david mctavishdavid mctavishan introspective look on life by david mctavish Articles
all better
2008-03-02 07:43:00 zen's learning to be mischievous, complete with cheshire grin. his latest favorite game is hide-and-go-seek. van and i will hide behind the bed, and he'll scoot along to come find us. i'm pretty sure he's crawling faster than i can walk at this point (we've had to go to mothercare to buy some restraining devices to keep him somewhat in check.
under the weather
2008-03-01 07:43:00 the entire familia has been a tad under the weather for the past few weeks. van was hit with the worst of things, but the little *cough-cough* put out by zen were the hardest to deal with. sure, he was fine for the most part, you just don't like to see the little guy not feeling so well. the good news is, everybody is on the mend. :) More About: Weather
amen sistah
2008-03-01 00:09:00 every day i drove by an older building on my way to work that i thought was interesting, until last week when i noticed that it was completely gone. now, i don't find it unusual for a house to just up and disappear in india, it is india after all, but i did regret not having the chance to take a photo of it. so, in my haste, i decided to take a photo of the remains. it turns out that the building was actually an old church, and that it burned to the ground when the sound system went all screwy. it doesn't seem to be putting a damper on their spirits, they've even kept the old speaker as a souvenir for their troubles. More About: Amen
still untitled
2008-02-29 00:09:00 if you have some extra time (a rare commodity these days), i'd recommend a book called "Q&A" written by Vikas Swarup. it's a fairly short book (~350 pages) but does a good job of summarizing the issues that plague india with an exciting story-line packed with drama. if you're working on your tan and need some mental stimulation, you should be able to stretch this for a couple of hours of enjoyment.
fortune
2008-02-28 00:09:00 i wonder if this fortune teller knew that his budgie was going to fly away. he certainly does seem glum over the empty cage, but perhaps it's better this way and instead of just reading the future he can start living in the present. or perhaps he'll just buy another budgie and train it to deal cards for crackers. More About: Fortune
chums
2008-02-27 00:09:00 through van's encouragement, i've decided to put together a book of all of my india photos. i've got quite a few photos, but only 80 or so that make the cut. I suppose a 10% keep-ratio isn't too bad, it's just hard not to feel bad for all of those that hit the cutting room floor. so, the search begins on finding a publisher... we've got a few leads, but i'm not sure $200 per copy is going to lead to a profitable venture.
daddy's gonna getchya
2008-02-26 00:09:00 van's been stringing together a collection of solid photos lately. i'm wondering if i'm either rubbing off on her or if she's been sharking me like she does at billiards. one things certain, when the kid grows up, he should have some decent shots to choose from. we're not promising we won't embarrass him, but at least it will be done in style. More About: Gonna
tuckered out
2008-02-25 00:09:00 some days, i just feel completely knackered here. some days, it's like pushing a boulder up a cliff, i'm not really sure why i'm doing it, but it seems to be the right direction. i'm just hoping that when i get to the top, there'll be a nice view and there might be some comical value in rolling that boulder back down.
flat
2008-02-24 00:09:00 i was walking through chennai when a torrential down-pour came out of nowhere. the underpass provided the only protection and was quickly teaming with drenched by-standers trying to avoid the reality that they were already wet. i for one waited out the storm, but having a crap-load of camera equipment on you helps set your priorities. More About: Flat
99 red balloons
2008-02-23 00:09:00 we've made an executive decision: we're uprading the car. as much as we love the tiny ford ikon, i've just hit my head on the roof too many times to count. the extra $200 a month will hopefully be paid off by sparing a few brain cells the additional agony. new car arrives this week (a toyota camry), it's not much of an upgrade, but i at least don't smash my head on the door-frame when getting in. More About: Balloons
i see you
2008-02-22 00:09:00 sooo, i'm starting to consider that space-age laser eye surgery procedure with all of the glowing reviews i've been hearing over the past ten years. i imagine my fears of getting the lemon are nearly dealt with, perhaps what i'm really afraid of is actually seeing things the way they were meant to be seen. or maybe i'm just afraid of someone shooting a frickin' laser beam into my skull. tough call...
ring-ohs
2008-02-21 00:09:00 zen absolutely loves the pool. i'm starting to think he's taking after me, but perhaps that's just wishful thinking. he at least has all of my annoying habits: he's particularly obsessive-compulsive, and his attention span is effectively checked out. that's not to say he isn't bright, he's actually pretty smart for someone who's entire vocabulary consists of ma, ba, and inga. (for those on the down-low, inga is tamil for milk). anyway, we throw him in his life ring and he gets to kick around the pool with us until his little feet are all pruny. i'm not sure if that's the metric you're supposed to be using as a parent, but it hasn't any negative side-effects yet. :) More About: Ring
meander
2008-02-20 00:09:00 there's a certain few shots that just seem to be a requirement to validate a trip to india. the token photo of the taj mahal, the insane amount of traffic, and the cows. i've been very determined not to fall prey to such easy pickings, but sometimes you find a cow that actually makes you consider bringing it home to domesticate. i'm certain i can have him counting to three by the end of the day... on a sad note, our puppy has found a new home. after being apart for nearly 8 months, it really wasn't fair to everyone involved. sandie was starting to get a wee bit miserly with kids, so i'm not sure how she'd be with the kid now becoming a walking terror. we at least managed to finaggle visitation rights, but will still take time to get used to.
head games
2008-02-18 00:09:00 part of the experience of living in india is the game. unfortunately, it's not as exciting as it sounds. well, todays' example comes to us from the local home decor store. we thought we were getting a good deal: lamps made from a solid palm tree that were very urban-cool. we picked up a couple, plugged them in and all was well. or so we thought... a month and a few mounds of sawdust later, we quickly realized we've inherited a termite problem. they definitely take the lemonade-mantra to heart here. the funny part about this is when we returned the lamps we were told there was no termite problem, despite the fact that there were nice little mounds of dust next to each of the lamps that were still available for sale. anyway, we've uncovered the secret to getting things done. we'll let you know when the book goes on sale... More About: Games , Head
simply charming
2008-02-17 00:09:00 we got to see an old-school snake charmer at his finest. for a simple donation of 2 bucks, we got quite the show. i'm sure synchronized snake-charming will be making a push to be included in the 2012 olympics, and if it makes the cut i'm sure this guy's the front-runner. despite van's apprehension, she was equally impressed on the charmer's merits. sssssss! More About: Simply
i heart my truck
2008-02-16 00:09:00 and here i thought being a red-neck was confined to the lower US of A. i'm sure betsy-lou is real proud. More About: Truck , I heart , Heart
happiness follows
2008-02-15 00:09:00 hey babe, happy valentines' day (only one day late this year ;). don't know how i'd survive this place without you. reservations are made, wines' chilled; all that's left is you. see you at the park tonight. :) More About: Happiness
stand-off
2008-02-14 00:09:00 i'm not sure if these two were having a staring competition, but i'm pretty sure ma theresa wins the cake in this contest. nothing against muslims, i'm just not sure you've got the resolve of paint blessed through saint-hood. More About: Stand
say-cure-ah-tay
2008-02-13 00:09:00 part of the comforts of living in a complex is the added security. sure, the shards of glass lining the walls do provide a nice touch of home (for those who make their living in the 'pen). but the capper is the actual enforcement. i'm guessing the median age is hovering somewhere around 100, which in these parts is quite impressive. while the uniform does add a certain amount of creedence to the position, i'm yet to see them actually keep anybody from entering the grounds. i suppose things would just get messy, i'm sure the guys' got a mean left hook. More About: Cure
recess
2008-02-12 00:09:00 we threw a swim-party on saturday and invited some of our friends over (i suppose that's the beginning of a good party). we're not your typical ex-pats, the majority of our friends are actually locals. now, i don't see this as a bad thing, but i take it from the new creed past down by the homeowners association that some have taken offense. apparently, a new rule has been established (to our dismay without our input) that effectively bans anyone swimming in the pool who doesn't stay at the complex. perhaps it has something to do with the fact that eight of the kids had physical handicaps. personally, i've stopped trying to understand this whole caste-system; it's beyond comprehension. and i thought i was being prejudiced against here because i'm white...
dance like there's no tomorrow
2008-02-10 00:09:00 we're happy: we're coming home in june. :) More About: Dance , Tomorrow , Tomo
untitled
2008-02-09 00:09:00 A hermit was meditating by a river when a young man interrupted him. "Master, I wish to become your disciple," said the man. "Why?" replied the hermit. The young man thought for a moment. "Because I want to find God." The master jumped up, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, dragged him into the river, and plunged his head under water. After holding him there for a minute, with him kicking and struggling to free himself, the master finally pulled him up out of the river. The young man coughed up water and gasped to get his breath. When he eventually quieted down, the master spoke. "Tell me, what did you want most of all when you were under water." "Air!" answered the man. "Very well," said the master. "Go home and come back to me when you want God as much as you just wanted air."
solitude
2008-02-08 00:09:00 people keep asking us what we miss about home. the answers pretty obvious, i'm not really sure why the question needs to be raised. i suppose they're waiting for an answer like mcdonalds or perhaps a television program, but once we tell them it's our friends and family we miss, the little light bulb goes off over their head and they realize the obviousness of the matter. the phones' a great invention, don't get me wrong, but it certainly doesn't do justice to talking to people in person. More About: Solitude
zen koan: nature's beauty
2008-02-06 00:09:00 A priest was in charge of the garden within a famous Zen temple. He had been given the job because he loved the flowers, shrubs, and trees. Next to the temple there was another, smaller temple where there lived a very old Zen master. One day, when the priest was expecting some special guests, he took extra care in tending to the garden. He pulled the weeds, trimmed the shrubs, combed the moss, and spent a long time meticulously raking up and carefully arranging all the dry autumn leaves. As he worked, the old master watched him with interest from across the wall that separated the temples. When he had finished, the priest stood back to admire his work. "Isn't it beautiful," he called out to the old master. "Yes," replied the old man, "but there is something missing. Help me over this wall and I'll put it right for you." After hesitating, the priest lifted the old fellow over and set him down. Slowly, the master walked to the tree near the center of the garden, grabbed it by the ... More About: Beauty , Koan
enlighten
2008-02-05 00:09:00 again, i'm not a huge fan of architecture. or landscape for that matter. i suppose it's the opinion that it's all been done before. it's probably this thinking that is holding me back. anyway, hope you liked this little experiment. what i've taken out of this is that i need to stop being my worst critic. in fact, i need to stop asking why i like photos, and instead, just like them for their own sake.
bird on a wire
2008-02-04 00:09:00 continuing yesterdays' theme of self-imposed deprecation to achieve new growth, i'm trying to take photos that i ordinarily find cliche and overdone and determine how to make it my own. sigh. all we need now is randy jackson telling me i'm his dawg and paula rambling incoherently about the birds trying to get her. anyway, forging into new territory: new styles, new subject matter. hope you like. More About: Wire , Bird
something different
More articles from this author:2008-02-03 00:09:00 so, i feel stuck within myself. i look at my photos and all i see is the same same same. in an effort to break the mold, i'm trying to understand what my style is, and then determine what i like and what needs to grow. it's an awkward feeling when you feel like you've peaked at something you're passionate about. how do i take art to the next level. how do you even measure levels? anyway, this is me, breaking free from my cocoon, hope you like it. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
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