It has been one year sine the March 11th triple disasters of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown.  So many lives have, including my own, have forever been changed.

I could tell you those changes point by point in all of the technical details, but I won’t.  I much rather put some sound-image-power energies into the world.  For many of Japan’s inhabitants the emotions of March 11, 2011 haven’t settled.

I invite all of lucid communication to give thanks for each moment we allowed to spend in connection with the world and more importantly our loved ones.  These precious moments with loved ones should be reflected upon.

My heart goes out to my very extended Japanese community.  The land where I lay my head to rest.  The land that I walk. The inspiration for my photography.

Miami Loves Japan Too !

P-doe Luna, of Luna Empire is a powerhouse of positive urban energy among the heat and palm trees of Miami.  I first met P-doe while working on a KRS ONE documentary and I was completely blown away both by his talent and as down to earth attitude.  He has worked with KRS ONE, Fat Joe, Kool and the Gang and many others.

I was fortunate to link up with P-doe for a whirlwind day of photo shooting in Miami.  The temperatures have been rising and with P-doe on the town it got real heated.

Our first stop was a Cuban Cafe downtown to stop off for a colada. For those of you who don’t know, colada is a shot in the arm in the form of super espresso and sugar.  We sipped the coffee as P-doe called out to all the people that he knew in the neighborhood.  It was a great start to the shooting.

After we got our caffeine on we headed to the Venetian building to take some shots waterside.  It was such a blast working with P-doe.  He just loved having a good time, and making some fantastic photographs in the process.

A good photo shoot is a collaboration between the photographer and the subject.  Both need each other in order to create art.  With my eye, and P-does larger than life personality we could do now wrong.

There were so many good images from today’s session I had to narrow it down to only one.  I choose this one because it speaks to me both as representative of P-doe’s humbleness but his roots in the Miami community.  I know that big things are in the future for P-doe and Luna Empire.

check some of P-doe’s music on myspace

follow him on Facebook

check his videos on youtube

for more info on P-doe and Luna Empire  check www.thelunaempire.com

As always there is more to come from the Lucid Communication between myself and P-doe.

“Brooklyn is the Planet,” Guru once said in a rhyme.  And I would have to agree.  Even though I just barely scratched the surface of the planet a.k.a. Brooklyn, I felt comfortable among the buildings that only reached a few stories into the sky.

In some ways the island of Manhattan has grown and landed a beachhead on the former rough docks of Brooklyn.  Something must end so that others can begin.  Neighborhoods change.  Some parts decline.  The hipsters move in, families build condos where sugar was once loaded on to docks.

It is all past of the flux of human culture.  Nothing stays the same.  Nothing ever really changes.

Sometime I (we) just have to go to the other side of the river.

Most peoples’s image of central park are like that of the movies.  A romantic getaway with in New York’s concrete jungle, or the view runs the other way in which it is a place where you will get jumped after dark.

For me it lies somewhere between the two.  It is an amazing place to wander around and forget that you are in one of the worlds largest metropolises.  There are castles, lakes, fields, rambling hills.  The list is endless what one can find with in Central Park.

I did a photo shoot of the Allies there yesterday, but I need more time to go through them and sort out the top shots.  So, for now this image one the park will inspire.

As always, more to come.

The weather was warmer on Saturday.  The rain fell from the skies making all the asphalt glisten in the muted light.  The sun finally managed to come out to warm the hearts of New York.

I spent just about the whole day inside but I had an errand to do.  I passed by Thompson Square Park in the West Village on my way back.  The sunshine had finally come out and the weather had warmed up.  It had become a beautiful day.

Just to sit on a park bench with my best girl. Watching all the lives pass on by.  All those lives that I could imagine but never will be a part of.  Just to be still, if even for a few minutes, and just be.

Sunshine

Love

Park

Home

well, at least my other home!

Everyone knows the I HEART NY campaign and logo.  It is inescapable.  They are everywhere, but where is the logo that says NY LOVES ME?  That is what I am feeling over the last 24 hours since I arrived in the city.  NY in it bricks, mortar and people has love for me too.

Sometimes that love might be in a man shouting to others on the subway to get out of his way.  A subway preacher reading scriptures to the riders, or homeless quietly looking for love so they can eat.  It is an honest love.  NY’s love for me is raw and unashamed.  NYC knows that no matter what may happen the love is mutual.  The city is never afraid to show it’s emotions to me.

I would not be able to see NYC’s love for me without my lens.  My lens creates a mystic bond between the pavement that I pound in my Sauconys and the light traveling though the aperture my optical appendage. The camera lets me seamlessly enter into it’s domain.

NYC sometimes shows that love in ways I can’t imagine right before my flesh.  The city wants to show me something that I have never seen before.  I need to be in tune with New York’s vibrations in order to feel that love.

I know that NYC will never disappoint. The city will always enlighten a piece of my heart.  The patter of the rain soaked traffic is calling me.

The skies of south Florida are amazing.  I do not have to venture far to be in complete amazement of the fluffs and puffs of those Miami skies.  In fact, I usually only have to walk outside of my home.

Look up!  See those blues fill up my heart as far as I can see.  The colors the hues, those setting sun golden moments.  I could be at the shopping mall, I look up and watch the clouds.  I can be in the middle of downtown industrial side of 305, and there is the constant reminder of the beauty that The Creator shows us.

Look up!  See!  Feel!

PATH visited The Haven “Home to Our Boys” in Boca Raton Florida on Monday evening.  PATH is an organization founded by Brimstone127 that teaches about Hiphop culture.  PATH stands for Preserving, Archiving, and Teaching Hiphop.  The Haven is a nationally accredited group home for boys,who have been removed from abusive and neglectful homes and placed in protective care by the state of Florida, ages 9-17,that  is dedicated to providing a safe, loving and stable environment that fosters the development of self-esteem and independence while empowering each young man to reach his full potential.

We arrived at dinner time to watch them feast on a well balanced meal of fried chicken, potatoes, bread, rice and peas, salad and vegetables.  While they were eating a gentleman from The Haven gave out cash bonuses for the youths that achieved improving grade point averages.  Some of the youth had 4.0 averages.  It was amazing to see all the boys clap and support each other’s achievements.

It was so fresh to watch the boys of  The Haven open up to the PATH mentors.  Each PATH mentor taught one of the four elements of Hip hop:  emceeing, deejaying, urban art, and b-boying.

Brimstone taught two mini workshops on deejaying.  It was beautiful to see the youth smile as they got to play with the equipment.  A few of the youth tried to challenge him to see how large his music library was, but he was able to pull up any artist that they threw at him, thus gaining their respect.

Sekajipo taught emceeing.  He got all of the boys to group around him in a cypher (rapper’s circle) and proceeded to get them to try kicking some rhymes.  Again, it was so fresh to see the youth light up by having Sekajipo teach them some of the tricks of writing and kicking rhymes.

Sicks, taught the ways of urban art, got the boys to work on a small piece using their name as the foundation. She told each group “You can do whatever you want!  There are no rules in art!”  I loved that.  There are no rules!  Only getting to expressive yourself through the medium of your choice.

NewCre taught of b-boying (Hiphop dancing).  He got their bodies moving, and even some of The Haven staff joined .

It was a great day to be out with the PATH team.  They got to share their passion for Hiphop with the youth, the future of Hiphop.  To see The Haven boys sitting around and focusing their energies into a positive direction was beautiful.  One of The Haven staff commented that the Boys never stay focused for more than a few minutes, but today PATH had their full attention.

I feel so fortunate to be a part of the PATH team.  At the end of the workshop Brimstone answered questions from the Haven boys and staff.

The PATH workshop concluded with all the youth and staff gathering around Sekajipo as he rocked Hardtimes.  A song the youth could relate too.  In fact I was so moved listening to the song, and the youth chanting the chorus “hard times” that It brought a tear to my eye.

Pure emotion.  Pure love from all the PATH workshop teachers for the boys of The Haven.

Hiphop!  Ya don’t Stop.

For more information about The Haven please visit their website.

To check out more about PATH check www.pathtohiphop.org

One note about the pictures.  I needed to protect the identities of the youth; therefore, sometimes faces have been blurred and framing done to intentionally keep their identities.  I wish I could have shown their smiling faces!

Miami is definitely not a walking city.  In fact walking in this city can be down right hazardous to your health.  Miami is a city that was designed for car use.  Even if that use frustrates most as they get stuck on 1-95 in the most horrendous traffic imaginable.

I still like to take walks.  Even if those walks are just around my neighborhood and all I get to see are house, strip malls and some landscaping.  Its my home.  Miami is where I grew up and all these sights and sounds are beautiful to me.

The skies are unforgettable.  The skies in the late afternoon yesterday were a blessing.  To look up into the limitless skies that adorn my neighborhood just helps to put life into perspective.  I can never truly capture the beauty that the Creator performs for us.  I will try to interpret and give my view on that beauty through my lens, but it will never be able to fully capture the personal experience.

It is the Most High’s cinema!  Observed by this lucid communicator for the first time in the cinematic 16:9 ratio.  Love, beauty and life is all around us.  I want to keep my heart open so I can let it flow through me.

No ifs ands or buts, but jet lag is utterly wack!  There are lots of theories on how to lessen the impact.  Expose yourself to light.  Use melatonin to help adjust, some even say drinking some alcohol.  Some of these work some of the time, but none of them work all of the time.

It never fails.  Sometimes I adjust ultra quickly, and other times I don’t.  Best thing, is to eat right, try to sleep at the appropriate times, and just let it takes its course.

It was in my foggy haze that i spotted these plastic flamingos spinning around in the Miami breeze.  Hanging out on the ledge of a 3rd story, looking out over the Design District in NW Miami.

And, I am out.

I can’t remember the last time that I flew into Miami International Airport during the day.  All of my memories are flying into the city at night.  Coming in over the deep purple blackness of the Everglades and being blinded by the lights.  The lights that run as far north as the eye can see, and way into the south too.  They are only stopped  by the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

The air was moist but cool as I finally made my way though the terminal with my family.  Such a change in just 24 hours.  Going from double pairs of socks, to wanting to slip of sandals and a t-shirt.

It is good to be home.  To be surrounded by the sights, smells, and of course my family.

As always this is just a blip of an impression there is certainly more to come.

I met a friend for lunch on Monday in Nishifunabashi in Chiba.  I got there a bit early so I had some time to wander around and just see what was to be seen.

It was a brilliantly clear day with the skies blue and cloudless.  A great day to be out and about even if it was only in Chiba.

This kitty caught my ear first.  He was meowing away.  Saying “look at me!, Look at ME!!”  It took me a few moments before I could find where the meowing was coming from, and here the kitty was up on the second story looking down at me.

I thought to myself as my time in Japan, at least for a few weeks, winds to a close, that this kitty was saying Sayonara to me. I will miss you Japan.  I will miss my own kitties too.

Many Hugs, and I will catch up once I arrive in the 305, Miami, Florida, that is.

The weather has really dropped since Friday night.  Each night the lows are in the upper 20s (0 C) or so.  Way to cold for my born and raised in Miami blood.  I know I really shouldn’t complain because of how many people out there in the world are suffering from truly frigid temperatures.  But, then again, for me, its bloody cold out.

The wind howls at night and on Friday night the rain quickly turned to snow. I checked outside my window before I drifted off into dreamland that night and the snow had ceased falling.  I was disappointed.  I was looking forward to getting some pictures in my neighborhood of the freshly fallen snow.  I called it a night, recited the Shema, and went to sleep.

I awoke late in the morning trying to keep warm.  I opened up the curtain to be shocked to see snow atop my neighbors roof.  There wasn’t much left, but enough for me to bundle up and stroll around the neighborhood looking for some patches of snow.

It again was bloody cold out.  Most of the snow that had made it till the morning were those patches that were in the shade. I was on a quest to find crystals, ice crystals that is.

The ice in Tokyo is usually so fleeting.  It is here for a day or two at the most then it melts into our memories.  I do enjoy the snow, even though I do not want to see it that often.  Just enough for the snow to maintain its captivating mysterious nature over me.

I made my way back to Asakusa to do my omiyage (souvenir) shopping.  Like I have said before I never really liked Asakusa that much, but if I head away from the main street that leads to Sensoji Temple, the shops are pretty cool.

I was really attracted to the fabric goods in one shop.  All made by hand in Japan.  Pure love and quality.

I even got to see some flurries of snow fall in the streets of Asakusa.  It was a good day out with some kibidango I brought home for a healthy desert.

Dragons don’t cry on a cold and rainy Valentine’s Day in Japan.  There is too much hustle and bustle out in the streets.  The hordes of women in the department stores snatching up box after boxes of chocolate.  In case you don’t already know, Valentine’s Day goes only one way in Japan.  Women give gifts to men.  Not just their lovers, but coworkers, friends, teachers, the list of giri (obligation) chocolate never ends.

Dragons don’t play the Valentine’s game.  They don’t line up around the corner to get that last box of chocolates.  Nope!  They are content to be out in the streets in the rain.  They just are going to be their dragon self.

They have nothing to hide.  They have no one they have to impress.  They will be, and are dragons.