I have never been particularly good at photography, and yet now I find myself trying it for real. With a Flickr page and everything.
Ask me nice and I'll post the URL here.
I like night shots especially. Maybe because I find it easier to make night shots look good.
Sure is a lot of fun though.
Techstudent out
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Mistakes
We all make lots of mistakes.
Some are bigger than others. Some are so big that when you look back at your life your mind recoils in horror.
I had such a moment recently. I will not divulge the actual event here, just my thoughts on the matter.
It started gradually at first. Things started to bug me. Things from the past as well as the present.
I tried to deal with each negative thought one by one as it occurred to me. Then more would occur to me. Pretty soon my mind was a swirl of thought, a mixture of all the things in my life that gnaw at me.
The feeling when you finally identify the central cause of it all is, quite frankly, scary. Like a lightning storm in your mind.
Mistakes and flaws are funny. Seeing the mistakes of others is easier than spotting your own. In addition to that, listening to others point out your mistakes is even harder, and the instinct to mentally cover your ears is powerful. Doubly so if these others are very close to you. The result is that if you do finally wake up, sympathy is in short supply. And I realise now that this is rightly so. The people around you are not at fault, and for them to tell you that it was "not that bad" is the worst thing they can do for you at this point (it encourages fresh denial). The only thing you can ask them to do is to answer your questions honestly. "Was I an idiot?". "Yes, actually, you were".
The next thing to do is ask for open honest conversation. Allow the people you wronged to have their say. Listen, speak if you must, but do not try to defend yourself. It does not even matter if you think they are wrong. They believe what they believe due to your actions, and this alone makes them right. Listen to what they say, and be honest with yourself when they do.
And what follows then? Then, you place yourself in their hands, and in the hands of God. You ask for forgiveness. You let go of your fear. And then you wait. And once they have decided, you accept what comes your way.
Some are bigger than others. Some are so big that when you look back at your life your mind recoils in horror.
I had such a moment recently. I will not divulge the actual event here, just my thoughts on the matter.
It started gradually at first. Things started to bug me. Things from the past as well as the present.
I tried to deal with each negative thought one by one as it occurred to me. Then more would occur to me. Pretty soon my mind was a swirl of thought, a mixture of all the things in my life that gnaw at me.
The feeling when you finally identify the central cause of it all is, quite frankly, scary. Like a lightning storm in your mind.
Mistakes and flaws are funny. Seeing the mistakes of others is easier than spotting your own. In addition to that, listening to others point out your mistakes is even harder, and the instinct to mentally cover your ears is powerful. Doubly so if these others are very close to you. The result is that if you do finally wake up, sympathy is in short supply. And I realise now that this is rightly so. The people around you are not at fault, and for them to tell you that it was "not that bad" is the worst thing they can do for you at this point (it encourages fresh denial). The only thing you can ask them to do is to answer your questions honestly. "Was I an idiot?". "Yes, actually, you were".
The next thing to do is ask for open honest conversation. Allow the people you wronged to have their say. Listen, speak if you must, but do not try to defend yourself. It does not even matter if you think they are wrong. They believe what they believe due to your actions, and this alone makes them right. Listen to what they say, and be honest with yourself when they do.
And what follows then? Then, you place yourself in their hands, and in the hands of God. You ask for forgiveness. You let go of your fear. And then you wait. And once they have decided, you accept what comes your way.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Thoughts
Soooo I thought that maybe I should start blogging again.
A LOT has happened.
My studies are DONE. I finally have my diploma in Information Technology..
My wife and son have moved to South Africa so that he can attend school. That leaves me alone at home. Not sure how I feel about that. I know it's the best thing for him, but I miss them terribly.
I am doing some online tutorials lately. If yiu have time, do check out www.freecodecamp.com .
Work is getting busier. For Everyone.
And that's it. Hopefully I will become a more prolific blogger in the future.
Techstudent out....
A LOT has happened.
My studies are DONE. I finally have my diploma in Information Technology..
My wife and son have moved to South Africa so that he can attend school. That leaves me alone at home. Not sure how I feel about that. I know it's the best thing for him, but I miss them terribly.
I am doing some online tutorials lately. If yiu have time, do check out www.freecodecamp.com .
Work is getting busier. For Everyone.
And that's it. Hopefully I will become a more prolific blogger in the future.
Techstudent out....
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Rant
I haven't blogged in a good long while.
My life has been pretty day to day lately, and apart from my wife receiving her degree soon (Awesome!!!) nothing is really going on.
Except for...
Let me start from the beginning.
For a long time, I've had a suspicion that there are people who hate on others because of their language or culture.
"Surprise surprise" I hear you say. "You only noticed this now?". Well, no, I have of course seen this before. Most of us face this at one time or another so this should really not be such a problem. The world will always be full of assholes after all, and learning how to deal with them is a requisite part of growing up. But I recently saw a rather extreme example.
I was speaking to someone whom I know has the same Mother Tongue as me. As we spoke, she kept switching to English. I kept switching back to Afrikaans.
At first I could not figure out why. Later in the day I heard the same person speak to someone else in my vicinity. This time in flawless Afrikaans, without any stress.
???
Later on it struck me. At the first incident, there were other people close by.
At the second incident, there was no one around except for the three of us.
Now, I understand the need to include others around you, but only if the conversation concerns them. My wife and I often deliberately converse in English in an attempt to include those around us in the conversation. In this case however, the people around us weren't even listening, and the conversation had nothing to do with them.
This person simply did not want to be seen speaking Afrikaans.
Why??? Did she truly face so much hate from others that she would rather hide her identity in a bid to be left in peace?
To me that is truly tragic. If people want to hate me for who I am then they must just go ahead. I need not pay them any mind.
I personally feel that one should be proud of one's language. Certainly, if there are others who want to be included in your conversation, do switch to the most convenient common language.
I confess I only know a grand total of two languages, which limits my options somewhat. So far I seem to be doing OK though. English has so far served as a common medium when needed.
However, if you hear two people having a private conversation in a language you do not understand, accept the fact that it may simply not concern you. Do not hate them simply because you are unable to eavesdrop! And if you have a suspicion that the conversation is something you might be interested in, then by all means walk up to them and ask. I have found that most people will happily switch to English once they realize you have something to add. And I certainly wouldn't mind if you came up to me and asked.
Please please please, do not be one of those people who insist that everyone should just switch to English permanently if they wish to be included in society. Sure, everyone should at least be able to make themselves understood in the majority language, but EVERY language has the right to exist.
Now, all of this also means that I need to brush up on my Swahili. Seriously!
Techstudent Out.
My life has been pretty day to day lately, and apart from my wife receiving her degree soon (Awesome!!!) nothing is really going on.
Except for...
Let me start from the beginning.
For a long time, I've had a suspicion that there are people who hate on others because of their language or culture.
"Surprise surprise" I hear you say. "You only noticed this now?". Well, no, I have of course seen this before. Most of us face this at one time or another so this should really not be such a problem. The world will always be full of assholes after all, and learning how to deal with them is a requisite part of growing up. But I recently saw a rather extreme example.
I was speaking to someone whom I know has the same Mother Tongue as me. As we spoke, she kept switching to English. I kept switching back to Afrikaans.
At first I could not figure out why. Later in the day I heard the same person speak to someone else in my vicinity. This time in flawless Afrikaans, without any stress.
???
Later on it struck me. At the first incident, there were other people close by.
At the second incident, there was no one around except for the three of us.
Now, I understand the need to include others around you, but only if the conversation concerns them. My wife and I often deliberately converse in English in an attempt to include those around us in the conversation. In this case however, the people around us weren't even listening, and the conversation had nothing to do with them.
This person simply did not want to be seen speaking Afrikaans.
Why??? Did she truly face so much hate from others that she would rather hide her identity in a bid to be left in peace?
To me that is truly tragic. If people want to hate me for who I am then they must just go ahead. I need not pay them any mind.
I personally feel that one should be proud of one's language. Certainly, if there are others who want to be included in your conversation, do switch to the most convenient common language.
I confess I only know a grand total of two languages, which limits my options somewhat. So far I seem to be doing OK though. English has so far served as a common medium when needed.
However, if you hear two people having a private conversation in a language you do not understand, accept the fact that it may simply not concern you. Do not hate them simply because you are unable to eavesdrop! And if you have a suspicion that the conversation is something you might be interested in, then by all means walk up to them and ask. I have found that most people will happily switch to English once they realize you have something to add. And I certainly wouldn't mind if you came up to me and asked.
Please please please, do not be one of those people who insist that everyone should just switch to English permanently if they wish to be included in society. Sure, everyone should at least be able to make themselves understood in the majority language, but EVERY language has the right to exist.
Now, all of this also means that I need to brush up on my Swahili. Seriously!
Techstudent Out.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Stars!
So, I finally got that telescope i always wanted.
And guess what, i spite of what my mother said years ago, I haven't gotten tired of staring at the sky.
Living out in the sticks is definitely a bonus for the stargazer. My scope is not much, but already I have managed to see many things with it. Among other things, I have seen Saturn.
It appeared very small, barely visible, but it was there. Rings and all.
Don't worry, a stronger eyepiece has already been ordered :-)
Techstudent Out.
And guess what, i spite of what my mother said years ago, I haven't gotten tired of staring at the sky.
Living out in the sticks is definitely a bonus for the stargazer. My scope is not much, but already I have managed to see many things with it. Among other things, I have seen Saturn.
It appeared very small, barely visible, but it was there. Rings and all.
Don't worry, a stronger eyepiece has already been ordered :-)
Techstudent Out.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Perspective
I always used to hate it when people say "you need perspective", as if there was some dimension of life I could not see that everyone else could.
It seemed like a totally overused term to me.
However, ever since living in Tanzania, it seems to me that there are definitely people in this world in need of a little perspective.
Here's the thing; I find myself living in the middle of nowhere. I also find myself living a good life. I get to go home for lunch every day. My child grows up safe. Life is simple and good.
In addition, i have access to high-speed internet and satellite TV. Both of which i did not have access to back home, either as an adult or while growing up.
In my simple view, life here is good. Not easy certainly, but good. The kind of hardships we face are the kind that can be easily overcome with a positive mindset and a bit of planning. I consider myself lucky.
And in spite of that, there are people who ask me how I could possibly cope.
This got me thinking. I am truly privileged. In spite of hardship, I still live more comfortably than the vast majority of the world. At the same time, there are people in first world countries who complain.
I am not saying that someone in a first world setting has no cause for complaint. I am saying however that someone who moans because he lives far from the bright lights of the city needs to think a bit about all they have to be thankful for. No matter what life throws at us, there is always something you can be thankful for.
And often all it takes is just tackling life with the right attitude.
It seemed like a totally overused term to me.
However, ever since living in Tanzania, it seems to me that there are definitely people in this world in need of a little perspective.
Here's the thing; I find myself living in the middle of nowhere. I also find myself living a good life. I get to go home for lunch every day. My child grows up safe. Life is simple and good.
In addition, i have access to high-speed internet and satellite TV. Both of which i did not have access to back home, either as an adult or while growing up.
In my simple view, life here is good. Not easy certainly, but good. The kind of hardships we face are the kind that can be easily overcome with a positive mindset and a bit of planning. I consider myself lucky.
And in spite of that, there are people who ask me how I could possibly cope.
This got me thinking. I am truly privileged. In spite of hardship, I still live more comfortably than the vast majority of the world. At the same time, there are people in first world countries who complain.
I am not saying that someone in a first world setting has no cause for complaint. I am saying however that someone who moans because he lives far from the bright lights of the city needs to think a bit about all they have to be thankful for. No matter what life throws at us, there is always something you can be thankful for.
And often all it takes is just tackling life with the right attitude.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Livin' Alone
So my Lovely Wife went back to the Old Republic for a visit.
While there, she is writing exams, doing practicals and seeing old friends.
Meanwhile, our container with all of our worldly possessions has arrived in Tanzania.
I have, as a result, spend the last few days opening boxes and sorting out the house. Not that I mind at all. It is actually kinda exciting to open boxes and find some of the stuff you have been missing.
So on that note, I uncovered my binoculars today!
Yeah...
Did I mention that Tanzania has some of the most beautiful starfield views I have ever seen? I cannot wait to get out there. Gonna coat myself with at least a Litre of anti-mozzie spray and gawk at the stars like never before!
Now if I can only find my tripod...
TechStudent out.
While there, she is writing exams, doing practicals and seeing old friends.
Meanwhile, our container with all of our worldly possessions has arrived in Tanzania.
I have, as a result, spend the last few days opening boxes and sorting out the house. Not that I mind at all. It is actually kinda exciting to open boxes and find some of the stuff you have been missing.
So on that note, I uncovered my binoculars today!
Yeah...
Did I mention that Tanzania has some of the most beautiful starfield views I have ever seen? I cannot wait to get out there. Gonna coat myself with at least a Litre of anti-mozzie spray and gawk at the stars like never before!
Now if I can only find my tripod...
TechStudent out.
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