it was laced with a variety of pretty and tasty seaweed and tender slices of shiitake, steeped in a deeply flavorful broth.

- Stir Fried Edamame with Togarashi and Garlic: These edamame were definitely a different take on the traditional serving. Instead of being sprinkled with some meek sea salt, these were fried in butter and spices, giving them a delightful, finger-lickin' piquant taste.

- Given that the restaurant was out of their Glazed Eggplant dish, I substituted with Stir Fried Mushrooms with Chilies and Scallions instead: Again - delicious. A collection of buttery tender and perfectly cooked mushrooms - served simply with scallions, it was a very charming palate teaser.

- Tempura Shrimp Roll, with Barbecued Eel with Basil, Avocado & Creamy Spicy Yuzu Sauce: I love it when sushi rice is done right. This one was perfect - still slightly warm and with only a very light touch of sugar and vinegar. The combination of shrimp, eel, avocado and the special house sauce was also very successful.

- Spicy Tuna Roll: still a tad apprehensive about raw fish from my sushi adventure in San Francisco last summer, I opted not to taste this. Hubby said however it was spicy and excellent.

- Sushi Nigiri, consisting of Yellowtail, Broiled Eel, and Sea Urchin: The fish was tender and fresh - a rarity in land-locked Bend. Jeff wasn't a fan of the Sea Urchin, but I can attest that the Eel was indeed very good.

A pear-vodka-cocktail and a pot of green tea later, we got the bill. The damage: $70 (with tip $84). Not bad! They didn't charge us for the green tea either.

Overall - an awesome experience. And compared to the noisy Merenda, it was downright refreshing to be in a quiet restaurant with a soothing atmosphere. Combined with the excellent service (a rarity in Bend, as every regular gourmet can attest to) and leaving there with that satisfying feeling of just having eaten a well-prepared meal, Deep is definitely a place I will go back to.

It's April, and yet another season of baby showers and weddings is creeping up again.

Most people are offended when I politely decline to participate in the first, and to photograph the second. They don't understand because they don't know.

So then here is my confession: I've been traumatized.

During the last baby shower I went to, the organizers thought a funny game would be to have the attendees chew big wads of pink bubble gum with the goal of shaping the resulting mushy-slimy ball into a tiny baby.

But NO. It wasn't FUN. It was the furthest thing from it, actually. It was gross and on some primal level, deeply disturbing. I'll never forget the sight of those 10 very grotesque-looking baby-shaped pieces of bubble gum - not unlike tiny aborted fetuses - sitting on pale-purple paper napkins. I think the winning "baby" got a bottle of shower gel. But I don't really remember. By that time I was already deep into my trauma, clutching my plastic cup of coke and sorely wishing for a large bottle of Jack to add to it. (As a disclaimer, I have to add that I'd bet my right arm that my dear friend and the mother-to-be, for whom said baby shower was thrown, didn't have an inkling of what was planned. If she did, I'm sure she would have put her foot firmly down on the "NO" pad...).

Now, you may say that you can understand that - but weddings? You will point out that they are unbridled fun, with a happy couple, free-flowing booze and great food. To that, my only response is: "Sure. If you are not the designated photographer they are."

Because you see - as wedding photographer, your first and foremost duty is to take lots of pictures of the happy couple. But mostly of the bride, as she has probably taken out a second mortgage on her house to pay for the professional hair, make-up, jewelry and a dress she will (most likely) never wear again.

Last time I shot a wedding then - dedicated professional that I am - I stayed away from the provided booze and food to focus my undivided attention on the bride.

By 11am, nervous as she was, she popped the cork on her first bottle of champagne in the dressing room.
By 2pm, and shortly after the ceremony proper, all the make-up drained off her face in a champagne-and-happiness-induced monsoon of tears.
By 3pm - liberated from previously-mentioned nervousness - she sucked the face off the groom after the traditional cake-cutting ceremony. In front of the entire gathering of wedding guests, mind you. There was some wincing, yes.
Shortly after 4pm, she face-planted on the dance floor.

Do you really need me to go on?

So please - don't pout if I bow out of your baby shower. Or decline to point my camera at our at your wedding bouquet.

I know you understand now.

Don't you?

Recently, I got tired of listening to the same music over and over again. Never mind that my iTunes boasts something like 4,000 songs and I could theoretically listen to my music for 23 days uninterrupted, without ever repeating a track.

Alas, my musical tastes tend to drift, morph and reinvent themselves over time. Sure, I enjoy listening to some of the old stuff - sometimes. But the mood really has to strike. I have to feel particularly blue and in need of some serious *soul* to be able to listen to Mahalia Jackson, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone - no matter how great they are. Or I have to be in a bouncy, sentimental-of-my-youth mood to be able to enjoy Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson and other 80s music.

Lately, I just seem to be drawn more to dark, hard melodies with deep, rich sound carpets. Linkin Park rock my world. So does Korn, Marilyn Manson, Deftones, Rage Against The Machine, Disciple. And then there are my good old friends The Cure and Depeche Mode.



So I went out and acquired new tunes yesterday.

Amazing, really. The way music can elevate one's mood, suck you in, put you into a different state of mind, completely occupy you. Like honey on the tongue, it melts and sweetens the sound waves traveling to your brain. You can let yourself fall, get lost in them, swim in them like in an ocean of warm velvet.

And there is so much cool stuff out there now. Remixes, covers, mash-ups, obscure "live" versions. Covers of covers. New bands covering old bands. Linkin Park doing Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence". Marilyn Manson doing "Personal Jesus" and Madonna's "Like A Virgin" (admittedly a bit of an acquired taste). The Cure covering "World in Your Eyes".

And then there are songs I've never heard of because they either never got popular or got lost on some album nobody bought. But if I listen to them a few times, they quickly become friends. Ever heard of "Free Love"? Even die-hard Depeche Mode fans will surely shake their heads. But really, it's an excellent track I've just fallen in love with. No idea where it had been hiding all this time though...

In many ways, it's like unearthing treasures. Who then become part of the tapestry of your life. So sweet, so vibrant, so encompassing, so precious.

Enjoy the Silence.