I’ve decided to try out tumblr. I’m lazy when it comes to setting up blogs and I like the hand-holding and smoother look without much effort. And it’s s new platform compared to word press. There’s a value in starting fresh sometimes. I’m talking blog platforms and platforms for expression. I’ll leave this up and link to it at the bottom of the new blog page. …

Good bye

see blog.vincentcharles.com

So ever since my trip to europe I haven’t gotten sick. I’ve had a couple close calls, and a little congestion, but nothing like what I used to experience. I used to get sick quite a few times a year, or sick and well again…

Now I haven’t been sick since a few weeks before my 6 month trip now almost a year ago (11 months). I don’t want to push my luck. Mabye I left the US before the flu season, and got to europe where there were only benign weakly viruses that only cripple my fellow wester-european decendants that didn’t survive the treturous adventure across the Atlantic Ocean and the rugged coast to coast American terrain.

Not likely but it paints a fun fanciful dramatic picture.

So what is it? I take the leap and say my immune system is stronger finally. But why? To answer that I have to think of what has changed in my life. The most obvious is that I finally gone to the country I’ve wanted to visit most of my life. Maybe its that my stress levels are lower. Maybe it’s that I’m eating better. But I haven’t been too stressed for a while. But I’ve been eating well for a while too. I have lots of fresh organic vegitables daily, grains, carbs, fruit, light portions of meat.

So what significant changes have occurred?

I started drinking coffee (or caffienated drinks) daily.
Case closed. Drinking coffee, being addicted to caffeine helps the immune system.

How can this be true? Well I’m obviously half-joking here, but it really is the only significant lifestyle change I can think of.
Maybe the regular coffee, which keeps my bowls regular, keeps the probiotics in my belly and intestines at a more healthy state. Maybe.

Or maybe there is something to consistency. I’ve drank caffeinated drinks most my life but not regularly. Maybe the random nature taxed my immune system, as it wasn’t able to get a solid baseline/equalibrium to fight off invaders.

Maybe there is an optimal amount of toxins that keep the body ready and waiting for something more serious to come along.

I don’t know. All I know is whatever I’m doing now is better than it was, so I’ll stick with what works.

I’ve been wanting to post something for a while, but everything on my mind lately isn’t right for the public domain.

I’ve been lightening my load of possessions. That takes a lot of work, but lugging needless stuff around takes more.

So I find myself sitting in an ez-chair in a 24 hour supermarket café. It’s strange but I like it here. There aren’t many people. It’s taken me this long to even think of this as an option for working away from home when it’s past the hours of all the coffee shops in town. Where to go? A bar? It’s too…drunk there. Not the most productivity enhancing environment. A restaurant? Not bad, but outlets and wifi aren’t that common. One place that would be a good place to hang out late has written on their menus rules and purchase requirements for hanging out at night.

Of course I can be at my place but sometimes being in a new environment is a great way to focus, get a new perspective, etc.

So I went shopping for some water and snacks, bought them and now can lounge as long as I want without any pressure to buy more.

Who else is here? A bum. A couple teenage lovers huddled over a cellphone, a UC student couple, once in a while employees take their breaks here, gamers, a couple girls playing on facebook, and me–some guy reveling in the fact that he has something worthy to post in his blog finally.

I’ve had plenty of other profound realizations since my last post. A lot, to be honest, get dissipated in facebook blurbs. Maybe I should add a feed to my fb wall here and start making some of those posts public. . ..

Alright back to work. Luckily it’s fun work for the next few hours.

—

but back to my initial thought.

It’s strange that a giant corporation’s excesses has led to what I see as a great place to spend some time when everywhere else is closed. This reminds me of my strange affinity for Wal-mart parking lots to camp when on a long road trip. They don’t mind overnight guests. They even have security. I can easily complain about other aspects of these businesses but there is something satisfying about working the public service they inadvertently offer….the world.

The general rule-of-thumb I live by when traveling and being a guest at other’s houses, whether friends, friends of friends, couch surfing hosts, or whoever lets me into their home is this–It sounds a bit clinical but I like saying it concisely:
Add value to the system.
What that means is to try to err on giving more than what is received.
Specifically, when showering wipe things down to get rid of your body hair and theirs. If you shave at the sink, leave it cleaner than when you started. When cooking, make more food than you need. Feed whoever wants to eat. When cleaning up, do the extra dishes lying around. When wiping down the kitchen, make it cleaner than you started…etc, etc. Basically give more than you receive.

There are basic expenses no matter what you do, where you live, like food. So whatever cash that might have been saved by being a guest, can easily be spent on a little more food or a little better food.

Everyone wins this way.

Being a guest and a host takes energy. It’s nice to do what I can to surprise the host into realizing guests can actually make their day-to-day life better, easier, more fun.

Having a guest who is in travel most while you are in work-mode, can be help you vicariously feel the fun and open-ness of traveling without leaving your needed work-life routine. Maybe you’re saving up for your next travels, and want the travel feeling but it’s just not the right time…brining someone in can be the next best thing.

Other things I like to do are little favors for other people. If I notice something broken, a leaky faucet, worn out brake shoes, plants that need to be watered I’ll try to fix it…

These are lasting favors that aren’t too hard but for someone who has lived with them for a while, maybe it’s harder for them to get around to it.
Then when you leave. Your efforts go further and are appreciated even in your absence.

This isn’t about making myself look good. Altho that is a nice side-effect (and I suppose of course it doesn’t hurt. It’s about putting a good taste in people’s mouths about having guests in general, and it helps to counter the bad-guest experiences people may have had. Being a guest is about giving more than receiving.

I do like exploring and traveling without spending a fortune. So I really am grateful when people share their space that they pay hard-earned money to have.
The least I can do is leave them with a good taste in their mouth whether it be from fixing something that has been on their to-do list for too long, or making a nice meal.

In semi automatic mode:
-Shutter Speed (time shutter is open):
long shutter speeds (small number), means crisp moving objects (ie flowing water, running, moving things look still).

short shutter speeds (large numbers), means blurred moving things (water flowing, cars smearing by, etc).
Why does a big number mean faster? The number listed is the denominator of a fraction–1/60 of a second.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_(photography)

-Aperture (opening size):
Small opening (large number an ‘fstop’) means things are in focus far away and up close, there is a deep depth of field.
Large opening (small number) means things are in focus in a very precise distance. Shallow depth of field.

To make it seem intuitive that the bigger number means a smaller opening I think of the fstop as a fraction 1/number. for details on that fraction see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-number

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field

Film sensitivity: ISO setting of the ‘film’
This give more or less light sensitivity. The trade off is: the more light sensitive the film is (higher number), the more grainy the image is.
Smaller numbers (100) less light sensitive but very crisp images (highest resolution for the camera). Best for daytime outdoors or well lit areas.
Larger numbers (3200) means very light sensitive. Great for night shots (parties, concerts, etc) colors appear more saturated too it seems.

———
Other thoughts I have while shooting

Handheld what’s the slowest shutter speed you can use without the image stuttering/smearing/blurring?

60 (1/60th of a second) is my rule of thumb but I will push it to 50 for a lens that is very far away from everything (a wide angle lens).

Framing the photo:
art

What is photo’d:
art

Which settings used:
art

I tend to use Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes when shooting. I ‘focus’ on depth of field in AP mode and motion of object with SP.
I turn my ISO up enough for low lighting conditions when a tripod is not possible.

I suppose the next level of my technical skills is putting things in fully manual mode.
Adjusting aperture and shutter speed manually, keeping in mind motion and depth of field.

I almost forgot Exposure compensation. In one of the semi-auto modes it can be useful to brighten up and image or darken if the automatically calculated exposure isn’t seeing the image as you do.

Why France? Why Toulouse? What are my plans? What is going on? What have I learned? Perspectives, musing….

Listen to everything laid out on the table.

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What is this perceived need to be heard?
What is the need to be seen? Why do we have blogs? Why do I have a blog? Who am I talking to? What purpose does it serve? So far it seems this site has been read by new friends screening my worth, potential employers doing the same, and maybe some family members curious to know what I am up to.

I am still not sure why I have this site. Part of me feels like it is a temporary substitute for a quality public representation of myself.

But why? Why do I even need passing thoughts, well-thought out essays, random perspectives and opinions to be documented anywhere? I suppose it is as simple as a validation of my existence. That sounds pathetic.

Even this entry, I question sharing. Meta-meta data on myself. Is this being hyper-self-aware, or hyper-self-conscious? Self-conscious: if I look at this compound word with its components in mind, it sounds like a pretty good trait to have actually.

–
I suppose I have nothing better to mention now. And a while back I promised to only post meaningful content here.
–
Well there are thoughts on my current travels and life abroad. But that, I suppose, may come soon.

I’ve published a couple french videos as a fun way to help myself learn some basic but needed things to communicate.
See my youtube channel for updates there:
http://www.youtube.com/vincentcharles

Need the hardware store.
Funny. I finally had some time to myself, I washed the dishes, sat down began to check my email and wondered, ‘What do I want to do? What do I feel like? What needs to happen now? What feels right? etc etc.
Then all of a sudden there was an explosion of hot water from under the sink. The floor began to flood, there was too much hot water rushing out to feel it by hand, or even look closely enough to see where the leak was coming from.

I panicked! Where was the water cut-off valve? Did I need to find it for the entire apartment complex? Or just my place?
The floor began to puddle. Things were getting wet–the rug, my bed sheet, my electronic stuff. So I moved the essentials out of the way and realized (why I was in a panic), I didn’t know how to ask for help! even the words, ‘please help me’ are unknown to me. I had my little translation book but as the water continued to spray I couldn’t get myself to focus on actually finding the right way to say ‘I’m panicking!’

So I knocked on 3 neighbors’ doors until one answered.
I said quickly, ‘I don’t understand much french.’ Then motioned and got her to listen to the gushing sounds of the water filling my floor!
She came downstairs and noticed what I was talking about.
I tried to describe, ‘Where is the water cutoff valve?’
She suggested calling the manager or something. I said sure.

She said to come back upstairs to her place.

I did, then when standing there, I had a moment of clarity, I pictured the hot water tank in the bathroom. This was hot water flowing out, there had to be a valve right on the tank.
So i said, ‘Où!’ which means ‘Or!’ but I meant to just say, ‘Oh!’

I ran downstairs and noticed the valve. I turned it and off the water stopped!

Then and now it’s cleanup time.
I mopped and dumped a few buckets of water, then used some floor sanitizer I just got, then I asked my neighbor to help once more. She let me know the name of the place to buy hardware, Midica. It’s not too far.
Next up…right now is to skate there before 7:30 when they close. It’s after 6:40 now.
I hope to not need a new faucet head and just the hoses.
But the problem happened because the faucet was loose and the metal to metal of the sink and hose lining rubbed until breaking, then bare rubber tubing was rubbed away. And finally with some hot water to soften the mangled rubber….it tore open and my adventures began.
http://www.midica.fr/index2.html