A few weekends ago, I felt smugly pleased about choosing what to do in the moment, not planning ahead, and feeling like I found a perfect balance of doing nothing and doing things. This weekend, it somehow turned into the opposite. I woke up and had a list of things I wanted to do, needed to do, and felt it would be good to do. I wrote a list. And I got overwhelmed and felt anxious.
Luckily, a friend snapped me out of it by inviting me to explore local markets with her and another friend, and gently nudging me to come along when I waffled. Camera around my next and shoulders tensed (for no reason beyond feeling overwhelmed by choices), I hopped into the tuktuk. We visited two markets and became so completely engrossed in the sights, sounds, smells and bustle around us that it was easy to leave the panic behind.
It's becoming more fun to take snaps and then peruse them once home. Years ago, my dad got me a video series on photography and I hope to avail myself of the lessons, practice the techniques, and get better. For now, though, it's just fun to let my eye rove and pick out the fun and exotic and interesting. It feels good to practice asking permission to take a person's photo in the local language, respecting answers positive and negative.
It feels good to focus my energy and thoughts on the immediate, the world right in front of me. Here's what I saw today.
 |
| Egg in all forms |
 |
| Basket o' little fishies |
 |
Well protected from the sun and
ready to sell her wares |
 |
After I carefully asked permission to take their
photos, the woman on the right put on her mask
before giving me the thumbs up.
|
 |
Food stall
|
 |
| Lunch nearby a jewelry counter |
 |
He was pleased to have his photo
taken, then turned shy when I
used the word for handsome. |
 |
A butcher prepping and selling her food
|
 |
| Bright green greens for sale |
 |
| Piles of little crispy shrimpies |
 |
Beans and grains, perfectly set up in
rolled down bags |
 |
| Lunch outside the market |
