Monthly Archive for November, 2007

sometimes i sleep in the back of a car….sometimes standing in line at the airport….i can pretty much sleep anywhere…..however, sometimes i stay in the finest hotels…that is, if i am on an expense account of some sort….now is such a case……

there is now an almost full moon rising above the high rise buildings towering over the smallish swimming pool in a hip "celebrity"  hotel in the middle of chaotic  Bangkok…..just a few weeks ago the "Black Eyed Peas" were hanging around this pool of the Dream Hotel…both nachtwey and i originally almost rejected this hotel for our workshop site, because both of us were thinking bamboo and koi pond motif rather than a Southest Asian version of Miami Beach art deco….but, what do we know??

my girlfriend (below), who had to split Bangkok four hours before my arrival here two weeks ago because of a family emergency, has returned now to check out the full moon with me….my friend and printer and general techno genius, michael courvoisier,  is here along with co-teacher james nachtwey and a whole host of my old friends …and new friends in the form of 28, yes 28, students…..

this pool is where we do our slide shows…..big white wall over the pool and hi def projector and terrific sound system…nice place to hang out with a cold beer and slide show rolling…..jim and i did our shows last night…Manit (above), famous Thai art photographer who just sat down beside me, shows tonight….. student show friday…if you are anywhere near Bangkok, please come..

ok, i have to let go of this computer now because we need it for this evening’s 9pm sharp presentation….and i must not be rude to my evening presenter…..

just one quick question for you….if you had come to Bangkok to take our workshop, would you have preferred the bamboo koi decor or would you be rockin’ in  the cool Dream Hotel???

well, i promised to get back to you during my morning coffee…looks pretty relaxed … but, but and but….this picture was taken by my old friend from grad photo school days, medford taylor, who i met down here for a short "buddy trip" after my workshop in  San Miguel…this was picture was shot this morning on a beach somewhere near Zihuatenejo….

BUT,at this moment nothing was going right…i am leaving for Thailand in 45 minutes, BUT i almost was not leaving at all…and my girlfriend and nachtwey are waiting for me to show up in Thailand…since i have been traveling in Brazil and Mexico and using my credit card everywhere and trying to buy an expensive ticket to Bangkok, all financial systems shut down…the airlines denied my card…too many countries in too short a period of time…fraud alert or whatever….BUT, i was on a buddy trip and my buddy just saved the trip…medford had not used his cards at all…..he bought my air ticket….thank you medford…

ok, rushing….posting again from Bangkok in however long that will take…i hope nachtwey has some money, because i am sure my card will not work there either….am i counting too much on friendships?? or am i blessed with great friends?? would you ask a friend to do the same and would you be that kind of friend yourself???

trip to southeast asia from mexico…an adventure….having friends who care…priceless….