The Power of the Internet and a Humbling Gift that is Much Appreciated

I'm now reading Stones into Schools thanks to a generous gift from author Greg Mortenson.

I got a call on Friday from the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies that a package was waiting for me from Amazon.  I had no clue what it could be so you can imagine my surprise when I made my way there later that afternoon, opened the box, and saw there were two copies of Greg's most recent book and a personal note from the author.

I struggled with how to write about this or even if I should but I think it's a telling gesture from a private man who makes a number of decisions based on his gut feeling.  Those who follow regularly will remember this post a few days ago - http://symplicityphoto.blogspot.com/2010/06/three-cups-of-tea-one-mans-mission-to.html.  In the personal note attached, it is clear that Greg scrolled down and read a bit more about the work we've been doing recently with the Centre and the publication program we run as well as the library of war and society literature we have available to students and the general public.  From the description in Three Cups of Tea I can picture him doing this from his home office while taking a break from the incessant email and administrative demands he must have or mounds of reading he surely has on the go. At the Centre, our informal library works mostly on accountability and trust, a little like the operations they run on the ground in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  All you need to sign a book out of our library is a piece of ID that we photocopy and write down the titles you've taken.

I'll be honest, my blog is not exactly a site that attracts thousands of hits a day so I was a little surprised that this even registered on his radar.  The Central Asia Institute now runs on an operating budget of over 4 million dollars a year and the small monthly donation I committed to after reading the book wouldn't even register on their charts.   But this is typical of the introverted Greg Mortenson who I've come to know through his co-author's words in Three Cups of Tea, his own writing through the first 200 pages of Stones into Schools as well as what other's have written on the web.  In the preface of Stones into Schools he talks about a Colorado town that clamoured to hear him speak and donated $125,000, the majority of which came from small donations.  He deeply appreciates the support that is given to his operation to educate girls and provide hope in that poverty stricken part of the world.

Greg with school girls in Pakistan - Taken from the CAI Website under Media Images

For my part, I have now lent my copy of Three Cups of Tea out and have many eager to borrow it when I get it back.  My mother went out the other day and bought copies for those going to the dinner party they were hosting.  I can't stop talking about the inspiration those pages are laden with and more importantly how fundamentally crucial his mission is if there is to be any hope of peace in that region.  Here is someone who is doing 'nation-building' the right way - by providing the means for villages to build their own classrooms and all the educational tools for young boys and most importantly girls in the most remote regions of the Middle East.

Until recently I wasn't sure how I was going to focus the efforts of my blog and then I stumbled on a podcast where Jasmine Star was interviewed.  Jasmine made it very clear that her blog and twitter account were her way of allowing her clients to get to know her in a more personal way.  A window to her thoughts etc...  She felt this helped her clients get to know her and it reflected her personality.  It's also my personality to want to share and to want to teach and so her example served to clarify the direction of my own blog.

For now I'm going to go back to reading this book.  Look for a fuller review soon.  Thanks Greg.

David Francey - A Moment of Time and Reflection

Taken from David Francey's Official Website

Last night Hayley asked if I'd join her to see a film on David Francey followed by a performance from the man himself at the Princess Theatre.  Somehow I had never heard of this brilliant Multi-Juno award winning Canadian artist.  He is an absolutely mesmerizing lyricist and fantastic short story teller...or as Ron MacLean put it "One of Canada's outstanding poets, songwriters, and storytellers."

A strong desire to cover my insurance and subsistence life costs was the only thing that stopped me from emptying my paltry bank account on the seven records available outside.  That said, I felt compelled to buy the film Burning Bright, the 47-minute DVD skillfully put together from over 50 hours of footage by Tony Giardin so that my friends and family can see it.  Since getting back home last night, I've been devouring what I can find of his music online including buying a few of solo songs on itunes.

Burning Bright a film by Tony Giardin

Somehow I wish I had the skill of April Cunningham, Mike Brown, Nick Lachance, Dan Polischuk, or Lauren Millet to convey this all in a more readable fashion but I hope you enjoy my thoughts regardless.

In that 2.5 hours, the modesty and the sincere self deprecation of Francey's humour casted a spell of admiration and intimacy over the crowd.  The shyness, so obvious by his hands firmly glued deep inside his pockets, is both genuine and endearing.  I'm not sure if this lonely post will ever meet his eyes but it doesn't have to, to have meaning.  He did to me tonight what makes him so successful. He sang about what's real, what's around us everyday, and what we all think about for at least a passing moment as we go about our lives. He brings you into that very private sphere of his inner most thoughts, thoughts that bring you, as the listener, back to a time and a place in your own life.

And so I'm about to take you through some of the moments he so powerfully brought me back to with his music tonight.  Everyone who knows me, knows I wear my heart on my sleave and there is virtually nothing I won't share after a few beers and an honest question.  I originally intended this to be a photo essay of sorts and in some way it is because the rest of the photos are mine but in other ways it has provided an outlet to acknowledge some of the amazing people who have been part of my life journey - because of the nature of the songs not every important person came flooding back tonight but I was surprised by what did.

He sang a beautiful song tonight of his departure from Scotland at the age of 12 - "The Parting."  The boat journey out to the massive black wall of rivets that was the Ocean liner set to take him across the Atlantic.  Aside from thrusting me back of the three times I've said goodbye to all that I've known (leaving for university, South Korea, and Ontario), it reminded me of my times in the beautiful Scottish Highlands and gave me an excuse to go back through those photos...

The Scottish Highlands - There may not be a more beautiful spot in the world

In Broken Glass he sings with the heart and passion of a 14 year old who wants so badly for the opposite sex to take notice - "When you hear a sound like broken glass, that's my heart every time that girl walks past."  It wasn't high school for me, but grade seven.  One girl took my breath away and she's now a dear friend and a member of Canada's finest - the RCMP.  Here's to you Bev.  Francey is absolutely head over heels for his wife now and I love that he's able to so openly share these past stories with her and his audience.  We are the sum of our life experiences.

He sings another song called "Only you in my world" about his many travels...on a train or on a plane where you have a finite amount of time with one other person, usually of the opposite sex.  Both people know it is going no further than the time of that journey.  But for those passing minutes where it is only you and that person something is intensely real about that moment. Given my travels, I've experienced that on numerous occaisions but I my time with Samantha Robichaud sticks out.  we chatted for the full time and I didn't realize how talented and accomplished she was as a musician until the last possible moment.  the finite period of time we shared was fantastic and I've followed her career since.

Perhaps his most popular tune "Skating Rink" reminds me of the days that I played with Kevin, Jon, and Ian (Jon, Ian and I played for almost a decade together from mite to high school).  Later trolling the blue line with Chuck, on the power play with Cork, Hammer, Dickie, Hurley, Mullet, Dunphy, Carp or Cook while dawning the blue and white of the KVHS Crusaders. Tervor and so many I just named in Juvenile; Thorne that overtime goal in Atom and your energy in Fundy when too many feared stepping on into that High School game; That Midget Championship with Blair, Rooster, Bodaly and Shane McDonald.  Shane that year of bantam when you explained the idiocy of youth at times and that final year of senior with younger brother Mark.

The passion with which The Chief Engineer is sung and the story of that man reminds me of what David Francey does on stage with his music but, like the movie did, it also induced a mental flood of images of friends who so passionately pursue their own music careers.

Jarod, your first album Winter Take All still captivates me.  We went through that album and the lyrics of that album made us ask the tough questions in our own lives.  But it is perhaps one song that is not on that album that I come back to the most.  A song about life, a song I think you should play more often - Homestretch.  Fortunately the recording is still available here - look at the last song on the list.  What you're now doing with Chelsea, H, Luke, and Katie is something really special.  I'm looking forward to the finished Wind Broken Stones CD.

Hollywood and Jarod and the London Music Club

Hollywood... You persevered through Jarod's first album adding guitar rifts and base lines that just seem to flow to your fingers which made that album all the more powerful.  You are now an integral part of Wind Broken Stones and the emotive stories that emerge in their music.  That said, it's your own thoughts, your own song "One Day You", that still blows me away!

Jake Stewart.  You, my friend, are now the conservative candidate in Miramichi and I look forward to following your political career.  But it was your music in Rome, your own melodies, that I can no longer find online but have heard you sing in your living room that make me smile.  You're still playing many gigs in the lead up to the NB Provincial election and I'm jealous of those who get a chance to hear that voice on a regular basis.

Mike Caroll.  I remember giving you a case for your drumsticks on your birthday years ago.  Only two days apart, we celebrated so many of those youthful aging days.  You've now also won an East Coast Music Award with the Hupman Brothers.  You've played in everything from Heavy Metal bands to a Jazz bands to a Beatles Tribute band.  Your skills continue to impress me... Playing where you can find work, doing what you love, that continues to inspire me.

Shane Bannister, it's almost like you greedily took all the musical talent in the family because the rest of us are completely incapable of clapping to a beat, nevermind play just about every musical instrument and sing.  That song you sing about coming home pops into my head virtually every time my Toyota Yaris crosses the Quebec border into NB.

Jane Carmichael, I'm constantly amazed by your music.  You have such a lovely voice and an infectious smile that draws in your audience.  I've heard a few of the new songs and I can't wait to hear the rest.

Finally, Songs from a Room...you guys are the epitome of doing it your way - eschewing a 9-5 life in favour of odd jobs and musical passion.  The world is better for it...Brayden, Dustin, Nick, and Craig - impressive!  Can't wait to get my hands on your next album!  it's always fun to share a beer as we chase the impossible, that every day seems a little more attainable.

All of these artists just see the world differently.  Those fleeting moments in life that we all blaze through, they take note.  Like a fine scotch, they slowly drink in their surroundings, they capture it and sing it back to us.  Sometimes they slap us in the face with memories we've packed far away, at times they just make us think about things a little differently, while other times they gently hold our hand down memory lane and that, I think, is their job.  I'm certainly glad they're around to do that for us!

Thank you David Francey for the trip last night...

Eye on Philly - The City of Brotherly Love

I try to go back through my photos every once in a while from the many different parts of the world I've visited and highlight a few of the non-conventional and conventional shots.  I love black and white images and that's what you're seeing here. A few months ago I sneaked away to Philly for the weekend.  It was great to walk through the Italian Market - the shop below in the deli was in the heart of little Italy and the placed was full of Rocky photos at various stages of Sly's career.  I saw the Liberty Bell and where the Declaration of Independence was signed.  Here are a few of the photos from that adventure...

The Liberty Bell cost 100 pounds, was 12 feet in diametre, and cracked the first time it was tested...

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time

I just finished reading the most inspirational and informative book: Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

In a nutshell, Greg was a mountain climber and found himself 2000 metres, as the crow flies, from the summit of K2 when he could go no further. As he made his way down the mountain he was separated from his porter and stumbled into Korphe, a remote Pakistani village that had never seen a white man before. They helped nurse him back to full strength and when Greg was able to retrieve his pack he used what medical supplies he had left to help the local villagers.

He was inspired by this culture that had so little, wasted nothing and lived in such tough conditions that he plegded to return and build a school. With no money, no sponsors, and only a nursing degree he returned to America with a singular focus. the book charts the course of his life, the trials and tribulations of that first school, the rise of the Central Asian Institute and his mission to promote peace in the Middle East through the education of the youth, especially girls.

Far from condescending, the easy to read book explores the beauty of the cultures in the mountainous terrain of Neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan through the worldly eyes of Greg Mortenson.  The schools are NOT aimed at promoting Christian or western or even completely secular ideals but at the moderate education supported by the highest powers of Islam - the same moderate ideals that the vast majority of the Muslim world subscribe to.

I am generally not a supporter of NGOs and the vast majority of the work they do.  Simply put, too many of them are singleminded in their aims and are only worried about their mission regardless of the damage they may be doing to the larger picture.  the Central Asian Institute is not like this.  In order for a school to be built it has to be the desire of the community, those in the village must contribute the land and help build the school and it must be supported by the local mullah.  In this way, the community owns, feels proud of, and protects their schools.  Though schools are the primary function of the institute, sometimes there are greater needs that must be solved first like a bridge to the outside world as was the case with Korphe or clean running water.  CAI has also established women's centres continuing its mandate of empowering women.  For an indepth article on Mortenson see what Outside Magazine said: http://outside.away.com/outside/culture/200812/greg-mortenson-afghanistan-1.html

Greg has written a second book Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan that I have put on my list to read when it comes out in paperback.

If you'll allow a moment of academic geekdom, I've spent most of the last 4 years reading war and society literature over the course of an MA and 2 years of a PhD and I have to say Greg Mortenson with the journalistic help of David Oliver has produced a brilliant book that should be mandatory reading.  It is already recommended reading for officers in counterterrorism courses in the Army, Navy, and Marines.  The fact that a 6ft4 American has been able to walk around Pakistan and Afghanistan in this international climate and has been able to do so much good in cooperation with the locals should be a direct indication that peace and collaboration is not only possible but at our fingertips if we pour the resources into the proper channels.

I have reallocated a bit of my tiny budget to make a monthly donation to the institute and I would encourage you to find a way to do the same here.  For teachers and those involved in the education system they have an amazing program called pennies for peace that is a great way to involve students in the process.  Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Journey to Change the World... One Child at a Time ( The Young Reader's Edition) is a version aimed at young readers.  I hope many of you take a moment to pick up this book.  You won't be disappointed.

A few more of Cindy and Jay

It seems everyone really enjoyed the first batch of photos, so I thought I would throw a few more up there for everyone to enjoy a bit more of their day.

Jay and Cindy

Yesterday I was in Niagara to capture a very special wedding. Cindy and Jay have been together for 16 years and just last year they got engaged. The two have long eschewed the big splash and the large gatherings. Their wedding was no different. They decided to jet off to Niagara. They had a second couple join them and act as a witness and asked if I'd make the trek from Waterloo to document their day. Aside from a co-worker of Cindy who had to prepare the bank draft for their ceremony, only those in Niagara knew the purpose of their journey. I've done more than a few weddings now and they all have their own charm, but this wedding was special. It was perfect, it suited their personalities and the smiles that adorned their faces from the moment I met them Saturday night until the final glass of Champaign Sunday was so charming.

This story has a personal connection. From here on I'm going to add a bit more detail and allow those who read to get to know me a little more through my posts...

I've known Cindy for more than 18 years. Her younger brother and I were the best of friends when they lived up the hill from my family in Rothesay, New Brunswick. A few years later, Jason started coming around. We were a lot younger but Jason and Cindy always treated us like we were essentially their age. As we all aged, geography separated us. One day in the fall of third year in a bar in St. Andrews, NB I ran into Mike, whose band was playing there (tiny little St. Andrews of all the places...). Mike and I got back in touch that year as best as email would allow. Two years later I left for Korea and began mass emailing everyone about the adventure. Mike forwarded the email on to Jason, who by now had become quite a web developer and he suggested I start blogging. before blogger and wordpress and the myriad of other free options, Jason created a lovely blog that allowed me keep an online journal of the adventure. Since then Jay and I have worked on a number of other web projects for my clients and share both of us share a passion for photography. 18 years later, the relationship is as strong as it ever has been and it was an honour to be part of their wedding.

The couple is now in Toronto for a few days and then off to the beautiful West Coast of Canada. I look forward to seeing them when I'm in Halifax next month.

Claire & The Swing

I have been shooting Claire since before she was born. Jessica wanted photos of her every three months. Down the road, I'm going to upload a little storyboard of those photos. For this post though, I thought I would feature Claire on the swings...she has always loved going back and forth on the swing and now she thinks she's a little adult and always wants to get on the big swing. Jess is precious with her, always allowing her to experience and satisfy the curious mind of an 18month old. It's lovely to watch the two of them and my job is to stand back and capture the memories...