Andrea Pistolesi Photographer: 11/2008

Nov 30, 2008

TRAVELING WITH A JOURNALIST (Part II)

Massimo Morello is, as many friends know, the driving force behind many of the stories that we produce in south east Asia and other places. Again, he sees things and becomes the two extra eyes to make the "four that sees better then two". Still I wonder how and why I always find him in "convenient" locations... As in the case of the Cebu Prison where he decided to seat in the female section rather then in the...

DANCING INMATES

In the Cebu prison we just shot a story on the "dancing inmates". It's a way they found for social rehabilitation and daily activity. The thing has become so popular in the Philippines that now they run a mass show once a month open to the public. Still is hard to describe the effort they put in this two hours dancing in a 38° open sun courtyard. And more difficult is to go beyond the joyful collective parade and see the hard, personal stories of the individuals imprisoned there.

Nov 28, 2008

IT'S JUST A SUNSET...

As trouble is pouring over Mumbai, life seems to stand still in these remote islands... I wish I was there, not out of crazy masochism but for the wish of telling stories that will certainly unfold in this unique Indian reality. The city has such a strong, multiform vitality that will easily overcome these attacks. But people will keep living lives that would deserve to be told such is their unique strength among unique harshness..
As for me, still browsing Philippines islands, then on to Singapore.. Unless the situation in Bangkok turns ugly and a new crisis window opens up... Let's hope I'll still keep chasing sunsets for a while...

Nov 12, 2008

LIFE IS GOOD!

...even when you live in a old house falling apart, sharing it with hundreds of people and having ten square meters for your -large- family.. as long as your mother is washing your back!

Nov 5, 2008

NO BLOG IN BARAK "OSAMA" LAND...

Just entered Turkey from Syria, where excited people call Barak "Osama" the promise of the coming times...
I agree, still have to see, and then I hope with no inclination like the Sheikh..
Syria has many reasons to be angry and wanting change, but they should start from within their system. Communications are still limited, with many websites, all blogs and Facebook blocked in the net.
Still people are friendly, open, and looking at the future with a peaceful attitude.

We should always keep people in mind when we think to a Nation as a whole. Berlusconi is not Italy (well, maybe a large part), Bush was not the US. People are much better then their governments policy and we should search, know, photograph and write about them for a start..

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower
(Steve Jobs)

Travel is at its most rewarding when it ceases to be about your reaching a destination and becomes indistinguishable from living your life. (Paul Theroux)

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. (Mark Twain)

Noi invece che abbiamo per patria il mondo, come i pesci il mare, noi, che pure prima di mettere i denti abbiamo bevuto l’acqua dell’Arno e amiamo Firenze tanto da subire ingiustamente l’esilio per averla amata, noi poggiamo le spalle del nostro giudizio sulla ragione piuttosto che sul senso.
(Dante Alighieri)

Bertrand Russell

"War does not determine who is right - only who is left."

"The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge."

"A hallucination is a fact, not an error; what is erroneous is a judgment based upon it."

"Extreme hopes are born from extreme misery."

"I say quite deliberately that the Christian religion, as organized in its Churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world."

"Italy, and the spring and first love all together should suffice to make the gloomiest person happy."

"A life without adventure is likely to be unsatisfying, but a life in which adventure is allowed to take whatever form it will is sure to be short."

"What i wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite."

"The secret of happiness is to face the fact that the world is horrible."

"Patriots always talk of dying for their country and never of killing for their country."

"It is preoccupation with possessions that prevents us from living freely and nobly."

"The secret of happiness is this: let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions to the things and persons that interest you be as far as possible friendly rather the hostile."

"Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education."

"The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to the moralist. That is why they invented Hell."

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts."

"Right discipline consists, not in external compulsion, but in the habits of mind which lead spontaneously to desirable rather the undesirable activities."

"If all our happiness is bound up entirely in our personal circumstances it is difficult not to demand of life more then it has to give."

"Man needs, for his happiness, not only the enjoyment of this or that, but hope and enterprise and change."

"Anything you're good at contributes to happiness."

"The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd."

"It is possible that mankind is on the threshold of a golden age; but, if so, it will be necessary first to slay the dragon that guards the door, and this dragon is religion."

"Sin is geographical."

Albert Einstein on CRISIS!

"Let's not pretend that things will change if we keep doing the same things. A crisis can be a real blessing to any person, to any nation. For all crises bring progress.
Creativity is born from anguish, just like the day is born from the dark night. It's in crisis that inventive is born, as well as discoveries, and big strategies. Who overcomes crisis, overcomes himself, without getting overcome. Who blames his failure to a crisis neglects his own talent, and is more respectful to problems than to solutions. Incompetence is the true crisis.
The greatest inconvenience of people and nations is the laziness with which they attempt to find the solutions to their problems. There's no challenge without a crisis. Without challenges, life becomes a routine, a slow agony. There’s no merit without crisis. It's in the crisis where we can show the very best in us. Without a crisis, any wind becomes a tender touch. To speak about a crisis is to promote it. Not to speak about it is to exalt conformism. Let us work hard instead.
Let us stop, once and for all, the menacing crisis that represents the tragedy of not being willing to overcome it."

Ithaca by Kavafis

When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,
pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the angry Poseidon -- do not fear them:
You will never find such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your spirit and your body.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not set them up before you.

Pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many, when,
with such pleasure, with such joy
you will enter ports seen for the first time;
stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensual perfumes of all kinds,
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
visit many Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from scholars.

Always keep Ithaca in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would have never set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.