Thursday, December 8, 2011

The Best Teacher Ever!

341/365
341/365: The Best Teacher Ever!


My wife Gretchen was a successful electrical engineer working for Hewlett Packard--one of the most famous computer companies in the world--for over 12 years. Years ago when we started dating, I asked her if this is what she wanted to do with her life. I remember her telling me that making movies was her dream. At the time, she did not even know where to start. She also said that she knew that she would want to change careers at some point but she did not know exactly what she wanted to do.

Fast forward to a few years ago. First, she finally went ahead and made her first short film on her own. About a year later, she became a founding member of "The Spring Film Group" which is a very active local group that make small independent shorts (springfilmgroup.com. She created her own small production company "Lazy Gal Production", co-produced a bunch of shorts for SFG and directed a couple. One of her films won best comedy at a local festival. She also directed a short film based on Shirley Jackson's short story "The Daemon Lover", which was a dream of hers for a long time. The film is still in post production. (one of my 365 photos was a teaser poster for this film called "June")

During that time, she also finally find her calling and discovered a passion for teaching. It took a couple of years of classes and training but she was able to get a teacher certification and this fall, she left her lucrative job at HP to become a 5th grade math teacher.

She absolutely loves her new, much less lucrative job. She loves the kids and they love her and think she is a "cool" teacher. I visited her at school for a holiday dinner for the staff and family. Her class room walls are plastered with kids drawings declaring "Math Rocks" and "To the best teacher ever". She's never been happier… and I'm happy for her.

She also runs an after-school "Movie Making Club" which just produced its first short film--written, shot and acted in by a group of 8-10 year old students.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

CANON CALLING

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331/365: CANON CALLING


Surprisingly, somebody whom I showed this to before posting did not recognize the inspiration. So just in case, here it is.

A very interesting thing about the original photo, especially for those of us (like me) who are overly critical of their own photos:

"The picture was later voted the best rock and roll photograph of all time by Q (magazine), although at the time Smith (the photographer) did not want the picture used. She did not feel it was a technically good shot because the photograph is slightly out of focus (as she was backing away from Paul to avoid getting hit). However, Joe Strummer convinced her to use the shot. "

(From Wikipedia)

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Sister Moon

287/365: 
287/365: Sister Moon
Sister moon will be my guide
In your blue blue shadows I would hide
All good people asleep tonight
I'm all by myself in your silver light
I would gaze at your face the whole night through
I'd go out of my mind, but for you

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Renegades

288/365:
288/365: Renegades

Occupy Wall Street is spreading around the US and the world. Houston is just getting started.

Photo taken in Occupy Houston protest on Energy Day.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Pyramid

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214/365: Pyramid

"It was only a matter of time before we found the pyramid and forced it open. Now its signals have ceased, and those whose duty it is will be turning their minds upon Earth. Perhaps they wish to help our infant civilization. But they must be very, very old, and the old are often insanely jealous of the young."
Arthur C. Clarke, "The Sentinel"

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

JFK

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211/365: JFK

John Kennedy's assassination site at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, TX. The "X" mark on the road indicate where Kennedy was hit the second time fatally in the head. In the background, the Texas School Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald fired the shot from the six floor (second from the top) corner window.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Vector: Driver

Vector: Driver


A very interesting and quirky character, Vector was our native bus driver on a recent geology trip to Ireland. Funny, extremely generous and helpful, very dependable and can get things done, sometimes in very weird ways. We were very lucky to have them and he went out of his way to make us feel welcome and make our life easier.

This is one of the very few time (maybe the only time) I caught him with our a smile or laugh on his face.A very interesting and quirky character, Vector was our native bus driver on a recent geology trip to Ireland. Funny, extremely generous and helpful, very dependable and can get things done, sometimes in very weird ways. We were very lucky to have them and he went out of his way to make us feel welcome and make our life easier.

This is one of the very few time (maybe the only time) I caught him with out a smile or laugh on his face.

Monday, July 11, 2011

In Prayer

180/365
180/365: In Prayer


“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”
Mahatma Gandhi



Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde, Montreal, Canada
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