Email To Larry, "Living In The Margins: Families Of The Dump" Exhibition, And Glen Constantine

Got an email from the Penticton Art Gallery today about the coming exhibition. Everything looks great and is a go, even going to make a little money for the show. I might use it to help the people in the dump again or to buy new framing for the show. My current frames are in rough shape and the Penticton Art Gallery is a step up in gallery class, it is important the work is presented right. I am very excited about the artist talk on the 22nd. Telling the stories about the photos about the lives of the forgotten families is a GREAT opportunity.  I am so lucky and privileged to be given this chance. Not sure on how a lot of this is going to work out yet, please stay tuned the blog for updates.

There is another photographers work who is going to be exhibited at the same time as mine. His name is Greg Constantine. Mr. Constantine is a world class heavy hitter professional social documentary photographer, who is doing incredible and important work. All a bit scary but I will try to do my best and go from there. Gerry the security guard in the same gallery as a world class social documentary photographer. Hopefully this all works out well, you can only do what you can do!

Note* The Penticton Art Gallery decided the exhibition will be called "Living In The Margins: Families of the Dump." 

Note* It so important to give back to the families. I need money to pay for the new frames, they will be very expensive but maybe I can split the money, 1/2 for the families, 1/2 for the frames.  Or maybe I can use the artist fee to pay part of the frames cost and donate the artist talk  Honorarium directly to the families. I could buy the families more headlamps, boots, medicines etc.

Here is an email I wrote to my friend Larry on this subject:
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Larry….

Just found out I am going to be exhibiting in Penticton alongside this guy’s work, his name is Gleg Constantine and he photographs the Rohingya. It is a bit intimidating. Mr. Contantine has at least one photo book, has exhibited in galleries in London etc. Have you heard of him, know of his work? I did a Google search and came up with the links below, seems like a very talented, determined, social documentary photog, like lots of his pics….

https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&safe=strict&client=firefox-b-ab&biw=1920&bih=953&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=TD5ZW-KpO-jA0PEP47KLiAU&q=Greg+Constantine%E2%80%99s+Exiled+to+Nowhere++Rohingya.&oq=Greg+Constantine%E2%80%99s+Exiled+to+Nowhere++Rohingya.&gs_l=img.3...103436.110332.0.110932.2.2.0.0.0.0.100.168.1j1.2.0....0...1c..64.img..0.0.0....0.eMm9igxjUNA#imgrc=_

https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&safe=strict&client=firefox-b-ab&biw=1920&bih=953&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=vD5ZW8vAPLP09APU_L6QCA&q=Greg+Constantine%E2%80%99s++Rohingya.&oq=Greg+Constantine%E2%80%99s++Rohingya.&gs_l=img.3...674328.674328.0.674579.1.1.0.0.0.0.67.67.1.1.0....0...1c.1.64.img..0.0.0....0.jK2WRLqpSRo#imgrc=k65jwPSi7n7rsM:

Seems he was barred from MYANMAR.

http://www.mizzima.com/news-domestic/myanmar-bars-us-photographer-ahead-rohingya-show

From the  Penticton Art Gallery:

In conjunction with your exhibition we will be exhibiting a selection of work of Greg Constantine’s body of work entitled Exiled to Nowhere exploring the plight of the Rohingya.

Am quite excited by this opportunity, still trying to figure it all out. Here is what they have promised me, not sure I understand all the benefits. The artist talk should be fun. The money will probably be used to help buy some newer framing.

From the gallery:

On our end we will cover the following expenses:

1) the cost of shipping your work
2) The cost of framing if we are framing the work in house using our exhibition frames.
3) Your travel and accommodations for up to three nights to attend the opening.
4) An artist fee of $1,000
5) An $150 Honorarium for the artist talk

Thanks Larry… We should be able to meet up in the coming weeks if you have time. Mom has been admitted to a ward to the Hospital for the next 5-7 weeks. They are evaluating her condition, adjusting meds etc. I need time to print the work for the coming show, plus I have all kinds of other things on the go but we can do a meal if you want, we need to catch up!!

Gerry

Quote: All In The Family

Archie Bunker:

"If God had meant us to be together, He'd have put us together. But look what he done.   He put you over in Africa, and He put the rest of us in all the white countries."

Sammy Davis Jr.:

          "Well, you must have told him where we were, 'cause somebody came and got us."

Qoute: Hermann Goring

“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

Facebook: 2 Older Mamiya 6 PhotosFrom 1999-2003

2 older pics done with a Mamiya 6 Camera and flash, in 1999..The first of sex workers Jo and Nit in Pattaya Thailand outside their short time sex bar. Nit was using her bar money to provide for her family and build a large beautiful home for her family up country. The second picture is of a barefoot child begging from a farang tourist in Bangkok Thailand’s notorious Patpong area.

Jo and Nit waiting for customers, Pattaya Thailand 2003

Young barefoot boy begging in Patpong, Bangkok Thailand 2003

Quote: Dorothea Lange

“The good photograph is not the object; the consequences of the photograph are the object.” 

Quote: Drew Johnson (Curator Of Photography At The Oakland Museum Of California)

Speaking about the great social documentary photographer Dorothea Lange. 

“Lange’s greatest lesson is that a photographer documenting social conditions must approach people with dignity and respect, with an honest effort to understand their situation and to capture it truthfully. As she said, “All my photographs are collaborations—the result of [the subjects’] thinking as well as mine.” Lange’s work is the perfect balance of art and information. Her photographs are often beautiful, and sometimes shocking, but not in a way that overwhelms the situation or content she’s documenting. I’m sorry to say a lot of documentary photographers have not learned this lesson or followed her example in this.”

Quote: Barack Obama

From a speech marking the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birth.

“I believe in Nelson Mandela’s vision, I believe in a vision shared by Gandhi and King and Abraham Lincoln. I believe in a vision of equality and justice and freedom and multiracial democracy, built on the premise that all people are created equal, and they’re endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. And I believe that a world governed by such principles is possible and that it can achieve more peace and more cooperation in pursuit of a common good.” 

Dorothea Lange CNN Story

Here I a wonderful story on the Great Depression era photographer Dorothea Lange. Her dedication, hard work, empathy and compassion has been a huge influence on me. A very inspiring person who led an important life telling the stories of important people. The Power Of Photography, you got to love it!
CNN Dorothea Lange Story

Quote: Joni Mitchel (Singer-Songwriter)

“Woodstock was a spark of beauty where half-a-million kids saw that they were part of a greater organism.”

Quote: Thomas Jefferson

"When the speech condemns a free press, you are hearing the words of a tyrant."

Lam Duan The Blind Elephant Listens To Bach

Found this simply beautiful. I will try to visit 'Elephants World' my next trip to Thai.
Man Plays Bach To Blind Elephant

Here is a link to Lam Duan's home, Elephant World.
Elephants World Kanchanaburi Thailand

Quote: Conversation Between Actor-Game Show Host Richard Dawson And His Mother

During his retirement speech of his show 'Family Feud' Mr. Richard Dawson told this wonderful story about an important conversation he had with his mom. As a young boy in 1945 he saw troops of all colors leaving his town in England on D-day. Young Richard had never seen people of different races in his English home town before, he asked his mother.

"Is there something wrong?" his mother said "No! God makes people you understand that, don't you?" he said "Yeah" she said "Who makes a rainbow?" Young Richard said "God." Richard's mother then told him "I would never presume to tell anyone that can make a rainbow, what color to make children." Dawson then said "And she changed my whole life with that statement."

The Entire Goodbye Speech

More mothers should have talks with there children like that.

The Power Of Meditation

Found this quite interesting, the power of meditation to calm people in times of stress. The Thai coach who was trapped in the underwater cave with his 12 soccer team members is a former monk. As a monk of 10 years he was very experienced in doing meditation.

When I was beginning to learn Thai, I studied the language and meditation at a local temple here in Edmonton. The Thai monks taught me to speak, read and write as well as meditate. I did it on almost a daily basis for over 2 years. What I found was an extreme form of relaxation. I would do walking meditation for 30 minutes along with sitting for 30 with a group of others at the temple. I would almost always fall asleep, snoring loudly, during the sitting part. After wards my monk teacher would say to me "Gerry you fell asleep again.", then laugh. I do not think technically in proper meditation you should fall asleep thou some people do (including monks). I know I was very very relaxed and would doze off quite easily, usually within the first 10 minutes of the 30 minute sitting session. After I left the temple my stress level was very low, I felt completely refreshed and at peace. I highly recommend those interested  give meditation a try!

Here is a CNN article about meditation and the boys in the cave.

Thai boys who were trapped in cave have a powerful survival tool

Facebook: New HF3535 Photos And Update

Gerry Yaum

My HF3535 camera should be finished fairly soon. I am making the final payments on shipping and some extra backs for it. Filip in the Czech Republic built two of these beauties, one for a fellow in Korea and one for little old me in Canada. I hope to use it on a major cross Canada 10 year plus photography project making Ambrotypes (pictures on glass). I will also be doing 20x24 film work with the camera. The current idea would be to have a motor home of some kind towing a cargo trailer darkroom and to then travel everywhere in Canada making landscapes and portraits! Will do that for 10 years and see where I am at. Retirement the fun way! I have 2 lens for the camera a very old extremely rare Tessar 1800mm F15 brass lens and an also rare Nikon 1780mm F14.

http://gerryyaum.blogspot.com/…/bought-me-amazing-95-year-o…
http://gerryyaum.blogspot.com/…/bought-me-nikkor-apo-1780mm… 

Note* The lens are so rare I can probably eventually sell them and get my money back or even make a profit. The camera? Not sure if I can resell it at some point, maybe not. The most important thing of course is to make important lasting photographs with these tools. If I do then the cost of the tings will not matter.

Here are some shots Filip took of the first HF3535 which was sent to Korea.

The huge HF3535

Facebook: Poipet Brothel Memories

Gerry Yaum

3 mins 

During my life doing social documentary photos the ugliest place I have ever made photographs in was a brothel in Poipet Cambodia. The memories of the young women who worked there (Cambodians and Vietnamese) haunt me to this day. They would beautify the ugly sleeping/sex rooms where they took their customers to with torn out pictures of movie and singing stars.
I have photographed my father as he died from pancreatic cancer, desperate men shooting heroin in Oakland California, prostitution in Thai, slums in Bangkok and Cambodia, migrant workers, street kids and leper homes in Nepal, Burmese refugee families working a garbage dump in Mae Sot Thailand but the thing that bothers me most, the thing that haunts me still are the faces of the young women in the Cambodian brothel. They were so lost, so defeated, so gone. They would sit up front of the hovel like brothel they worked on cheap plastic chairs, under pink lights, waiting for the next customer. Their customers were mostly Cambodian men who would arrive sometimes 3 at a time on motorbikes and pay $2 each.

One young girl (everyone told me they were 18 but I doubt it) showed me large welts on her back and legs where the mama son would beat her with a hanger. Terrible ugly shit that goes on all over the world to this day. Hung the Vietnamese girl/woman in this photo could be dead now of HIV-AIDS, not sure what happened to her. I went back a few years later but could not find the brothel, her or any of the people who worked there.
https://gerryyaum.blogspot.com/…/haunted-by-lost-innocence-…

Hung Vietnamese Brothel Sex Worker, Poi Pet Cambodia 2003

Quote: My Mother

Mom is suffering from the initial stages of dementia. What my mother is going through is more difficult than what dad faced with his pancreatic cancer. With dad his body gave up but his mind, memory and intelligence was there till the end. Moms body is quite strong, she eats and sleeps well but her mind is leaving her, she has almost no short term memory now and suffers from extreme anxiety and restlessness. She constantly paces and moves about and grabs in desperation at anything she thinks can help her. There are constant requests for medicines and even after she has pills within a minute she does remember taking them.

This is so hard because there is nothing I can do and nothing she can do to get her short term memories back, her long term memories will probably eventually go as well. She is so frightened and confused, she deserves better than this and I cannot help her, I can not save her.

This quote is from a phone call this morning, she said it with such anxious, and an overwhelming sadness in her voice, she broke down and was crying after.

"Gerald!............ I can't remember!"

Video Link: Kind Hearted People Help Animals

Am in a hopeful frame of mind tonight. Thought I would share this YouTube video of people saving animals in danger.

Restore Your Faith In Humanity In 4 Minutes Flat

The Power Of Love

The 12 Thai soccer team boys and their coach were successfully rescued from their underground cave today.When we all work together, when the world helps each other, when we all love and care for each other, the best things happen. Here is a quote from the chief of the rescue mission.

-------------------

Chief of the rescue mission Narongsak Osottanakorn addressed reporters at the end of the 17-day mission, arriving at a media centre to a round of applause.

He confirmed that a medic and all navy SEAL divers involved in the rescue mission had also left the cave safely.

"Nobody thought we could do it. It was a world first," he said. "It was Mission Possible for Team Thailand.

"POWER OF LOVE"

"The heroes this time are people all over the world," he added, referring to the multinational team that assisted in the operation.

"This mission was successful because we had power. The power of love. Everybody sent it to the 13."

-------------------

Quote: Baba (From The Film "The Babushkas Of Chernobyl")

"..if there's a puddle some look in it and see the sky. Some see themselves."

How The Rescue In The Chiang Rai Thai cave Is Happening

Here are some photos explaining the rescue technique along with the boys involved. When the world works together as a team, when we put, unity, humanity and empathy above nationality, greed and selfishness so many good things can happen.

The 12 young football team boys being saved

Quote: Father Shay Cullen

From early in his book "Passion and Power" (page 83) Father Shay Cullen asks this question:

"I was soon trudging out into the slums with a small band of brothers, making our way through crowds of poor hungry people, many of whom shuffled along from weakness or deformity. I passed emaciated mothers feeding skinny babies from deflated breasts and naked children with potbellies playing in the filthy gutters. It was a depressing sight and, while I walked with the brothers through this wilderness of human suffering. I longed to be able to change it all. In a world of vast wealth and riches and mountains of surplus food, why were so many starving and dying in pain and loneliness, rejected and abandoned?"

Is America Great Again?

The USA has become a land of intolerance and hate under Donald Trump.

From CNN:
 91 Year Old Beaten With A Brick, Told To Go Back To Your Country

Rodolfo Rodriguez was out for a walk on the Fourth of July when he was attacked.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/09/us/mexican-man-beaten-brick-los-angeles/index.html

Thai Football Coach Trying To Make Up For His Mistake, More About The Soccer Team Members

This is from a CNN story on the trapped soccer teams. So far 8 of the 13 have been rescued. This seems to be a well organized and thought out rescue by the Thais and the international group working with them. If the world works together so much good can happen! We need to do more of that, more us and less me stuff. We share a common humanity and need to think that way over race, religion, nationalities, sexual orientation, gender etc.

from the CNN story:

Assistant coach Ekapol Chantawong, 25, was said to be the weakest of the group when they were found, as he reportedly refused to eat any of the food and gave it instead to the boys.

Who are the boys and their coach?

Some details have emerged of members of the team and their coach.
Captain Duganpet Promtep, 13, is described as a motivator and highly respected by his teammates. He had apparently been scouted by several Thai professional clubs.
Myanmar-born Adul Sam-on, 14, speaks several languages, and was the only team member to be able to communicate with British divers when they were first discovered.
It was 17-year-old Peerapat Sompiangjai's birthday when the group became trapped in the cave. The snacks the boys brought with them to celebrate are likely to have helped them survive their ordeal.
Assistant coach Ekapol Chantawong, 25, was said to be the weakest of the group when they were found, as he reportedly refused to eat any of the food and gave it instead to the boys.

No Photo Work Done This Week Off

No photo work, no darkroom work, no printing for the Penticton show done this week, no time to do any of that. All my time this week was taken up taking care of my mother. I hope in the coming weeks to find some time somehow to do the printing and framing I need to do, time is quickly running out. The show opens the 3rd week of September 2013.

Penticton Art Gallery: Children of the Dump Exhibition

Exhausted Caring For Mom

Spent the whole week with mom, some nights I slept over, other nights I snuck out after she went to bed. Mom got new medication this week after a geriatric doctors visit on Friday. The doctor says she has minor dementia.  It will probably get worse over time.

This week I cooked her meals, washed clothes, washed dishes, cleaned the house, took out the garbage etc etc etc. The most important thing was keeping mom occupied and calm while giving her her medications on time. I had to reply and interact with mom hour after hour, often repeating the same things 40-50-60 times. Moms short term memory is mostly gone, she writes note books (she is on her 5th) full of sentences to calm her self and occupy her mind and to remember things. Often she asks me to write something for her before she will copy it 1 to 40 times herself. Things like I WILL CALM DOWN AND RELAX or I TOOK MY ANXIETY PILLS AT 515pm.

When she tries to sleep I have been sitting on the floor next to her bed holding her hand and calmly saying...I WILL CALM C-A-L-M down D-O-W-N and relax R-E--L-A-X. I say those words and slight variations for 15 minutes or 30 minutes at a time. I will then sit on the floor quietly until she goes to bed, then sneak out of the room and try to close the doors without her waking. Mom wakes easily, many nights I have had to do this 4 or 5 times. The sleeping pills she gets now as part of her new prescription allow her to sleep 12 hours at a time (she has done that the last 2 nights, hopefully tonight as well).

Things have gone easier since the new pills on Friday. The new anti anxiety pill she got from the geriatric doctor should allow her to relax more and stop pacing and be so agitated. This pill take 30 days to fully activate and work properly, today was day 2 of taking them

I worry about moms well being next week, I have to go back to doing my 12 hour night shifts. We got home care workers to come in during the week to give her medication, and another full time worker to stay with her from 1245 till 9pm each day. We might also be trying to schedule a night shift person as well later.

Going back to work my night shifts should be a less physically taxing and much much less mentally taxing a week for me. I will need to check on mom everyday after work and probably before work. Need to also make up her constipation drink each day, feed her cat and make sure there are no other problems. I bought a bunch of frozen dinners for her tonight, I hope the worker can give them to her (still checking that out). I got a cell phone (hate the damn things) so that mom could call me 24/7 if there is a problem, or she needs help calming down etc.

Mom was so so happy she did not have to go to a home on Friday, she thought she was losing her independence and was very depressed and anxious about it. I want to keep her out of a home as long as I can, I owe that to my beautiful mother.

Notes From 12 Stranded Boys

The 12 boys and 1 coach currently stranded in the flooding Chiang Rai cave wrote these notes to their families. Brave and selfless statements of courage and caring.

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Chanin Wibulrungruang (Tun): Dad and mum, don’t worry. I am fine. Please tell Brother Yod to get prepared to take me to a fried chicken shop. Love you all!

Ekkapol Chanthawong (Coach Ake): To parents of all the children: The children are doing well. There are staff who take good care of them. I promise to take care of them as best as I can. I would like to thank you for all the moral support. And I would like to apologise to all the parents.

To my aunt and grandmother: I am doing well. Don’t worry too much about me. Please take good care of yourselves. Aunt, please tell grandma to please prepare the vegetable juice and fried pork skin for me. I’ll eat them when I come out. I love you all.

Sompong Jaiwong (Pong): I you dad and mum. Don’t worry. We are all safe now. Love you all.

Pipat Photi (Nik): I love you, dad and mum. I love my siblings as well. When I come out, please take me to a pork pan (shabu) shop. Love you all.

Mongkol Boonpiam (Mark): Mum, are you doing well at home? I am doing well. Please tell my teacher I love her. Love you, mum.

Phanumart Saengdee (Mik): Don’t worry about me. I miss you all, grandpa, aunt, mother, dad and siblings. I am happy inside here. The SEALs take good care of me. Love you all.

Ekkarat Wongsukchan (Bew): Don’t worry about me, dad and mum. I’ll be away for just two weeks. I’ll later help you, mum, sell goods when I have time. I’ll rush out of here.

Pornchai Khamluang (Tee): Don’t worry about me. I hope you all, dad, mum, and siblings, are happy.

Duangphet Promthep (Tom): I am doing well. But the air is cold. Don’t worry. But don’t forget my birthday party.

Adul Sam-on (Adul): Don’t worry about us now. I miss you all. I would like to go home as soon as possible.

Pirapat Sompiangchai (Knight): I love you, dad and mum. Don’t worry about me. I love you all.

Natthawut Thakhamsai (Toel): I miss you dad and mum. I love you all. Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.

Prachak Sutham (Note): I am safe and doing well. Don’t worry. I love you dad and mum.

Quote: Thai Boy Trapped In Underwater Cave

"I love everybody. I'm happy in here. The seals take really good care of me. I love everybody."

Email: Moms Illness Bad And Now A Break In

Lots of bad stuff happening now. Spent the last 4 nights with mom taking care of her. She is bad shape, very scared and confused, it is so sad so heartbreaking, cried loud last night before sleeping, just broke down thinking of how tough things are for mom, how unfair it it to her, how desperately she wants to be better, how she deserves a better life, how I am failing her......now this thing happened from an email to a friend.

Larry....

got a call from tonight at 10pm while I was with mom at her home. There was a break at my home (5 minutes drive away), the garage and shed and almost the house..damage to all...2 bikes stolen etc....now waiting for police to do up a report..been waiting 2 hours might be another 2 hour wait...taking mom to doctor at 7am..will not sleep tonight...lots of bad shit happening...still life is better here than the life in the dump and elsewhere,,one of the good things about social doc photography is it puts things in perspective.....got to make the best of it....will get through this..

Gerry