NOTES ON PERU

I'm back from Peru! While the jetlag is still fresh, I thought I would chat about things that are not Inca trail related (which I didn't do) because that trail seems to get a lot of press, while the rest of the country may not.  The above picture is taken from a bathroom stop on the way to the Colca Valley.  I could honestly have dropped my camera on the ground and still gotten excellent shots because the landscape is so beautiful. One of the best things about travel are those moments when I seem to have casually walked into a postcard because everything looks incredible. 

As an aside, I cropped out the guy off to the side who was holding up an ugly blanket he was trying to sell me and ruining the shot.

Native Dress

Vicunas

I joined a tour group, which meant a lot of busing around, but it also meant that the tour group stopped to let us hang out in people's homes on the fringes of Puno and hang out with domesticated llamas and alpacas. I'm not sure how easy it would have been to get to some of the farther areas without a guide.

Boat made from reeds on Lake Titicaca

The city of Puno itself isn't picturesque, but it borders Lake Titicaca, where you can take a boat out to see Uros, a man-made island built out of reeds, and take a ride on the boat pictured above, also made entirely out of reeds.  

I don't think I can add anything new to Peru that hasn't already been said, so here are just some random bits that you might not have expected: 

• You will pee like a master of champions.  I don't know if it was the altitude or a side effect of Diamox, the altitude sickness medication, but there was not a single toilet or hole in the ground I could deny myself.  
• Check your altitude medication, different people get different dosages and instructions for no particular reason.  I got a prescription for 125mg tablets of Diamox while my friend got prescribed 250mg.  We were both fine, but I was also told to get off it a day earlier and felt nauseous.  
• Machu Picchu is not overrrated.  It's a pretty photogenic wonder of the world and pictures taken from your camera will look just as good as most postcards.  You can also get a Machu Picchu stamp on your passport after entry for extra bonus points. 
• If you take the train into Machu Picchu, you are only allowed to take a small bag or approximately 5kg with you. Those who backpack up there are allowed more, of course.
• At high altitude, you won't be able to eat very much because your digestion will slow down. To even things out, your metabolism may also slow down. 
• Tour guides are great. I didn't know much about Inca or Quechuan or Aymaran culture prior to going, and one of our Quechuan guides was able to explain how they survived despite Spanish colonization, and further how a lot of their advanced technology is now lost forever thanks to Spain.  Thanks Spain!  

A PICTURE FOR THE WEEKEND NO. 14

Sometimes the sun is setting, you look around, and there is nothing but this.

IRA GLASS ON THE SECRET OF SUCCESS IN CREATIVE WORK

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.
UPDATE:
Thanks for all your kind words guys! It's quite overwhelming to see this shared and retweeted all over!

All sins typographic in nature have been amended, hopefully. Thanks for bearing with it the whole time. :)

As always, all credit due to the amazing Ira Glass.

Source audio is from this very seminal video by current.tv:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI23U7U2aUY


Made in three days on Illustrator and After Effects, for Day 6 of the #30daysofcreativity.

A PICTURE FOR THE WEEKEND NO. 13

OMELETTE

Omelette from Madeline Sharafian on Vimeo.

I'll be out and about for awhile, so in my place is this animated dog.  Enjoy!

A PICTURE FOR THE WEEKEND NO. 12

WHAT DO YOU DREAM OF DOING?

Machu Picchu

I don't believe in having a single perfect dream, like "I want to be an actress!" And then you get there and you're done.  I believe you have many dreams throughout your life, some bigger, some smaller, and you can fulfill your dreams a few times over.  

I'm going to Peru for a few weeks, which has always been a dream of mine.  I like traveling in general, every day is always different, and you bring only what you need. Oddly, I also like to dress differently than I would at home.  Sometimes that means wearing dresses most of the time, and sometimes it means you can try to be someone different on the road.  I know some people like to pack basics, or pack one color, but I kind of like to put on bright lip color and try on trends I wouldn't normally and then see how things turn out in pictures. It's kind of like being on vacation from your routine self. 

WINTER LAYERING: ELEMENTARY STYLE

I know that Elementary is pretty good show for plot, characterization, and the emotional rapport between Sherlock (Jonny Miller) and Watson (Lucy Liu), but damn if I couldn't just watch it on mute just to check out Watson's awesome winter layering technique. She wears some really kickass coat/dress/tights outfits.  And although they aren't visible in this picture, she also gets to strut around in some really great shoes.  

It had to be said.  I don't think I'm alone on this. 

QUICKIE ON THE DOVE REAL BEAUTY SKETCH

I know that ads are supposed to appeal to the widest demographic possible, and in this case, the widest female demographic, but as a female, my first reaction was: "I can't relate." Again with the solving of a problem you didn't think you had.

I didn't realize that I had a problem with my looks. I have lot of other problems, but as most makeover shows will tell you, good makeup, clothes and hair will make practically any woman look hot.  It just takes time and effort. You don't fall out of bed hot, you have to put effort into it, and when you take the time to take care of yourself, most of the time, you will feel better about yourself as well because it sends a message to your subconscious that you are worthwhile, and then you will not need weird ads from Dove.

DRAG RUNNING

Source

You can file this under WTF, because sometimes life is weird. 

At a really inconvenient time last month, I decided to get sick, and then decided that running would be the perfect way to deal with it. Check my logic:  If you have a cold, running will make your body hot = burn off the cold!  Genius, right?  

So I started running at the pace of a sick person. One of the key things about running is to prioritize distance over speed. Find a good pace that will allow you to go farther every time, or at least a good distance every time.* I have a tendency to go too fast because I become impatient, and then I burn out before going very far and fail at life. It's a mental game you play with yourself: distance first, speed comes later, so slow your ass down.  

You pass by some trees, you eat up a little road, and then you come to a moving obstacle: another jogger. What to do? Here's the thing: if you are running, and the person in front of you is running, and you get closer, then you are probably running faster than the person in front of you.   

I would describe this person as a middle aged male. Now here's what happened: I paused for a phlegm break. I wasn't going all that fast, but it was slightly faster than this guy, so I went over to his left to pass him - that's what people do, right? - and he increased his speed to match mine, effectively blocking me from going around him. I ran slightly faster, and he sped up too.  Just to be clear, it was snail v. snail, but like I said, maintaining your pace is key. You know what's weirder than running thisclose to another person? Running alongside them. You're in hostile territory.  

At some point I fell back behind him so other people walking towards us could pass, and he turned around to check if I was still there and then slowed back to his previous pace. When I tried to pass again, he increased his speed to block me, and I started to wonder - are we racing? Seriously? And that etiquette question - is it insulting if someone jogs past you? When was the last time I have ever given a rat's ass if someone passed me? Answer: never. 

So the stand off ended when we came to a downhill portion, and my nemesis sprinted to the end of the block, u-turned, and ran back the other way. Double win: he never let me pass, and I kept my intended pace and kept going, phlegm be damned.  

* Do I ever check my distance? No.