Below are extracted from timhetherington.com

Tim Hetherington was born in Liverpool, UK. He studied literature at Oxford University and later returned to college to study photojournalism. He lives in New York and is a contributing photographer for Vanity Fair magazine.

His interest lies in creating diverse forms of visual communication and his work has ranged from multi-screen installations, to fly-poster exhibitions, to handheld device downloads. Known for his long-term documentary work, Tim lived and worked in West Africa for eight years and has reported on social and political issues worldwide.

His project Healing Sport was published by Thames and Hudson as part of group project Tales of a Globalizing World (Thames & Hudson 2003). Long Story Bit By Bit:Liberia Retold (Umbrage Editions 2009) narrates recent Liberian history by drawing on images and interviews made over a five year period. A new book, Infidel (Chris Boot Ltd 2010), about a group of US soldiers in Afghanistan, continues the examination of young men and conflict.

As a film maker, he has worked as both a cameraman and director/producer. He was a cameraman on Liberia: an Uncivil War (2004) and The Devil Came on Horseback (2007), and his directorial debut film Restrepo about a platoon of soldiers in Afghanistan, was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. His most recent film Diary is a highly personal experimental short currently playing at film festivals.

He is the recipient of numerous awards including a Fellowship from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (2000-4), a Hasselblad Foundation grant (2002), four World Press Photo prizes including the World Press Photo of the Year 2007, the Rory Peck Award for Features (2008), and an Alfred I. duPont award (2009).

Tim was tragically killed on 20th April 2011 while covering the conflict in Libya.

Sharing this remarkable story of Photographer Giles Duley who lost 3 limbs to a  landmine in Kandahar, Afghanistan… and who wants to get back to shooting as soon as possible.

——————–

Published Tuesday 28 June 2011 in the Hastings Observer (UK)

RICHARD GLADSTONE from The Observer caught up with Giles Duley and chatted to him about his recovery from the brink of death. “ABSOLUTELY!” – that was the defiant word spoken by triple amputee photographer Giles Duley when asked if he intends to return to work in war-torn Afghanistan.

The 39-year-old has been down a long road to recovery after losing both his legs and an arm after stepping on a landmine. Even though the road ahead to complete recovery is still far away, Mr Duley remains upbeat. He spent 110 days in total in hospital before going to the military rehabilitation facility at Headley Court, near Epsom, Surrey, where he is currently undergoing gruelling, intensive physiotherapy to get walking again.

Mr Duley lost one leg below the knee, the other leg above the knee and his left arm has been severed above the elbow.

Last Wednesday, The Observer caught up with the photographer to see how his rehabilitation was going.

 He now has two prosthetic legs and a prosthetic left arm. and from 8am to 4pm, five days a week he has to undergo intensive fitness training. “To work using prosthetic legs it takes 260 per cent more effort than walking with normal legs, so you have to be strong and fit,” Mr Duley explained. His physiotherapy, which is expected to last another five months, includes swimming, weight lifting, rowing and other types of fitness.

Speaking about that fateful day, which changed his life forever, Mr Duley said: “Most people are knocked unconscious by the force of the bomb but I was fully conscious the whole time. I was thrown to the ground and I remember a sudden calm feeling. “I knew straight away that my legs had gone and at that point I thought I was going to die. I was bleeding everywhere.

“Soldiers had to go around with metal detectors to see if there were any more devices.”

The photographer was in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan with US troops on February 7 working as a freelancer for the Camera Press agency when the accident happened. He intended to cover the plight of bomb victims while working for the Camera Press agency but snapped up the chance to join frontline troops in Afghanistan, and had been in the war-torn country for less than two weeks when he was wounded.

Mr Duley praised the troops on the ground, saying they were ‘brilliant’ getting him bandaged up and rushed to the hospital in Kandahar. “They gave me a cigarette, which was probably the best cigarette I had in my life,” he said.

The photographer, who has been taking pictures in conflict zones for seven years, said he fought to stay awake the whole time he was taken to hospital, worried that if he passed out, he would die. He said: “There have been several journalists and photographers killed by landmines recently. Two men in the same profession as me were killed in Libya. “I’ve also built up a friendship with Joao Silva, another photographer, who suffered similar injuries two months before I had my accident.

“I was incredibly lucky, as another man who suffered exactly the same injuries as me a week later did not make it to the hospital. “There have been less than 20 triple amputees who have survived since the war started in Afghanistan.”

He had another brush with death earlier in his career after stepping on a landmine in Angola in Africa. Thankfully the device did not go off. “I’ve always known the risks doing this sort of work but it’s something you have to accept,” he told the Observer.

Following his accident in February the photographer was inundated with messages from friends, family and well-wishers, who praised him for his humour and resilience. Sue Stoten, landlady of the Hastings Arms, where Mr Duley worked, set up a fund to raise money for his recovery, and hundreds of pounds were already donated within days of his accident. So far more than £4,000 has been collected by well-wishers.

The publican also gave her £750 prize money to Mr Duley’s recovery fund after winning the Shepherd Neame’s Tenanted Pub of the Year in the brewery’s annual pub awards. Mr Duley lived in High Street in Old Town for eight years before moving to London two years ago. He planned to move back to Hastings in March following his stint in Afghanistan and launch a magazine charting the war.

Mr Duley spent 10 years as a photographer in the fashion and music industries in both the USA and Europe before focusing on humanitarian projects, and has worked in Sudan, Angola and Congo. He has worked with Medecins sans Frontieres, as well as other charities.

His work has been exhibited and published worldwide in publications like Vogue and the Sunday Times. He ran the tough Marathon des Sables across the Sahara desert in 2007, a six-day gruelling race, to raise money for research into Alzheimer’s disease following the death of his mother from dementia.

Mr Duley started walking on his new legs two weeks ago and remains in fighting spirit. He said: “I’ve literally had hundreds of emails from people encouraging me to go back to work when I recover. In fact, when I regained consciousness I vowed to myself I would not stop doing what I do. “I hope to be walking independently by Christmas and plan to be sitting in the Hastings Arms with a pint by then.”

My wife thought I was nuts….. my friends were asking if they could take out insurance on me ….. and most everyone else had this patronizing smirk on their face.

At my age (49) I have to get serious about staying in shape and keeping fit.

No, I wasnt trying to learn how to do neck-breaking tricks in the skate park or flip around a dry swimming pool as if I’m made of rubber.  A specific discipline in Longboarding is that of Pumping.  Thats the ‘art’  of using one’s longboard/skateboard to travel long distances on FLAT ground  WITHOUT PUTTING YOUR FOOT DOWN ON THE GROUND…… WITHOUT the need to go down any slopes or hills….

How?  and How Far are we talking about ?

On a path without car traffic, this can be done for quite a few kilometers until you stop for a rest.  Huh ?  Hows that possible ?

Thats where the act of ‘Pumping’ comes in.  Its a gyration of the body in one fluid movement that transfers force onto the longboard/skateboard that further translates that into forward momentum.

How fast are we talking about here ?  Currently the good and fit guys go at up to 30km/hr while most other people vary from between 5km/hr to 20+km/hr …..

That “Aha !” moment came after 2 months of head-banging trying to pump a Loaded Dervish …. the farthest I’d ‘pumped’ before last Friday was a grand total of 8 parking slots (and I mean slots and not lots) or less than 15yds

I started to learn  ‘Pumping’ in April.

It was TOUGH….. I just could not make any headway no matter how I twisted or ‘danced’.  I looked just ridiculous to anyone walking/jogging by.

I tried shadow boxing, rock the baby, throw the baby, the Chubby Checker Twist , dry humping, left/right -hand wanking, 2 handed wanking  and a few other variations with zero success

I started with a longboard that seemed HUGELY popular…. the Loaded Dervish (flex 1) …. because I thought “Hey at almost 50 years old, I might as well get what everyone says is the BEST.”

A few weeks later, after doing hours of internet-based research as to why on earth I was not ‘pumping’ more than a few feet at a time (I began to doubt all these accounts of how fellas were putting in marathons worth of miles on EACH trip) I learned  that a drop-through is TOUGH for pumping ….. my so-popular Dervish was a drop-through .

So in an attempt to throw money at the problem so that I could learn how to pump before I turned 60, I bought an  Earthwing Bellycarve.  Its a top-mounted deck… sorry you’ll have to google what drop-through and drop-mount decks are.

I modestly added 5degree  wedges to both front and back of a pair of 9in Gunmetal Magnum trucks fitted on this new longboard deck  + rock hard pink bushings at the rear

On this top-mount, I was laughing hysterically, going “Hallujah !” when I went beyond the usual 20ft distance I was previously squeezing out of the Dervish .

I could not wait to get rid of the Dervish quick enough.  I’m 49 and wanted to adopt an activity which keeps gives an aerobic workout …. and since I’m supposed to be in some kind of a mid life crisis I figured why not do something which I’ve not done since I was 18

I was no longer looking like a clown shaking around going nowhere ….. I still look like a clown…. but at least I was moving … and moving under my own steam without gravity’s help !!

The set-up needs more work and adjustments.   I’ll tweak and fine tune it as I progress.

I cannot recall the last time I was this delighted …. It wasnt when I graduated from college in 1987 because I studied hard and graduating was almost predictable …. you could tell from your grades if you were going to graduate or flunk out of college….. or any other achievements in my life  because there were always roadmaps to doing OK/well/excellent in almost everything

Oh I guess there were 2 other times in my life that I had felt such delight….. when i first rode my 2 wheeled bicycle when I was 6 years old and when I learned to walk/stand-up  at a year old….. so learning to pump was not going to make me rich or zen me in on the meaning of life  but it is ….hugely significant….  for me.

This achievement was sweet to me because… I had been trying my darnest  on the deck, watching almost every available pumping/LDP youtube video and how-to without success ….. and there was NEVER any guarantee of success from Day 1 ….. or even Day 47 (yesterday) nor was there even a faint clue that I would get it …. at all.

Worrying that the first distance accidentally pumped might have been a fluke …. I wanted to live that fluke as long as I could and kept going and going until my thighs could not take it any more 3/4 of a mile later.

Fear gripped me as I got off the board after that first “Eureka!” …. could I replicate what I just did ?  Or was that a one off  fluke?

I pushed off again ……. and I was pumping again !!!  At a slow 2-3 mph but so what ?  I was pumping again !!  I couldnt believe it…. almost 6 weeks of failing to pump…. I was suddenly pumping.

I could not give half a hoot to anyone looking at me doing the pump wiggle/macarena/boogie …. I was so happy I really did not care !

I could not care less that joggers were overtaking me, that kids on bicycles were zooming past me, that folks walking their dogs were going faster than me … I can pump now .

That day 12 June, I must have ‘pumped’  for a good 6  kilometers. The adrenalin just overcame tired muscles
I got home that night drenched in sweat and heaving like a camel out in the desert for a month.  My thighs were killing me… my lower back was sore… my arms felt like jello …. my knees were knocking ….. and I had a smile on my face a mile wide
Pavedwave.org and Mr Peters ….. and folks like Surf One’s chronicles and those of you who gave advise and contributed with advise  ….  and most of all to Mr Vlad Popov from russia….. your video on the net helped tremendously …THANK YOU !!

I am feeling so STOKED right now !

NOW I have a valid need…. to quit smoking…

Below is NOT me but it gives you a pretty good idea what ‘Pumping’ is

SOMEDAY

1.   3 whole weekends of helping raise funds for Japanese Earthquake Tsunami survivors through Ganbatte Japan – Wishes from Singapore

2.   Leading 3 photowalks for the Olympus ‘Colours’ photo competition in conjunction with Ganbatte Japan

3.   Discussing and putting together a Clubsnap worktogether events with National Geographic and Capitaland around the theme ‘Building People’

4.   Reviewed the new Fujifilm X100 camera

5.   Reviewing the new Samsung Facebook camera

6.   Just did a whirlwind 5 day trip of Shanghai and Beijing 11-15 May visiting clients

7.   Headhunting for a Head for the HK office

8.   Taking up longboarding

I bought a Loaded Dervish (Flex 1) longboard and damn near broke my neck on my first attempt to ride it on 21 April.  These things are running on much larger (70-80mm) wheels vs skateboards’ 55mm wheels and therefore roll alot faster

The last time I was on a skateboard of any sort was as a 15 year old in 1977 .  Now, at 49…… 34years later…… I seem to be just as stupid

But the feeling of cruising along with the wind in your face is that of ….. freedom …… while in control of your fears

No stunts or tricks from me….. the medical insurance wont cover it…..

watch?v=2AvNxl-SCTw&feature=autoplay&list=SPC9FA9C82873067BD&index=3&playnext=2

watch?v=he8yp86XUcE&feature=related

———————-

KESENNUMA, Miyagi–When the earthquake occurred at 2:46 p.m. Friday, I was at the Yomiuri Shimbun Kesennuma office in the central area of the city.

First, a vertical jolt hit me–I felt I had been shoved toward the ceiling. Then the building shook horizontally and violently, forcing me to go down on all fours.

When the tremor subsided, the office floor was completely covered with things that had fallen off the shelves. I grabbed my camera, personal computer and communications equipment and rushed outside.

I drove my car to the Kesennuma Central Community Center, since it was designated as an emergency evacuation site. One after another, residents were arriving at the community center.

I was asking questions of some residents there–I guess it was about 3:30 p.m.–when I heard someone shouting, “Tsunami coming!”

I turned back and saw a white line on the water of Kesennuma Bay. Soon the tsunami reached the land, washing away houses and marine product factories. The wave moved toward the community center, located 400 meters from the shore.

I was absorbed with taking photos of the tsunami but suddenly realized how rapidly the water was approaching the building. I rushed up the stairs to the rooftop of the building with the residents.

Above Photo :  Reuters/ Kyodo 11 Mar 2011

The tsunami hit the center. The building was surrounded by water and wreckage of houses and buildings. The water reached as high as the ceiling of the second floor.

It was apparent that the tsunami had hit the apartment building where I’d been staying. I had lost my place to live in. My car was washed away, too.

I sent the tsunami photos to the company through my computer, and reported the situation to my boss. I was able to use my mobile phone several times, but soon the network went dead.

I realized then that I was a helpless victim, rather than a newspaper reporter–all I could do was wait to be rescued.

When the tsunami lost its momentum at about 6 p.m., I went down inside the third floor with the residents for shelter from the cold. The 450 evacuees split into four rooms–a storeroom, a cooking room, a conference room and a corridor–to pass the night.

I was among about 100 people who stayed in the storeroom. We huddled up and pressed our bodies together. One reason was because of the cold, but the other reason was more simple–there was no space to stretch our legs or keep any distance from each other.

We found blankets stored for an emergency, sharing one between three or four people. We cut up cardboard to put on the concrete floor, but most people did not get a piece. I sat on some documents I had received the day before from a person I had interviewed. Some people slept standing up because the floor was so cold.

During the night, I once again went to the rooftop. The water surrounding the building was burning here and there–oil patches had caught fire. The scene was surreal. I felt I was watching a science fiction movie.

I went to a bathroom and found that all the toilets were covered with rubble. I had to relieve myself in the stairwell.

The building was repeatedly hit by aftershocks, which woke me every hour. I was anxious about the possibility of the old building collapsing.

My gnawing anxiety was relieved by ordinary small talk I had with a woman who sat next to me.

“Where are you from? Chiba? That’s really far away…I’m sure your parents are really worrying about you,” the 56-year-old woman said.

I had just met her for the first time, but talking with the woman, who was of an age similar to my mother, made me relax.

By Saturday morning, the water level had fallen to the ceiling of the first floor. There were various things floating on the water–cars, frozen bonito and saury that apparently had come from warehouses. Suddenly, something floating by caught my eye–was it a branch or a human arm? I instinctively shut my eyes.

At 9:40 a.m., a rescue helicopter of the Tokyo Fire Department arrived, and began picking up people one by one with a rope. An Air Self-Defense helicopter joined in the afternoon, but the helicopters were able to rescue only about 50 people that day.

Dinner on the second day was a piece of a biscuit. The 400 people still in the center had to share only a couple of bottles of water that had been delivered by the helicopters. I gave my allocated water to an elderly person who was showing signs of dehydration.

Our stress levels seemed to have reached a peak when, at about 6 a.m. on the third day, we found that the water outside had receded.

Soon, three helicopters from the Tokyo Fire Department and SDF landed one by one on the square in front of the community center and shuttled people out. After the sick people, children and the elderly had been transported, I boarded a helicopter.

At about 10 a.m., I landed safely in Kesennuma. I was able to become a reporter once again

—————–

Cars were moving at the rate of maybe one every green light, but everyone was letting each other go first with a warm look and a smile. At a complicated intersection, the traffic was at a complete standstill for 5 minutes, but I listened for 10 minutes and didn’t hear a single beep or honk except for an occasional one thanking someone for giving way. It was a terrifying day, but scenes like this warmed me and made me love my country even more.

 —————————–

It was cold and I was getting very weary waiting forever for the train to come. Some homeless people saw me, gave me some of their own cardboard boxes and saying “you’ll be warmer if you sit on these!” I have always walked by homeless people pretending I didn’t see them, and yet here they were offering me warmth. Such warm people.

 —————————– 

This earthquake has reminded me of that Japanese goodness that had recently become harder and harder to see. Today I see no crime or looting: I am reminded once again of the good Japanese spirit of helping one another, of propriety, and of gentleness. I had recently begun to regard my modern countrymen as cold people … but this earthquake has revived and given back to all of us the spirit of “kizuna” (bond, trust, sharing, the human connection). I am very touched. I am brought to tears.

 —————————-

 Yesterday, I was impressed and touched by the actions of my neighbor’s 13-year-old-boy. He was home alone when the earthquake hit. But instead of hiding, as soon as the earthquake quieted down, he jumped on his bicycle and road around the block repeatedly shouting at the top of his voice, “Is everyone alright? Is everyone okay?” At the time, there were only women and children and the elderly in the homes. I cannot describe how comforting it was just to hear a strong voice asking if I was okay. Thank you!

————————————- 

Both the government and the people, everyone is helping one another today. There are truck drivers helping evacuees move. I even heard that the “yakuza” (gangsters, organized crime groups) are helping to direct traffic in the Tohoku region! There have been many recent developments that have made me lose my sense of pride in my country, but not anymore. Japan is an amazing place! I’m just simply touched. Go Japan!

 —————————– 

I spoke with an old taxi driver and some elderly staff at the train stations. All of them had been working non-stop and had not been able to go home for a long time. They were visibly very tired, but never once did they show any sign of impatience; they were gentle and very caring. They told me “… because all of us are in this together.” I was touched at what the notion of “all of us” meant to these elderly people. It is a value I will treasure and carry on to my generation.

 —————————–

 I went out last night to help some friends who were volunteering as security personnel between Machida City and Sagami Ohno City. I saw total strangers, both young and old, helping each other along everywhere I turned and was heartened with an overwhelming feeling of encouragement. I was so touched I hid behind the toilets and cried.

——————

JAPAN – A touching example of loyalty was discovered in the quake aftermath.

Two reporters discovered a dishevelled-looking dog in Arahama, Sendai.

They saw the dog sit next to the body of another dog, keeping watch over it.

At first, the reporters thought the second dog was dead, then they saw it stirring. The healthier dog was also seen gently putting its paws on its wounded friend.

Both dogs were rescued and have received veterinary care. The more seriously injured dog was sent to a vet in the city of Mito, Ibaraki, while its protective friend is at a shelter in the same town.

Kenn Sakurai, the head of an animal shelter in Japan says that many more pets have been displaced because of the disaster. He has rescued 62 animals so far.

Here is a translation of the exchange between the two reporters in the video.

“We are in Arahama area. Looks like there is a dog. There is a dog. He looks tired and dirty. He must have been caught in the tsunami. He looks very dirty.

“He has a collar. He must be someone’s pet. He has a silver collar. He is shaking. He seems very afraid.

“Oh, there is another dog. I wonder if he is dead.

“Where?

“Right there. There is another dog right next to the one sitting down. He is not moving. I wonder. I wonder if he is alright.

“The dog is protecting him.

“Yes. He is protecting the dog. That is why he did not want us to approach them. He was trying to keep us at bay.

“I can’t watch this. This is a very difficult to watch.

“Oh. Look. He is moving. He is alive. I am so happy to see that he is alive.

“Yes! Yes! He is alive.

“We need them to be rescued soon.

“Oh good. He’s getting up.

“It is amazing how they survived the tremendous earthquake and tsunami. It’s just amazing that they survived through this all.”

Despite the horrific scenes of destruction, Japan may emerge from its quake-tsunami disaster with a stronger international image as the nation’s resilience wins wide praise.

Television stations around the world have broadcast the footage of the seismic waves as they razed homes and carried away cars as if they were toys, stranding dazed survivors on the brutalised landscape.

Among the disaster there comes small tales of hope.

When soldiers reached the ruined down of Ishinomaki, a coastal town northeast of Sendai, they found young parents sheltering in ruins with their four-month-old daughter.

When the second tsunami alert went off yesterday, the parents panicked. Thinking their lives were again about to be turned upside down, they handed their young child wrapped in her pink jacket to soldiers.

Fortunately the alert turned out to be a false alarm and the young family was rescued.

Another tale of survival emerged over the weekend when a man was found on the roof of his home, 15km out to sea.

These stories of hope are few and far between. Most of the news is overwhelmingly devastating however it has shown the true Japanese resilience.

There is not a hint of looting or violence, even as residents line up at half-empty stores.

The Japanese are calm as they search for loved ones or wait for basic necessities

Entries on the English-language blogosphere speak of the Japanese as “stoic” and wonder the reaction in Western countries would be to a disaster of similar magnitude.

Harvard University professor Joseph Nye said that the disaster may turn out to benefit Japan’s “soft power” — a term he coined to describe how nations achieve their goals by appearing more attractive to others.

“Though the tragedy is immense, this sad event shows some of the very attractive features of Japan, and thus may help their soft power,” Nye told AFP in an email exchange.

“In addition to the sympathy it will engender, it shows a stable, well-mannered society that was as prepared for such a disaster as any modern country could be, and which is responding in a calm and orderly way,” he said.

While nearly all nations enjoy sympathy at a human level when they experience tragedy, countries’ reputations rarely benefit as a result.

Pakistan received aid from the United States and other countries last year when it was submerged by major floods. But funding came slowly from individuals overseas with relief groups pointing to Pakistan’s image problems.

China and Haiti also faced criticism over government handling of earthquakes in 2008 and last year.

Facing a heavy reconstruction bill, Japan is expected to reconsider some of its foreign aid, long the key foreign policy tool for the officially pacifist country.

Some experts believed the earthquake could change the narrative about Japan to one of rebirth after years in which the country was identified with feeble economic growth, an aging population and revolving-door governments.

“The question was whether Japan was going to be able to deal with what’s necessary, to innovate and revive its economy,” said Nicholas Szechenyi, deputy director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“It’s way too early to make any predictions, but I think so far, viewed from afar, it seems like the Japanese people are demonstrating resilience at a time of crisis. I think that could say a lot about Japan in the days and weeks ahead,” he said.

Japan, however, has come under scrutiny for the safety of its nuclear industry. Explosions have rocked overheating reactors at the Fukushima plant after the cooling systems were knocked out by Friday’s 8.9-magnitude earthquake.

Critics of nuclear power have pointed to the crisis as a reason to freeze moves around the world for nuclear power, while lukewarm supporters of atomic energy in the United States have no called for a safety review.

In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel put off a plan to postpone the date when Europe’s largest economy abandons nuclear power.

However, in the United States, Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, the number two Republican in the chamber and advocate of nuclear energy, spoke of being “very impressed” with earthquake preparations by Japan

“It may well turn out here that the Japanese did a phenomenal job of avoiding a catastrophe,” Kyl told reporters.

Leaving aside the nuclear issue, newspapers saluted the Japanese response.

Canada’s National Post said that Japan’s foresight saved “untold tens of thousands of lives”.

“Unlike in Haiti (2010), Pakistan (2005) or Sichuan (2008), the rolls of the dead were not needlessly extended by acres of ramshackle tenements that collapsed immediately upon the heads of their occupants,” it said.

The Wall Street Journal said in an editorial: “After a once-in-300-years earthquake, the Japanese have been keeping cool amid the chaos, organising an enormous relief and rescue operation, and generally earning the world’s admiration.”

end

Credits: Shaun Tandon, AAP 15 March 2011

I woke up happily…. I had just collected last year’s bonuses….it was Friday, a dress-down day at the office, weekend time with the family  ahead and lunch on Sunday with my parents.

It was a normal day at the office, chatting with clients, executing documents to get new accounts opened….. in fact, I was feeling a little drowsy after a heavy client’s lunch.

As I sipped a double-espresso to kick myself back to life….. I see the first images and videos coming in from Japan.  Earthquake in Japan was reported….. I was thinking ‘no big deal, it gets hit by earthquakes almost daily’

The videos shot from helicopters in the sky showed what seemed like perfect surf conditions on a sunny day.  Tsunami alerts were reported …. meaningless drills that everyone took for granted .

No-one in the office took the news too seriously then …. after all, we were in Singapore.

Then all hell broke loose as the waves slammed onshore and like a black blanket, swept all standing before it.

It was sweeping everything before its path like little toys , whole houses , boats, SHIPS and cars were floating on a giant sweeping wave  inland .  The speed did not look fast, coming from TV cameras shooting from helicopters high up in the sky…. but closer examination showed it sweeping the lands at high speed …. entire fields would take a healthy kid a minute to run across were swept over in less than 6 seconds flat

We stood or sat where we were in the dealing room in silence at the enormity of the disaster unfolding in Japan.   Silent, not knowing how to react.

Then our own tsunami started.  Calls came in thick and fast , calls and messages were shot out, Revaluations, updates on client positions and equity and a whole lot of other things happened.

At 7pm, I walk out of the office in a daze.  300+ dead ?  No way.  I thought I needed a drink…. but had little stomach for anything. The video footages of destruction still tolled heavily in my mind replaying themselves over and over again.

This was 9-11 all over again.  I also remember 9-11 2001 like it was yesterday. It felt like deja-vu all over again.  Deathly and sickeningly surreal.

The following few days has not been better.  The death toll has climbed to almost 3000 deaths and looks to still rise another 10-fold or more.  The sick and dying are still suffering and while the Japanese spirit remains strong , it wrenches the heart to see the Japanese struggling to keep their anguish within themselves , almost protecting themselves with a sheild built on rescue and relief efforts.  They seem to be saying ‘ We will cry when the time is right….. not now.  Now, we need to be strong and brave’

I took my family out for dinner at Bakerzin at Vivo City last night (Tues) .  My daughter was eating quietly…. my wife still could not find it in her to eat anything…. I nibbled ashamedly at the pasta before me.

At home after we got back from dinner, I go through some of the old footage and new footage that just came in.  While my wife was doing the laundry and my daughter taking her shower, I thank God that I finally had some private time to anguish and cry quietly in front of the screen.

—————-

10pm 16 March

I just got home from a dinner with 8 clients….. the food was overflowing…. I hardly ate 4 mouthfuls, my mind still in Japan and stomach just could not hold anything down knowing that so many are starving and cold.  I thank God that alcohol was plentiful….. it got me whoozy it got me dizzing and buzzing…… but it did little to numb the pain.

I sit here staring and typing this….. I reaffirm  again that I am tiny and insignificant.

————————

Picked up the following posts in one of the forums regarding the spirit of survival of the Japanese people….

“….”This morning the family got an E-mail from our niece, who is serving in the Navy on the U.S.S. Blueridge.   Ally is an electonics person, and she’s with a detachment of sailors working with the town authorities trying to get local communications systems up and running again. Trying to get the fire/rescue/police/hospital all on their land lines again due to the damage to cell phone towers being wiped out. Cell phones are not working too well in some areas.

Anyways, she made mention of some points in her brief communication with family here, that are worth noting. First of witch is, she has never seen such a resilliant tough people like the Japanese. Amid the devastation and rubble, little make shift tent settlements have sprung up.

People have gathered together to share a cooking fire, watch the children, and start making some kind of order in the ruble. Supplies that are valued are bottled water, instant Ramin packs, tea, and canned goods. Some kind of cover for your nose and mouth are needed, both from dust, and the stench from the flooded areas. Good heavy work gloves and boots are needed to navigate the ruble. A short D handle shovel is useful for not only digging, but to use as a pry tool. They have some kind of Japanese army service people working with them, and they are carrying short shovels, and getting a lot of use out of the mundane tool. There’s a bit of a language problem, but not as much as we would think. Gestures seem to work pretty good.

Many people have set up little shelters from plastic sheeting and scrap lumber, around a communal fire. It’s cold at night, and a warm blanket is valuable. Ally also saw people on their own, already piling the ruble and debris into neat little piles that can easily removed if and when the from loaders get there.

She has not seen any kind of lawless behavior or the kind of stuff that went on here when Katrina hit new Orleans. Instead, the survivors seem to be all working together to make things better in their own little patch of turf.

We hope to hear more from Ally, will pass on anything we hear of importance……”

“I have had the good fortune of working with the Japanese people in my vocation, & you will not find a culture of more dedicated people to family, honor, & order than this one. …. preparedness is also at the top of the list.

The news that groups of people are banding together to help each other does not surprise me. Hopefully, food, water, & medical supplies will reach them quickly to help keep the loss of lives as minimal as possible…”

This article is published with the kind permission of  Singapore based photographer, Yi Chao who has spent a good number of months documenting the traditional street performance art of Chinese Opera in Singapore

Yi Chao, aka Banana,  is more a participant than a passive observer of life wherever he goes.  His social insights into human situations is sensitive and highly personal.

It’s been a while since i do a bit of write-up on my photography and i felt that i should continue to do more of it…

I have been documenting singapore’s local chinese opera for quite some time now… compared to overseas troupe which that i have seen before first hand, i still prefer our own local troupes as they appeal more to me because of the sense of belonging and the fact that i have been unknowingly watched them when i was a kid…

I can almost relate to them as more of the troupe people are just normal people from all walks of life… i like documenting 新燕玲 Xin Yan Ling Troupe alot… they always made me felt welcome… thank you i hope to capture more of these moments in future…

As a photographer i believe in understanding more about my subjects and the more you understand, the more you can take better pictures and bring out the story behind it…

“What’s the use of depth of field, when there’s no depth of feelings?” ( Walkeast  says,  “Bravo  !!”)

Chinese Street Opera in Singapore
Since Singapore declared independence from Malaysia in 1965, Chinese street opera has played a significant role in defining Singaporean identity.

They play an important role in fostering cultural nationalism and entrepreneurship and by carefully tracing the history of amateur and professional performances in Singapore. In performing Chinese street opera, amateur troupes preserve their rich heritage by underscoring the Confucian mind-set that a learned person engages in the arts for moral and unselfish purposes.

Their performances bring together diverse ethnic groups to watch and to perform, it also encourages a national attitude focused on both remembering the past and preparing for the future in Singapore. The government welcomes Chinese street opera performance because they combine tradition and modernism and promote a national culture that brings together Singapore’s four main ethnic groups–Eurasian, Malay, Chinese, and South East Asians alike…

regards
Banana

Run Through The Jungle – Clearwater  Credence Revival

One Burbon One Scotch One Beer – John Lee Hooker

Fast Car – Tracy Chapman

Cantaloop Island  – US3

Walking on the Sun -  Smashmouth

Love Shack – B52

American Idiot – Green Day

Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Green Day

Fortunate Son – Clearwater Credence Revival

Plush – Stone Temple Pilots

Amazing Grace -  (I’ve heard MANY MANY versions but this by Leann Rimes sends it deep into the heart).  To the souls perished in Aceh, Szechuan,  Haiti, Christchurch and Japan ….

The Climb – Miley Cyrus …. to the survivors