Fink - This Is The Thing

I don't know if you noticed anything different
It's getting dark and it's getting cold and the nights are getting long
I don't know if you even noticed at all
That I'm long gone baby, I'm long gone

And the things that keep us apart keep me alive and
The things that keep me alive keep me alone

This is the thing

I don't know if you notice anything missing
Like the leaves on the trees or my clothes all over the floor
I don't know if you'll even notice at all
Coz I was real quiet when I closed the door

And the things that keep us apart keep me alive and
The things that keep me alive keep me alone

This is the thing

Parked or chained?

I sorted out the parking, dear, originally uploaded by faz k.

Friend: Hey, you took this photo?
Me: Yeh.
Friend: It figures.
Me: What do you mean?
Friend: That boat on the water is like you. You’re single, you’re meeting people, you’re ready to go places.
Me: er - I’m a boat?
Friend: That padlock there is like you too, kinda – maybe your heart – you got those chains around your heart somehow. People might not see it at first cos the chain’s so darn long. In fact, even YOU don’t see them chains. You’re wondering why you’re not moving forward, why you’re alone. How can you when your heart’s all closed? Unlock it! Open up! Sure, you gave your heart away to someone special to you and things didn’t turn out ‘happy every after’. You can be free – it’s up to you. Like this boat too – let it move with the river flow, y’know?
Me: I’m a boat?
Friend: *smacks her hand on her forehead*

******

That was close - I thought she'd manage to finally nail me with that sharp observation. She's not too far off the point, though...

picture details: Taken with James, with 1/20sec, f/3.5, 18mm focal length on my 18-55mm kit lens, ISO 400, handheld.

When life puts you in an empty coach, make pictures!

district 9 and a half, originally uploaded by faz k.

All right - perhaps a rather lame attempt at that 'making lemonade from the lemons life gave you' line, but what the heck - I think you know what I mean ;)

Of course it's tough making your way along this world by yourself. We smile and nod when people tell us to 'chin up - you're never alone' yet wish sometimes they don't say these things. They mean well, and so do we when we find ourselves saying the same things to others.

I'm sure you've seen or at least heard of the slideshow that likens this life to a train journey. You get people come on board and sit with you in your train coach. They get off at their stops & other people board the train and join you. There are stretches of that journey when you're by yourself. That's ok. That's the 'me' time that you can use to hold a mirror up to see deep inside you. Have you been good travel companions? Have you shown interest in your travel buddy's journey? How much have you listened to the stories from other people in your train coach? Has it been a good trip from them too? Sure, you poke them a bit when their snores get too loud (it's an overnight train) but do you get rattled when they prod you because your snoring kept them awake some other nights?

When you're done looking into the mirror, put it down and look out the window. There's still a whole wide world out there to see. Your train's still on track, chugging along. Enjoy the trip, and make pictures as you go along. They're your memories.

Pic info: taken with my James (EOS 500D), 1/125sec, f4.0, 18mm focal length on my 18-55mm kit lens, ISO 200.

Withdrawal syndrome - at least until Season 2 is out

Dream
send me a sign
turn back the clock
give me some time
I need to break out
make a new name
let's open our eyes
to the brand new day

Lie to me* theme performed by Ryan Starr

#2: Adding copyright information to your pictures

I've always thought I could only add copyright information to my pictures during post-processing. I've used Picasa & Lightroom for this purpose before. Now, thanks to the Canon EOS Digital Rebel T1i/500D Companion by Ben Long I can now use Canon EOS Utility software that came with my 500D to store a custom copyright message in my pictures. This is useful for me to prove ownership of my images, especially the ones I share via my flickr, jpgmag & twitter.

I plugged James (that's what I call my 500D) into the laptop, using the USB cable, and powered on. The EOS utility window will launch. I suggest you go through these steps too:

From that first screen, click Camera Settings/Remote Shooting, & you'll see the window in picture #2.

Click on the tool button (it's about halfway down the window) - I've circled it in red.

In the Set-up Menu section, click on the Copyright notice entry.

Enter your information and click OK. I also configured the Owner's Name field, since I was there.

Mr Long advised that pressing the Menu button on the camera, navigating to the 3rd tool menu, choosing Clear Settings & pressing the Display button can confirm that we've set the copyright info correctly. I did that, and I saw my name displayed on the LCD screen.

After closing the application and unplugging James, I took a photo to check if the updated data would show in the info screen. I wasn't disappointed.

So hey - I learned something new today. Put in this info one time, and this way works for me fine. If this can be beneficial to other 500D owners, that's cool too.

Enjoy photography!

What a customer experience!

I posted earlier a situation where a shop assistant recommended a couple to visit another store, assuming that they couldn't afford the men's clothing that the posh store carried. There is no polite way to suggest this, no matter how gentle the tone of voice is. To a customer, the idea of being told that you cannot afford what's in store is insulting enough.

I wonder - is this the experience that this posh boutique wants every visitor to have?

Not only the sales person failed to provide a pleasant experience to the couple, who actually can afford the merchandise, he failed to convert those visitors to customers. Let's not even begin to picture the number of people who will hear about that experience, all right?

A posh boutique may wants to present a picture that it's high-class or the choice of the more discerning ones. The trick is how to build the behavior that is positively regarded by everyone - from the no-limit-credit card-toting folk to the hoi-polloi. Why does creating the right habit matter? It matters because people are at the core of any business. No matter what's the business model or environment, we still need to serve customers who are, mostly (duh!), people.
Too bad that particular posh boutique in one of the tallest building of this part of the world did not grasp the importance of creating a great experience at every customer and potential customer contact.

I'll leave you with this snippet here. I'm not sure how many of you would remember this scene from 1990's Pretty Woman that starred Richard Gere & Julia Roberts -

Shop assistant: Hello, can I help you?
Vivian: I was in here yesterday. You wouldn't wait on me.
Shop assistant: Oh.
Vivian: You people work on commission, right?
Shop assistant: Yeah.
Vivian: (Holding up her shopping bags for the shop assistant to see) Big mistake. Big. Huge. I have to go shopping now.

She turns away and walks out of the shop, leaving shop assistants standing, mouths open.

One of the best scenes ever written, in my opinion.

Is my money not good in your store?

A couple walks into a posh, high-end boutique in a shopping center in the city, intending to purchase a men’s suit. A floor sales staff member approaches them.

Sales: May I help you?
He: Yes. We’re looking for a suit.
She: We’re fine with off the rack, probably with one or two small altering here and there, maybe you can show us some choices…

Sales staff looks at them from head to toe, noting their VERY casual attire.

Sales: Well- sir, madam, I don’t think we have something in our store here that fits your budget.

Couple looks surprised.

He: Excuse me?
Sales: You see sir, madam, our more modestly priced range start from 10,000 RM per suit. Our luxury range can easily be more than 5 figures, costing in the material and tailoring.

Couple looks at each other, eyes wide, and mouths slightly agape.

She: Are you suggesting we can’t afford your suits?
He: Do you think we would walk into a place looking to buy something we cannot afford?
Sales: I’m suggesting you try out the boutique 2 doors away from here. Their prices would suit your budgets more, I think. They’re much cheaper than ours.
He: Well, I never…I want to speak to your manager.
Sales: I’m sorry sir, he’s not in at the moment.
She: Let’s go, dear. I don’t want to buy from this place anyway. What nerve!

Couple walks out. Salesman turns back from the main entrance and disappears into store.

What would you do if something like this had happened to you?

Image source: allaboutweybridge.co.uk http://twurl.nl/7mepo4