ditamoon

Wow. Your note made my day. Happy you're back.

My email to yr old address on the 10th bounced back, so belated happy birthday. Hope it was good for you. Essentially said no chocholate cake for you this year, since I cannot find one in China (1.4 billion people and no good bakeries, which sucks).

Soupy here too, but this hotel has a kicking a/c system, so quite comfortable.

Off to London next week, then maybe Dallas for my birthday, or NYC or Philly. Lots of fun travelling, as always.

take care/have fun.

Well, you've touched many interesting topics in your comment, which is a style that I've enjoyed about your entries, and I like to imagine that this reflects the tone and character of what you create when you're not inside the steel cage. I've compared it to the technique of adding three colors to a pointed brush, then applying them with a stroke which preserves each color individually; they magically combine visually at the correct distance, as a function of the variation of brush angle, force, and velocity. The resultant color and subtle textures are created only by perception and light.

You've said something that proposes a new angle that I've not considered before: to move down the mountain before the rock descends, to be refreshed by the rush of air currents as it passes, to alter the vantage point from which to wondrously observe the stone in it's flight. This nicely reflects Camus' concept of joy rather than sorrow in fate, and that the descent brings heightened consciousness and understanding. We create our own sorrow by dreaming of some concept of success, the rock being the focus rather than ourselves.

As the rock, so too the sand. If we choose to be imprisoned by a burden, then we have consciously given up happiness. For many months I've wanted to thank you for Woman in the Dunes. You were absolutely correct in your recommendation, and it is a little unsettling to consider that you knew exactly what I would find to be so satisfying and rich; it is a wonderful story, with a style that amazes me.

On days when I feel unhappy, I like to think that they are a serious exercise in understanding happiness, so in effect I'm happy every day. I consider my b-d to be an insignificant marker of time, and I expect nothing. I do visit my mom, to honor her and in some way attempt to recognize her sacrifices and years of work for my benefit. Thank you for your thoughts and wishes, and sorry about the x-b.f. being inconsiderate. I like to think that there are no bad choices, just unexpected outcomes.

Are you and your camera going to the Caribbean this year?