Bus 189 from Brent Cross towards Oxford Circus, London.

April 11th 2009, 3:30 a.m.

Sitting with my wife at the bus upper deck, front left seats. A while after Carlton Vale station, a British-accent old long-white-haired man sat behind me, and started murmuring with words. At the first while, my wife whispered at me that the man sitting behind us is "talking to himself". Actually after some time, both of us noticed that he was speaking to us:

What are you Muslim scam bags doing in this Christian country?
Beggars…free food…free accommodation…
Beggars….shit…scam bags…
You're fucking dead nigger…
You're fucking dead…
Islam is the world's scam…
Church Street beggars…
Coming from your country to sit in front of me…
Muslim scam bags…fucking beggars….
Go back to your fucking country…

Quietly, we descended to the lower deck, and reported the incident to the driver. While the driver was asking me about where the man was sitting, I saw the old man leaving the bus, anxiously…

The reason why I'm sharing this story with the public is to address the danger of having such dangerous –minded people wandering in the streets, and not to leave the incident unreported. The old man seemed to be homeless; wearing dirty jeans, with long untidy hair, drunk, and carrying a hand bag. He might have been a madman, or suffering from a psychological disorder, however, he threatened me personally. At least, those people should be policed…

A.
12.04.2009

Star Wars: An Islamic perspective



The way "jedis" are taught to respect a greater power, fight for the defense of the
innocent and bring peace and justice to their society, is also what Islam teaches
all Muslims to strive for.



By Irfan Rydhan, June 17, 2005










Luke bin Anakin?
As most "Star Wars" fans know, director George Lucas took spiritual elements, which
are common in most major world religions to create his epic saga of good vs. evil.
As a Muslim, I always thought of the "Jedi" as what a true follower of Islam should
be like. Never mind the fact Jedi masters with their North African style cloaks and
scruffy beards look like Sufi Sheikhs, but they way they are taught to respect a
greater power, fight for the defense of the innocent and honor a code of morals and
ethics in order to bring about peace and justice to their society, is basically what
Islam teaches all Muslims to strive for. So what really is the connection between
these similar Islamic principles and the fictional "Jedi Order" of the Star Wars
saga?I decided to look into this question more deeply. What I came across from my
research off the internet and talking to other Muslim "Star Wars" fans was not only
surprising, but also a bit scary. For example it was reported in a National
Australian magazine that more than 70,000 Australians identified their religion as
Jedi, Jedi-Knight, or Jedi-related in the country's 2001 national census! Don't
these people realize that the "Jedi" are make-believe? There may be some truth in
fiction, but instead of looking for the truth, people get caught up with the
fiction. In this paper I hope to reveal where some of the truth of the "Jedi" and
"Star Wars" comes from: Islam.Back when "Episode I: The Phantom Menace" first came
out, "The Muslim Magazine" had some interesting pieces on the connections between
Islam and the content of the Star Wars films. One was an interview with Dhul-Nun
Owen who talks about how George Lucas had contacted members of the "Habibiyyah Sufi
Order" in Berkeley, CA in order to do research for "Star Wars." There was also a
piece by Mahmoud Shelton about how Sufi ideas of spiritual chivalry ("futuwwat")
have parallels in the Jedi teachings.Surfing the internet, I came across an
interesting article entitled "Eternal Jihad: The Way of the Mystic-Warrior" from a
Sufi website:"We are at the core a Movement of Jeddi; masters of Futuwwat ("the Way
of the mystic-warrior"). We encourage adherents to train both physically AND
spiritually, for their own personal edification and to enhance their knowledge and
abilities in the STRUGGLE. The Real does not lie alone in contemplation, prayer and
meditation; nor does it lie alone in action and revolution. Both of these are
notions of "one or the other" and Allah is not "one or the other." "Allah" literally
means "the One[ness] which manifests from Nothing." As we have stressed before, this
"Nothing" is not the "lack" of all, but rather, it is Nothing in the sense of
Totality of Being, which is symbolized by the numeral zero � this number itself
originated with Sufis. Allah is neither the positive alone, nor the negative. Allah
is the perfect balance between the two. The direct center of two polarities is
always zero, Pure Nothing, from which the Totality, the Tawhid (Unity), the Oneness
of ALL becomes manifest. For it is out of zero that all subsequent positive and
negative numbers reel. That is Allah."Notice the Arabic term "al-Jeddi" (master of
the mystic-warrior way) along with another Islamic term not mentioned, "Palawan"
(similar to Lucas' "Padwan" for Jedi apprentice) which were actual titles used by
Muslim Knights!The Force"The Force" is the common thread between all six movies and
is defined as an energy field, which binds all living things together (i.e. Allah,
God, a Supreme Being or Power that most religion's adherents worship, follow and/or
yearn to become a part of). According to Star Wars mythology, the Jedi "are a noble
order of protectors unified by their belief and observance of the Force." The "Jedi"
study and train under the apprentice-master relationship similar to how many
religious students study under a priest or religious scholar until they have learned
enough to teach and train the next generation of students.From a Muslim perspective,
the similarities between the Jedi and the Islamic traditions of instruction are
strikingly similar. For example a Muslim scholar usually trains under a Sheikh for a
number of years before they are given the right or permission ("Ijazah" in Arabic)
to teach others about Islam. "In Islamic Sufism Sheikhs will have "silsilas" that
list the chain of teachers going back to the Prophet Muhammad (S). A "silisia"
indicates a Sheikh's lineage of mystical learning from which he draws his spiritual
authority."Similarly in the "Jedi" tradition of Star Wars, each "Padwan"
(apprentice) is taught the same tradition and skills their Jedi masters were taught
by their previous masters. "Star Wars" fans know the lineage of Jedi instruction
starting from "Yoda" to "Count Dooku" to "Qui-Gon Jinn" to "Obi Wan Kenobi" to
"Anankin Skywalker."In the first Star Wars movie, "Episode IV: A New Hope," Luke
Skywalker, like his father, Anakin, live in the desert (The desert planet of
"Tatooine" was actually filmed near the real desert town of "Tataouine" in Tunisia).
From among this remote desert area with no roots of a civilized urban society, a
"Chosen One" (i.e. a Prophet) arises who brings a hope of peace and justice to their
society. Anakin is the "chosen one" in the latest Star Wars films, and Luke can be
considered the "chosen one" from the original Star Wars trilogy.Similarly, the
Prophet of Islam, lived in the desert where there was no true rule of law or justice
and people followed the tribal system of blood vengeance. Prophet Muhammad (S)
brought Islam to the Arabs, which completely changed their way of thinking and the
way they lived their lives. Instead of living for the present and for themselves, as
Muslims they live for the hereafter and are taught to take care of the poor,
orphans, those less fortunate than themselves and to fight for social justice and
well being for the whole community.Thus the Jedi too is taught to be selfless and
not selfish like the "Sith" (An ancient order of Force-practitioners devoted to the
dark side and determined to destroy the Jedi). Just as "Yoda" taught young "padwans"
not to give into fear and be tempted by the "Dark Side" (i.e. temptations of the
devil or "Shaytaan" in Arabic), Muslims are taught not to be attached to the "Dunya"
(life in this world) nor to fall prey to the diseases of the heart (jealousy, envy,
fear, hatred, etc.) as they lead to evil and sin.The Green OneThere is an
interesting connection between the Jedi master "Yoda" (a short, green skinned
creature first seen in "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back") and Islamic traditions.
"Al-Khidr" means "the Green One" in Arabic. Qur'�nic commentators say that al-Khidr
is one of the prophets; others refer to him simply as an angel who functions as a
guide to those who seek God. And there are yet others who argue for his being a
perfect wali meaning the one whom God has taken as a friend.So in other words "Yoda"
(which means "Wise One" in Hebrew) is like an angel or spiritual mentor who guides
the young Jedi in the ways of the force and to be strong enough to resist the
temptations and evil inclinations of the Sith and other Dark Forces.In "Episode VI:
Return of the Jedi", the Emperor tries to influence Luke Skywalker to give into his
feelings of Anger and Hatred (As we all know Luke's father Anakin, did fall prey to
the Emperor's whispers and joined the Dark Side). Because the Jedi (as Muslim
warriors) are taught that one's intentions in battle must be pure and that it's
wrong to kill out of anger, even when is outwardly justified.'Ali (RA) the nephew of
the Prophet Muhammad (S), was faced with this situation at the Battle of the Ditch,
the noble Imam 'Ali had knocked an enemy soldier to the ground and was raising his
sword to kill him, when the unbeliever spat in the his face. Imam 'Ali at once stood
still and refrained from killing his enemy. Hardly able to believe his own eyes, the
unbeliever asked: "Why have you spared me, O gracious one?"To this, the noble 'Ali
replied: "Your property and your life have become sacrosanct to me. I am not
authorized to slay you. I can receive permission to kill only in holy combat, in
fighting commanded by Allah. Just a few moments ago, I had overcome you in battle,
knocked you to the ground and was on the point of slaying you. But when you spat in
my face, my selfish anger was aroused against you. If I had killed you, I would have
slain you not for Allah's sake but for my own selfish reason; they would then have
called me not a champion warrior, but a murderer. When you spat in my face, my
selfish passion threatened to overwhelm me, so instead of striking you with the
sword for my own sake I struck my passion for the sake of Allah, Exalted is He.
There you have the reason for your escape." The unbeliever was of course in awe by
Ali's noble character, and immediately accepted Islam and became
Muslim.Muh-Jedi-DeenThe Jedi could be considered "Holy Warriors" (or "Muhajideen" in
Arabic) as they fight for truth, justice and peace. They meditate (i.e. "Dhikr" �
remembrance of Allah) as much as they can, to become "one with the force", even in
the midst of battle. Just as in "Episode I: The Phantom Menace", the Jedi master,
Qui-Gon Jinn (The term "Jinn" in Islam is one of the forces of the "unseen") begins
to meditate in the middle of his battle with "Darth Maul", while he waits for a
force field to go down.Islamic History is filled with stories of Muslim Warriors who
also stop in the heat of the moment of battle to give their prayers to Allah.
Hussein (RA) the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (S) stopped to do his Asr (mid-day
prayers) at Karbala. There is even an account of 'Ali (RA), known as the "Sword of
Light" (light-saber?), who completed his "Salat" (Arabic for prayers) while he had
an arrow stuck in his leg or foot!The lack of fear for death exhibited by Jedi
Knights Obi Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn, Luke Skywalker (particularly in Episode
VI: "Return of the Jedi") resembles the Muslim warrior's creed that states that the
Muslim loves death more than the un-believer loves life.There is another saying in
Islam, which is "Life in this world is Paradise for the Un-believer and a Prison for
the Believer." Some reasoning behind this saying is that if one puts all their faith
in this world (the "Dunya"), then it is very easy to fall off the straight path and
be tempted by Satan (i.e. fall prey to the "Dark Side").This is shown very clearly
in "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith," which is all about the Chosen One's (Anakin)
fall into the dark side. Lucas, himself stated in an interview that the he chose the
final battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan to be on a planet with flowing molten lava
and fire, which represents the fires of Hell. The ultimate showdown between good and
evil.Anakin falls victim to the dark side because he loves power and the Dunya (as
he wanted to have the power to live forever and save his loved ones from death �
i.e. his wife from dying during childbirth). He has excessive anger and arrogance
(as he felt he was the most powerful Jedi and no other Jedi was better or stronger
than him) and distrust for those who are his righteous guides (as he felt Obi-Wan
was jealous of him and thought the Jedi Council was against him, which lead him to
follow other sinister forces for guidance). Lastly he had hatred in his heart (he
admitted to hating the "sand people")! Everything that Islam teaches the Muslim to
avoid!The Sand PeopleThe "sand people" or the "Tusken Raiders" could be considered a
metaphor of the Arabs and other people of the Middle East, since they live similarly
to nomadic Arabs in the desert. In "Episode II: Attack of the Clones", the Tusken
Raiders kidnap and torture Anakin's mother, Shimi, which eventually leads to her
death. Anakin then proceeds to kill all the "sand people" in vengeance, and as he
told "Padme," that he "killed all of them [sand people], including the women and
children." But this did not relieve him of his anger and hatred.I believe Lucas was
trying to make a point about the continuous spewing of hate and evil against the
Arab and Muslim people, specifically after September 11 th. Even though the
countries of Iraq and Afghanistan were bombed and destroyed relentlessly (it hasn't
stopped yet), as punishment for the attacks of September 11 th (without any proof or
legitimate legalities of course), many Americans still have a lot of hatred against
anyone that even looks like an Arab or Middle Eastern. Many innocent people,
specifically women and children, have been harassed, attacked and sometimes even
killed, because of this hate.This wasn't the only example of Lucas getting
political, since after Episode III debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, many
Europeans were saying that Anakin represents Bush and his Neo-Con cohorts currently
in power. One couldn't help but notice the very overt examples in the last and final
installment of the "Star Wars" series.An example that sticks in my mind is when the
Emperor was taking control of the Senate. Senate Palpatine (aka the Emperor) was
calling for war against the "separatists" (i.e. read as "insurgents", "terrorists",
etc.) and the Jedi, all the while the whole Senate erupted in agreement. Padme (aka
Queen Amadala) then says "..So this is how Liberty ends, with thunderous
applause"!Of course the most obvious example was when Anakin tells Obi-Wan before
their final duel, "Either you're with me, or against me", which is basically
straight out of Bush's mouth when he said "Either you're with us [i.e. America], or
you're with the terrorists" immediately after the attacks of September 11 th.Which
reminds me of a very funny take on the whole Bush Inspired U.S. "War on Terror"
transposed into "Star Wars" mythology I came across on the web. Here is an
excerpt:It's believed that Skywalker [Luke] was specifically trained by infamous
terrorist O bin Wankanobi. Wankanobi, occasionally called "Ben" and easily
recognized by his bearded visage and long, flowing robes, achieved near-martyr
status among the Rebels after his death last year during a spy mission. His more
fervent followers believe that Wankanobi lives on within them today, some even
claiming to hear his voice during times of duress.The attack on the Death Star came
shortly after the Empire's destruction of Alderstaan, a planet whose government was
known to harbor terrorists. Responding to criticism over the total annihilation of
the planet, [Darth] Vader stated, "There is no middle ground in the War on Terror.
Those who harbor terrorists are terrorists themselves. Alderaan was issued ample
warning. The fight for continuing Freedom is often burdened by terrible cost."In
other words, the Emperor, Darth Vader and the Empire are equivalent to Bush and
Company and Luke Skywalker, the Jedis and the Rebel Alliance are referred to as
"terrorists" (or "separatists", "insurgents", etc.).The Jedi ArtsOne of the most
popular aspects of the "Star Wars" films are the exciting light-saber duels and
swordsmanship (Lucas is an admitted fan of old Samurai films) and martial arts style
fighting (which of course originates from the East). As a former student of "Eskrima
Serrada" (Stick and Blade fighting developed by Muslims of the Philippines) myself,
I see a lot of similarities in the fast-moving and short-range fighting I studied
for about a year and a half, and the "invented" art of the Jedi masters.When Anakin
fights Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) at the beginning of the last "Star Wars" film,
at end of the fight, Anakin applies a disarm and cut that is a technique from
Eskrima to Count Dooku's arm. Going back into history, the technical differences
between the Japanese/Chinese arts and the Muslim arts of Southeast Asia regions of
Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia: The Muslim arts of "Pentjak Silat" and Eskrima
are based on paying attention to the Limb of the attacker and not an immediate
strike to the attacker's head or torso.Ray Park, who plays "Darth Maul" in "Episode
I: The Phantom Menace", studied Kung Fu (very similar to the empty hand techniques
of Serrada) and Wushu and frequently traveled to Malaysia (a Muslim country) to
refine and develop his skills.The spiritual basis of the Muslim arts of Southeast
Asia is very immense. This is the local Sufi expression of Islam, through martial
arts practice, rather than through poetry or music as otherwise done in India and
Turkey, etc. Traditional Indonesian/Malay folklore attributes initial design of
these arts to Muslim saints in the region of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
in the 7th Century. The Silat system is attributed to nine main Wali or saints, also
called the Wali Songo in Indonesian language.Here another example of the Sufi and
Jedi connection. As Jedis study the force and train in the "Jedi Arts" under the
apprentice-master relationship, so do the Sufis."What I term the more Sufi exercises
include breathing exercises, means of meditative contemplation, and physical
exercises. This last activity is practiced within the Qadiri-Rifai Sufi order
through the Indonesian martial art of Pencak Silat Gerakan Suci. Here is a prime
example of the Order's growth. Extending beyond its originally Turkish character,
the Order has adopted a Muslim practice from a far corner of the Islamic world."From
my brief amount of research and study into the "Star Wars" saga, I found many
examples connecting the ideals and principles of Islam to that of the fictional Jedi
Order. Some of the similarities were clearly visible (as with the relations between
the Jedi master, apprentice and the Force to that of the Sufi Sheikhs, students and
worshipping of Allah), while others were a bit more hidden and surprising finds
(such as the term "Jeddi" and "Palawan" for Muslim knights and the story of
"al-Khidr" � the green spiritual guru which has an uncanny resemblance to the Jedi
Spiritual master "Yoda")!Even though Lucas himself is not a follower of any specific
religion, he has used elements of Islam (as well as other world religions) to convey
the universal understandings of good and evil. Combining that common thread of
humanity with a futuristic space-age setting and exciting martial arts
swordsmanship, came a creation that has inspired many, no matter their race,
religion or culture. There is something about the "Star Wars" saga that everyone can
relate to and enjoy. And I hope that those people who are searching for a "truth"
within the mythology of "Star Wars", will look a little deeper behind the fiction
and find Al-Islam: A true way of life which emphasizes peace, justice and
brotherhood for all humanity.

Irfan Rydhan is an architectural designer (and Star Wars fan). He lives in San Jose,
California.

Well after all the talking, I have decided to give this blog a rest for now but of course I can’t not have something to write about, so I have been working hard and have come up with something I am very excited about.

Paper Cameras is a blog about photography and more strictly, about film photography. I hope to channel all this angst and frustration into this new venture as it is something I am excited about. I will only be sharing my own film photography there and hope to explore many different avenues and lots of ways of looking at the art of photography.

I want it to be quite reader focused so I hoping to have lots of features on different photographers and cameras, with input by lovely shooters and friends. I’ve started off with a little post about my love for the Sx 70 and I hope to update it fairly regularly. I already have a long list of things planned for the future.

I hope you will come check it out. For my ole friends who don’t care much for photography, I will update this blog now and then when I feel the need, so keep Mocking Bird in your RSS, as to not come back here checking. I am sure with our move next year, Mocking Bird will become a focus again, but for now, onto Paper Cameras!

So thank you to everyone who gave me ideas and advice on my little creative dilemma. After many of you convinced me that nuking it all probably isn’t the best thing for a sentimental person to do, I’ve decided against that. Tha Canadian made me see that there are lots of people who do read my blog who read it because of me and not because they like photography. Photography is where I am headed however, so that’s all I was thinking about. He made me realise that I do love to have somewhere to throw my little insights about the world and I know I will have many insights ahead as my life is going to be changing A LOT in the next year or so.

So with all the egocentricity out of the way, I have decided that this blog will remain but it may well be quiet for a while as I am going to concentrate on something else. The something else is not finished yet and you may not find it very exciting, but its going to give me a bit more focus and I may even open up a print shop in time.

Thanks for putting up with my flip flopping, friends!

So we see Goldfrapp tonight! I’m getting a little giddy and wishing I’d made better use of my day, I mean my hair is atrocious! What if Allison asks me to come dance on stage? OK, we have seats way up the back and they most likely want the small Opera House stage to themselves, but you never know.

I hope she has her glorious blonde locks bouncing. Do I seriously sound like I have a girl crush on Allison Goldfrapp? I know Sean sure does, so its my only way to cope with such things. I can’t compete, so I might as well join.

Of course there is no way I can get a camera in that theatre. I hope one of the boys from JJJ is shooting tonight.

I hope Ms Goldfrapp is enjoying this glorious Sydney weather. The Canadian and I sure did yesterday. Isn’t this such a summer shot? Mmm, I’m so glad she is returning herself to Sydney again.

So I just posted and am now posting again.

Lately I am torn by a subject I’ve talked about before; my photography creativity, and now by even the ways in which I share what I do.

I think most creative people feel the need to change, start over, travel, discover, explore, renew and everything entwined with that. And because of that I am currently looking at ways to improve every creative aspect of my life.

I take photographs. I write. I dabble in online sites to fulfill a need to share. At the moment I am feeling all those feelings I felt as a 25 year old. Unsettled, needing a change, needing to explore the world…

and because of that, I fear I may delete all my photographs and delete my blog. At the same time, I am a very nostalgic and sentimental person, therefore erasing something that has documented years of my life is not really in my character.

So I ponder this…do I start from scratch? Do I archive my blog and create something new? Do I focus just on photography? Do I focus on purely film photography? Do I sell the digital camera? Do I start a business? Do I sell my car and smaller things of any value to travel?

Sean and I have big plans for our future, our close future, so the travel thing will most likely happen later rather than sooner, but I am restless and this restlessness has never been good for me. Or maybe it has. I need a Sofia Coppola fix. Perhaps new avenues will appear before me, but before I trip over them, my insides will bounce and my lack of focus will cause me angst.

Time to kill the blog and start afresh?

Because I shot my first real wedding this week, I have been busy discovering some amazing wedding photographers out there in the big world. There is some incredible work going on in the land of the big white dress and I only could dream about producing shots anything like these. I will have photographs of my own to share in the next little while but for now I leave with some links to some amazing people.

Leigh Miller

Andrea Wyner

Jose Villa

Debi Treloar

Gertrude and Mabel - what I adore about Gertrude and Mabel is that they shoot completely on film.

These are just a few I love. I will now look through all their shots and realise what I did wrong with mine hehe

• The Canadian is home.
• Spring is here.
• I found my lost ring.
• The Canadian stocked up on DVDs whilst in Canada.
• I figured out how to use the Spectra.
• The Canadian is home.

Only one more week until my boy is home and I cannot wait!

Switching to scary U2 Mad Manda mode now as news of the new album is going a bit crazy at the moment. Bono leaked some tracks out his window to happy cell phones below. This is no usual stupid act on Bono’s part this time, methinks they have finally realised that there is a thing called the internet which is great for hype. Yay Bono!

Yes, I have heard these tracks, there is a lot of crackle, a lot of waves breaking against the shore, a lot of annoying Europeans talking and saying “BONE-OH” all amidst some new U2 music which lightly plays in the background. I hear some Bono oh oh ohs and some heavyish Achtung Baby sounding guitar and that’s about it.

I am however getting damn excited and I don’t even know why. After ATYCLB I was so NOT excited that I didn’t hype HTDAAB at all. I don’t think I even checked news about when it was coming. But for this album I am pretty pumped and feel like I’m reliving my first moments on the internet again. It was U2 that first brought me open eyed to the internets. I wanted to know all there was to know about the 4 Irishmen. It was then that I first discovered message forums and chat rooms. I was a big, fat U2ey chatting room nerd! I think I racked up something like 7000 posts (in about 2 years) on a rather large U2 message forum which I shall not name here.

I have made lots of U2ey friends over the years, had photographs published, been in a U2 video, got to shoot the band from the pit and met Bono all because of the internets…OK, meeting Bono is a stretch but if it weren’t for my U2 net friends, I wouldn’t have met him.

It seems to have come around again that I am super excited about all the album hype, I love hype and hysteria even if the end product is disappointing.

I still remember how awesome watching the studiocam for ATYCLB was and how excited I got at hearing the first snippet of Beautiful Day. I loves the internets and I loves a little U2.

p.s. We are seeing Goldfrapp at The Opera House!

Leading 650 kids in a spontaneous chant of Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! after the Aussie girls won the relay today.

Looking forward to spending time with my family on the weekend. Girly weekend here we come. And hopefully a photo shoot too!

I need these little things right now as the Canadian is back home without me. I cannot begin to express how much I miss him. The excitement and commraderie of the Olympics is a welcome distraction at the moment. I also painted my nails green and gold. New low.

I cannot get enough. What is it about the Olympics that makes us watch hours of sport that we would at any other time loathe? I allowed a cycling road race to remain on my television all day Saturday and I actually watched a fair bit of it. I hate cycling.

I am currectly watching Judo…JUDO, for God’s sake. OK, now I don’t know how this Hungarian -Aussie Pekli has not won every tournament she has ever competed in. She is one scary lookin woman. If I had to meet her on a Judo mat, I would lay down and hand over the medal without letting her lay a hand on me. Surely scariness is a big factor in beating your oponents?

I am not happy that Sean has taken off just as Australia and Canada are playing each other in the hockey. Oh the joy I am missing out on by us whipping their Canuck butt.

What’s not to love about The Olympics? There are words spoken such as repechage, peloton, coxless, womens trap, birds nest and the noodle.

I love to hate the ads that will plague our TVs over the next 2 weeks..I’m already sick to death of granny in the suitcase and that Queen song. I love it.

When can you ever watch Synchronised Swimming other than in the Olympics? Does it even exist outside the games? What is it about watching swimmers do laps that makes me want to eat Uncle Toby’s products? Why the hell is Tom the Chippie commentating on the Slalom? Why do I get such enjoyment when anyone beats the Americans? Where are Roy and HG? Oh so many questions!

My boy has taken off on a jet plane. I won’t go into how that makes me feel because there is nothing worse than a blogger who whines and complains about their life. Instead I watch little Chinese gymnasts flip and turn on the beam and give you a few little discoveries for this week.

I’m sure I found these via other people’s websites but I don’t remember where now.

• Gertrude and Mabel - I want these fabulous women to shoot my someday wedding. They shoot film! Incredible work.
• Jacqueline Veissid - the kind of photographer I want to be.
• Gigpark - Newish social networking thingie where you share you favourite recommendations of services and people out there. Add me as a friend.

I miss The Dream.

So I got my first test roll from the Yashica Mat 124 back. Not too bad for the first roll, most shots worked, the exposure wasn’t too bad on most shots. I only have one other completely manual camera and even that has an auto setting on it, so this was really testing my abilities, especially as it doesn’t have a working light meter.

The test roll was Fuji 160S which I think works really well with the Holga, but with this camera, its a bit too saturated for my liking. I’m going to do my next few rolls with Portra as I love that film.

I’ve got a photo shoot coming up next week depending on weather, so hopefully I will have some more Yashica goodness to share then.

I guess I am an artist of sorts..try to be anyway.

At the moment I am struggling with what I take pictures of. I have this expensive camera which I love but am not happy with what I shoot.

Sure, a lot of them are pretty and pleasing to look at but they don’t fill me with any artistic contentment. I know where I want to take my photography and what I wish I could be, but I can’t seem to get there. At times, I think having a fancy digital camera almost hinders my chance at growing as a photographer because things are so easy. Its very easy to take pretty photographs of blooming flowers and yummy gooey desserts but really…what the hell am I saying about myself with those kinds of photographs?

Maybe I have to put myself on a ban of F&F photography (food and flowers) for a few weeks or even a month. I wonder if I could do it?! I know I really want to shoot portraits more than anything. I do shoot a lot, its just unfortunate that I can’t share a lot of them. I need models, seriously!

In becoming a portrait photographer however I as a person need to grow some guts. I am such a chicken around new people so its tough.

Anyone got any tips on how you deal with this artistic blockage?