Yosakoi (よさこい)

Last night was the annual International Show held during International Week on the SOU campus. Many of the Japanese students currently studying at SOU performed a Yosakoi dance routine.

More photos from the evening can be found here and here.

Posted on May 3rd, 2013 under Japan, Oregon. Tags: AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ashland oregon, Nikon D600. Comments Off on Yosakoi (よさこい) @ Southern Oregon University’s ISA International Show 2013

Korean dance performance at Southern Oregon University

My passport was returned to me in the mail from Seattle yesterday complete with a Korean visa attached. Barring some sort of huge military outbreak, I will be heading off to Korea in just over two months.

Speaking of my passport, with three visas (Korea, Japan, and China) taking up a full page each, and about 30 country stamps, there are only a few spots left for new stamps. It would probably already be full were it not for the fact that most countries I have been to in Europe didn’t stamp my passport.

Speaking of getting a Korean visa, the process was exceedingly quick. The instructions said to include an express mail mailer with postage attached for them to send it back, but I figured I could get away with a priority mailer given that I still have two+ months. I was anticipating a month to six week turnaround. Instead, even with priority (2 or 3 day mail instead of overnight) mail in both directions, I received my visa a mere week after I sent my passport to the Korean Consulate in Seattle. They must have processed everything in just a day or two. Fantastic!

Posted on April 9th, 2013 under Korea, Oregon. Tags: AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ashland oregon, nikon d7000. Comments: 2

Q&A with Jed Rothstein, director of “Before the Spring: After the Fall”

#AIFF13 I have spent the past couple days taking photos for the Ashland Independent Film Festival. I’ll be posting many more photos from this annual event on my other blog.

Posted on April 5th, 2013 under Oregon. Tags: ashland oregon, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600. Comments Off on 2013 Ashland Independent Film Festival

Traditional Korean dance performance

In just five months I will be in Korea. I have begun reading about Korea and its history over the past few weeks. I think I will have some nice adventures while there.

Today’s photo is from DKU’s Traditional Korean Dance Performance at SOU back in November.

Posted on January 28th, 2013 under Korea. Tags: AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, ashland oregon, nikon d7000. Comments Off on Korea preparations

I am one
Who eats breakfast
Gazing at morning-glories
– Basho

I went to breakfast the other morning at Ashland‘s Morning Glory Restaurant and saw the above haiku painted on the wall. The original Japanese by Matsuo Basho (松尾芭蕉) was

朝顔に
我は飯食ふ
男かな

asagao ni
ware wa meshi ku
otoko kana

Posted on December 29th, 2012 under Japan. Tags: ashland oregon, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, Nikon D600, signs. Comments Off on Morning Glories – Basho