Mrs Macquarie's Chair

It's funny. I have lived in Sydney for over 5 years and I actually haven't been to many places. I probably been to more places in NYC, Chicago, Washington DC then to places in LA or Sydney, places where I actually lived. I realized my knowledge or exposure to this place might be less than those of a well-researched tourist. But of course I have experienced living a life here and going through the education system and just the day-by-day life.

So I was looking at Sydney from wikitravel and bumped into this spot called "Mrs Macquarie's Chair." A very familiar place that brought me back a heart felt memory. As most photographers know, Mrs Macquarie's Chair is the spot where you can take that world famous postcard photo of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the two symbols of Sydney together. I actually been to that place once before I left Australia for the United States back in 1996. It was a little like a farewell present for me. I don't even remember how we got there but on that special day, dad took out his ancient Olympic single lense reflect camera, the "Om 1" if I am not mistaken and took me to the sacre Mrs Macquarie's Chair to take photos with it.

As for why we never went there before (at least I never did), I have no idea but it was a very special day for me and it's almost dreamlike and mystical to think back to it. Dad taught me to use the Om 1, how to focus, how to detect if there was enough light or not (whether the photo would become overexposed or underexposed) and snapping away was an experience for me. Dad made it all sounded really special on using that ancient metal single lense reflect. He told me he bought it to chase after mom, and it sounded as if the pictures would be amazing.

For me, that was kind of like my farewell to Australia. I think that what sometimes I find myself doing. I take picture or collect sand, rocks, leaves, pine cones and etc to bring a place with me. Of course you can't bring a place and all that it means to you with you when you leave but for some sentimental reasons and your (or my) strange state of mind, you really thought you could. That was me.

You can't take your friends with you, you can't take your love with you, your emotions, your feelings, all the food, culture, atmosphere with you. All you get is probably just memories, or history. Probably things that you can never get back to but at least with a picture you can always look back and say, "Woah...", and it does take your breath away.

That's what we do. We take photographs, collection or recording of lights bouncing off things we treasure as keepstake and memory, to take you back into those moments, to help you remember. That's all we have sometimes.

A picture can mean more than a thousand words.

Election 2008

Beginning in the morning, I was checking the election result every once in a while. From the popular vote, the result was close, but a little after noon Obama basically won. There was a little joy inside of me. Wasn't sure why but probably because I just witnessed history (sort of) and America just breakthrough a color barrier. We have our first ever colored president. Why was there a bit of joy and warmth inside me when I found out Obama won? Maybe it was like waiting for a present to open for so long that I just got a little gitty when the wrapper finally came off.

The election is actually a lot closer than the electoral votes suggest. 52% vs 47% as of now, but earlier it was much closer, like something about 51% and 49% with only about a million and a half separating the two and then Obama's lead increased as the counting went on. Take a look North Carolina, Florida and Indiana, and you would see how close the election was. By no mean, McCain is also a popular guy. He got about as much vote as Clinton back in 1996 against Bob Dole percentage-wise.

I didn't vote mostly because I did not seek on how to get my absentee ballot and on the side, I knew my vote wouldn't matter much in the overwhelming Democratic California. I like McCain and wished he went for president last election, and I don't hate Obama. I find Obama to be a bit short on experience and accomplishment, but I think he's an intelligent guy. I don't agree with getting out of Iraq rightaway yet I know that we much change our foreign policy of the Bush's days. Actually, to tell the truth, I don't know much about Obama except of his upbringing. I don't know where he stands on a lot of issues. I know McCain's stand and that he is the most reformist of the Republicans. McCain is the closest thing to the GOP's answer to Obama's "Change" slogan. McCain could actually increase his chance of winning by being a bit less dignified but he chose to control himself. Even though McCain is not the ideal candidate for conservatives, McCain is their only choice. McCain could go a bit more liberal and radical on reforms on his platform. But heck, I am no political strategist, I am just an ordinary guy speculating.

I feel sorry for McCain, he's a good American, a dignified and well-respected senior senator who had been trying again and again to get on the GOP's ticket. He wasn't a sure ticket early in the GOP primaries. There were some other big names ahead of him, like ex-New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. He had been looking to run for president for a decade and he got bad timing this time (his last time at 71). He came on to run after 2 terms of George W Bush. Someone he fought against twice for GOP candidates. They couldn't be bigger archrivals, yet because of being in the same party, McCain supported a lot of Bush's policy in the past 8 years. But most of us knew the McCain is the most un-Republican of all big name Republicans. There was concern about whether he could even get support from usual GOP voters in this election.

For me, the most memorable McCain moment in this election race was when McCain asked people "Don't do that" when people at his rally booed at the name of Obama. At a town meeting rally, McCain corrected an elderly lady who said she heard that Obama is a Muslim, not an American, a terrorist...

McCain gently corrected her, "No, no, he's an American..." He upheld the truth and defended his rival. I think that's class. He showed dignity and the true spirit of America.

"After an intensely negative campaign, McCain went to lengths to take the high road in his concession speech and acknowledged the historic nature of Obama's barrier-breaking accomplishment."

"Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans," McCain said. "No association has ever meant more to me than that."

"His success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance," McCain said, adding that he "deeply admired" Obama for inspiring the hopes of people "who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence" in electing a president.

"This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight," McCain said, adding that the U.S. had moved "a world away" from its racist past by electing the nation's first black president.

He allowed that disappointment was natural but said that starting Wednesday "we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again."

Afterthought

At the beginning of the GOP and Democratic Primaries, I must say that I didn't believe that we would have a Black president so soon. I remember when there was talk about General Colin Powell possibly running for president and that he might the first Black president (African-American to be politically correct) but it's happening now. We will have Barack Hussein Obama II as our next president. A president who was born in Hawaii, mix raced, grew up in Indonesia, reared by his white grandparents, has a Muslim name, isn't white, a University of Chicago law lecturer and he will be our president. Woah. This history in the making. I believe his world view will be different from all other presidents. Does his background symbolizes America? It totally does if you refer to American media and if you live in places like Hawaii, California, New York and other places where faces of every race is represented.

I hope he does well. I wish him well. I hope that he will make the best decision for American and according to the Word of God. May God give him wisdom and all he needs to lead this nation, the United States of America, in time of financial crisis and in this turbulent world we live in.

After looking at the overall election, including the Senate and House election, I am concern about Democrats dominant in both houses of Congress. I don't think it's ever a good sight to see one party controlling both the Executive and Legislative branches of the government. I like a balance, that's actually more important to me than who is president. Clinton had a Republican Congress, that turned up pretty good.