halo-monk's avatar

halo-monk

Tom
303 Watchers108 Deviations
57.7K
Pageviews
halo-monk's avatar
halo-monk

Parting Ways

2 min read
Dear Journal,

It's been a love without much progress. But I finally decided to part ways with my dearly beloved...Mamiya C330S. Hopefully the new owner will have much joy with it.


R.I.P Mamiya!

Tom


FEATURE:

His work and words of wisdom at times lift me and inadvertently make me get through some dreaded days... Alas, I give you...





Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
halo-monk's avatar
halo-monk

Yangtze RIver, Three Gorges and Yichang

2 min read
WOW! Now this was an experience! We took a cruise ship down the Yangtze with all the chinese tourists...It is difficult enough because barely anyone speaks English in China...but this boat had no one, no one speak it at all. We found a common language of course - the one that involves pointing, signing and saying "XieXie" an awful lot. To be honest with you, we are terrible tourists, we should have learnt more of the language...but slowly bit by bit we are begining to understand shorter sentences. It is quite funny when you say to a Chinese person that you don't understand what they've just said, they normally simply repeat it again :D After the twentieth time of hearing the same phrase you begin to comprehend what they're on about. So far we have met two kinds of Chinese - awesome, nice, superhelpful and cute...and the total opposite.  Constant sound of some old guy coughing up his flem and then spitting it on the ground is also very common. Oh and oh the smell and appearance of public toilets are rediculous...they're scwats, which means if you want to go for number two - good luck. To a normal europen gentleman that pose is impossible to achieve and believe you me I've tried. Perhaps the need didn't overtake my senses completely. So, even the poshest hotel, as we found out, you will find a scwatty. Those who are about to embark on travels to South East Asia any time soon - beware...and stock up on your own toilet paper or otherwise use the hand.

We are currently in Yichang, on our way towards Guilin.

Oh, well...time's up....read the Travelblog for more details
</blockquote>
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
halo-monk's avatar
halo-monk

Slept on the Great Wall of China... peed off

2 min read
...now where's my "well done!" t-shirt?

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I am bragging, but seriously, we froze our little buttocks off. During the day temperature rose to 35C. But at night time on top of a mountain, it was not particularly pleasant...keep having to fight your girlfriend for that precious bit of sleeping bag and ending up uncovered only able to fall asleep for half and hour at a time. But it was worth it - BIG TIME! We got to see the sunset and sunrise and it was spectacular. I have photos to prove it but they're unedited so im not going to post them here just yet. Where as if you want a sneak preview then you can just read our travelblog at TravelPod dot COM. There's plenty to see and plenty to read. If anyone wants to comment please do, but the best photos are being kept for editing in the near future (when I get a pc/laptop with a working version of PHOTOSHOP!!!).

We spent a week in Beijing and have gone further south to Xi'an where we are currently at. Although we are ready to embark on our next leg of the China journey - off to Chengdu, further south...as you can probably tell we are working our way towards Laos ;)

Lots more to tell but I shall leave it at that for now...

to be continued!

Love,
Tom
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
halo-monk's avatar
halo-monk

South Korea and Around the World

1 min read


Ello Ello Ello everybody!!!!

I haven't updated my journal in a very long time...life doesn't treat us all equally, so as you can tell an awful lot has happend.

I am no longer married - long story and I won't go into detail.

I am in an amazing relationship - long story short - she's...amazing and she's travelling the world with me...

...I am trevelling around the world this year starting off in South Korea. Where I'm currently sat in a business centre.

We're off to China next, but only after spending an entire month doing volunteer work here at a summer camp near Seoul.

Right...some of my closest friends on DA will be contacted if I'm near them...you know who I mean ;)Tepara

</sup>
Tom
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
halo-monk's avatar
halo-monk

One year older

7 min read
<img src="ic1.deviantart.com/fs12/i/2006…"   />


Yes indeed, I have managed to turn one year older...Why dear God, why!!!? :'(
Frankly, I hate birthdays. As a kid my parents didn't think receiving presents was all that important to me. I bottled it all up inside for 18 years and then left home. Now 3 years later I have a wife, a house, a decent job that I enjoy more than anything. I am almost perfectly happy. Kate got me an amazing 20" TFT monitor, which I am so grateful for. Now all of your artwork is looking so small :aww:

"God" or whoever's up there has given me the best present of all. For a while now I didn't feel too happy about my job at a camera store. Even though I had a good, solid position within the company, the lack of actual use of cameras made it a rather dull place to work. I mean at the end of the day I didn't wish to be a bloody salesman for the rest of my life, and honestly, having it as my career really bothered me, since i always thought i was made for bigger things (a little big headed i know, but shut up). Well I spoke out of line a couple of times there, so what? Got a disciplinary, so what? Its better than being undermined for having ideas that will improve our business and the number of customers we get. To be honest with you, I was beat. For a week after that I surrendered to it all...while looking for a new job.

Now here's the weird thing...I walked the same path to work for 6 months, observing all around me as I went along. Was never meticulous with the shops I went past, but I knew where pretty much everything was. Some time last week something opened my third eye, I saw this little studio called Olan Mills Photography. On an off chance I strolled in there asking for vacancies. To my surprise they actually gave me an interview, brought in all of my work and they loved it hiring me pretty much on the spot. Handed in my notice to Jessops the same day. So, here I am now with the dream job of a Photographer (had a few studio shoots already :D), happy and energetic like i just did a line. With everything fallen into its right place, I can only imagine what the man upstairs is gonna surprise me with next.

There's now only one thing missing - I so need a skateboard. My wife keeps on trying to get me to run with her in the morning, but it's just not my cup of tea. I exercised on my deck for 6 years, I loved it to bits and it didn't get me tired, just brought excitement and joy when I would finally complete a trick. I could spend hours on the ramps, I felt so free.



Tom













Great big Thank YOU! to both dbdaman and Aspect11 for helping me out with the CSS for this journal...i owe you guys big time :hug:



:icontepara::iconde-profundis::icondbdaman::icontastyone::iconrobhm::iconnehpets::iconenikone::iconjennipenny::iconaegina:
:iconajsephiroth::iconcarbon-12::iconkamster::iconmc-johnstable::iconmoleyvyrus::iconbunkmate4::iconinfernal-raynata::iconscottjamesprebble:
:iconshantidub::iconmorvena::iconmanati::icontribal-elf::iconwrighton363::iconwolfsax::iconscleranthus::iconshinesthrough:
:icontkach::iconmonochrome-madness::iconkorigan::iconlassekorsgaard::iconlostinsidemythoughts::iconfatallook::iconmunkjee::iconemoeyecandyx:
:iconsianlister::iconyariire::iconnebulass::icontkach::icontoledophotographer::icontweeny::iconfroet::iconalexjhh:
:iconthumbbot::iconthumbshare::iconleog:


I'm Here for the Long Term by realitysquared
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
1
23
10Next
Featured

Yangtze RIver, Three Gorges and Yichang by halo-monk, journal

Slept on the Great Wall of China... peed off by halo-monk, journal

South Korea and Around the World by halo-monk, journal

One year older by halo-monk, journal

OH YEAH BABY! C330S is here by halo-monk, journal