Another Thanksgiving In SF

Until I started to work did I realize the pleasure of Thanksgiving Holiday, a 4 day leisure without any need to get out of my door.

Although Thanksgiving is meant to be with family,  as I am alone in USA, it becomes a rare chance I can stay with myself for 4 days. Especially the weather in San Francisco is rainy and windy, it gives me a perfect excuse to stay at home.

I read a book, what are you looking at as I am always fascinated of modern arts and how it becomes such a phenomenon. This books serves as a good introductions for anyone who is interested in this topic, and with very good writing and narrative, leading the readers go through the modern art history.

After reading that,  the  feeling that modern arts, more specifically,  modern painting, is more about thoughts, rather than the crafts.  If impressionists and poitinism are still reinventing the painting skills,   surrealism and minimalism are more concerned about the ideas behind the arts.

Meanwhile, the on going focus on individuals and presence serves another key points in modern arts. Contrary to the previous generations who are spending more time on religions topics or aristocrats, modern artists put their eyes on the massive ordinary people and the current mass production.

However, I like the facts  modern arts being so relevant.

The leisure time is fun, while my anxiety of current life is not cured by 4 day holiday schedule. In future, I probably will be more focus on career advances and work on improving myself in being a desired worker.  Days of worry-free have forever gone, and in deeds, gone as I planned.

How to deal with so many PHOTOS?

I have traveled to various places, watched a number of live performance, dined at exotic restaurants and cafeterias. What do all those experiences end up in my life?

A tons of pictures in my hard drive I have never looked back since. Until one day, the computer warns me that there is limited space in my hard drive.

When I try to spend time to organize and upload my photos this weekend, I soon warn out of patience. I have little interest in those photos I have taken.

I realize I might be suffer from another form of hoarding, which is  Digital Hoarding.   The addiction to document the moments and convince yourself you will be enjoying this later.

The old lady in above picture reminds us how ridiculous modern society becomes. Instead of enjoying the moment,  we all rush to take out the phone to document it for future.

So why am I taking those photos, even I don’t like them?

To answer this question,  the first place I looked at is what kind of photos I have taken.  Interestingly, I don’t take much pictures of people, I mostly take pictures of landscape, the places I have been to, the events I have attended,  and  restaurants I enjoyed.

Even though I realize I can easily find amazing photos of Rome, Paris, Angkor Watts or Grand Canyon by professional photographers , when I was there, the impulse to taking out camera and snapping, is irresistible.

Maybe, I know all these beauty in front of my eyes is not mine, not part of my regular life and will pass away from me quickly. Thus,  the urge to possess it can only be alleviated by taking a photo, even though I know it is futile.

Maybe taking photos are the only way for me to kill the time, while I was there.  To appreciate in depth of  the moment requires broad knowledge and great taste. E.g, if we don’t know anything about painting, we can not stare a masterpiece for several minutes and really appreciate it beauty.  The same goes for others.  We are desperate to participate, and the only way to participate is taking photos.

Maybe I will find pleasure looking at my photos when I get older. Maybe all these photos are meant for 70 years old me,  glancing through my youth through the lens of those photos and having a good laugh.

In whatever sense,  I need to take a conscious look at the way I take photos, what I am photoing and how I am going to organize it.  Never letting the action of taking photos impairs  me being in the moments and never letting the digital clutter affects your memory of the past.